The 16.2 percent increase at wristbands was fueled by new product launches such as the Fitbit Charge 4, and aggressive pricing strategies at Xiaomi and Huawei. Meanwhile, hearable shipments soared 68.3 percent, making up more than half (54.9%) of the entire market. Growth here came from people working from home during the coronavirus epidemic and looking for ways to reduce surrounding noise while staying connected to their smartphones and smart assistant.
The virus outbreak had a negative effect on smart and basic watches, as many share components and resources with smartphones and PCs, also impacted by the pandemic. Still, a few vendors such as Huawei, Garmin and Huami managed healthy growth thanks to a lesser reliance on China and expansions into the US, Europe and other parts of Asia.
Apple in the lead by far
Apple topped wearable shipments in the quarter, shipping 21.2 million units and taking a market share of 29.3 percent. Declines at Apple Watch shipments were more than offset by the company’s Beats and Airpods lineup.
Xiaomi came next, with shipments at 10.1 million, including 7.3 million wristbands and watches, and a market share of 14 percent.
Samsung in third place boasted shipments of 8.6 million units and a market share of 11.9 percent. The company got a boost from its hearables/earwear business, which accounted for 74 percent of its total shipments, up from 58.9 percent the year before.
Huawei, with shipments of 8.1 million and a market share of 11.1 percent, managed to grow in China despite the lockdown, and expand in Europe, Latin America and other Asian markets. Long-term success however remains questionable due to the political pressure from different countries.
Fitbit rounded out the top five, with its performance down due its production mainly based in China. IDC noted however that the lack of hearables is hampering its growth, also hit by competition from Apple and Samsung, among others, in key markets. The company shipped a total of 2.2 million devices, with a market share of 3 percent.
For watch shipments alone, Apple shipped 4.5 million units, Huawei 2.6 million, Samsung 1.8 million, Garmin 1.3 million and Huami 1.0 million. Total shipments went to 16.9 million, from 18.2 million the year earlier.
