IDC: Apple leads the wearable devices market, followed by Xiaomi and Samsung

According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), Apple is once again leading the rapidly growing market for wearable devices. Of the 153.5 million worldwide shipments of wearable devices in the fourth quarter of 2020, Apple leads the share with a whopping 36.2% of it—which is a total of 55.6 million devices.

Apple Watch shipments—which includes Series 6, Watch SE and Series 3—rose 45.6% in 2020. Their hearable shipments (AirPods, AirPods Pro) however slowed to 22%—down from 28% and 29% in the previous two quarters. 

Meanwhile, Xiaomi ended the quarter in second place with 8.8% of total worldwide shipments—which is a total of 13.5 million wearable devices. The company’s shipments grew 5% over the year. However, the company’s shipments of its Mi Band lineup declined 18.3% during the supply-challenged quarter.

Samsung landed in third place with 8.5% of total worldwide shipments of wearable devices, or 13 million shipments, in the fourth quarter of 2020. Samsung’s wristbands—like the Galaxy Watch 3—sold a “relatively low” amount at 2.9 million units.

Huawei and BoAt came at fourth and fifth place of companies that shipped its wearable devices worldwide. Huawei fell from 7.9% in 2019 to 6.7% in 2020 of total worldwide shipments, but India’s BoAt devices rose from 0.9% in 2019 to 3.5% in 2020 in total shipments.

“While the shift in spending along with new products and typical seasonality were at play during the fourth quarter, the pandemic has also been good for the market as it has put health and fitness at the forefront of many consumers’ minds,” said Jitesh Ubrani, research manager for IDC.

It was reported in January that the Series 7 Apple Watch will also include “blood sugar monitoring“—which could be a game-changer for diabetic users. However, it remains to be seen if this method offers the same sort of accuracy that a conventional test gives you.

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