According to data released by IDC this week, it is estimated that Apple sold 12.8 million wearable devices across the world during Q1 this year. This category includes Beats headphones, AirPods and Apple Watches.
That gives Apple a 25.8% market share during this period – more than any of its competitors.
This year’s shipments represent a growth rate of 49.5% since last year, which is completely unheard of. Its nearest competitors were Huawei and Xiaomi, which shipped 5 million and 6.6 million, respectively. In fourth and fifth position were Samsung with shipments of 4.3 million devices, and Fitbit with 2.9 million.
The total number of wearable devices shipped during the first quarter stands at 49.6 million, an increase of 55.2% compared to the same period last year.
In the wrist-worn devices category, the number one spot belonged to Xiaomi. According to IDC data, Apple shipped around 4.6 million of these devices in the first quarter of this year, compared to 4 million last year.
Samsung, Fitbit and Huawei all lagged behind Apple in Q1, with shipments of 2 million, 2.9 million and 3.9 million wrist-worn devices each. What is significant is that Apple’s average selling price increased from $426 to $455 in this period.
Since Apple has three product lines (Beats, AirPods and Apple Watch), it remains the leader in combined shipments. The Apple Watch has been particularly successful at grabbing a bigger market share in terms of both units sold and dollar share. In the wireless headphone category, Apple also boosted its dollar share, with the average selling price of AirPods increasing.
Apple has upgraded the Apple Watch on a yearly basis since its 2015 launch. Last year’s Apple Watch Series 4 featured a revamped design, slimmer bezels and new ECG heath features. And this year we might see new screen technology and different casing materials.