The latest IDC data on the wearables market suggests that Apple Watch sales are enjoying modest growth, up from an estimated 3.6M units in Q2 to 3.9M in Q3. This growth is mainly due to Apple taking the Watch into new markets, it says, though September’s introduction of modest discounts along with gold and rose gold Sport models is also likely to have helped.
However, while Apple has emerged as the undisputed market leader in smartwatches, Fitbit has retained the top slot in the overall wearables sector.
IDC reports that Apple holds an 18.6% market share in the wearables market as a whole, while Fitbit leads at 22.2% – and says that both fitness bands and smartwatches are enjoying sales growth.
While there has been clear growth in the wearable market, there has been little sign of product cannibalization. Smart watches have drawn increased attention to the market from the likes of Apple, Motorola, Pebble, and Samsung, but this has not dampened interest in fitness trackers.
There was less happy news for Samsung, however …
The Apple Watch’s sales growth will almost certainly accelerate in the holiday quarter, with the device likely to be a popular gift.
Chinese vendor XTC, a subsidiary of BBK, beat Samsung for the number five position by 100,000 units in its worldwide debut. Like other Chinese vendors before it, XTC maintained its focus exclusively within China, and with just one device: the Y01, a children’s phone watch.
