Smartwatch market hits record 21.1 million sales in 2016, as Apple pulls ahead of Samsung, Chinese brands
Total global smartwatch sales hit a new quarterly high of 8.2 million in the three months ended December 31, with the Apple Watch accounting for a 63pc market share
While major Chinese companies have aggressively expanded their smartphone sales around the world, Apple has remained the dominant global supplier of smartwatches, according to the latest market estimates.
“Chinese brands collectively accounted for less than 1 in 10 of all smartwatches shipped worldwide in the fourth quarter last year,” Neil Mawston, the executive director at research firm Strategy Analytics, told the South China Morning Post on Thursday.
Mawston said global smartwatch shipments hit a new quarterly high of 8.2 million in the three months ended December 31, with the Apple Watch accounting for a 63 per cent market share.
The fourth quarter marked a return to growth for the smartwatch industry after two consecutive quarters of declining volumes
That raised total smartwatch shipments to a record 21.1 million last year, up from 20.8 million in 2015.
Apple cornered a 55 per cent global market share for the whole of last year with 11.6 million total smartwatches shipped, followed by Samsung Electronics’ 11.4 per cent share on about 2.4 million.
“The fourth quarter marked a return to growth for the smartwatch industry after two consecutive quarters of declining volumes,” Mawston said.
“Smartwatch growth is recovering slightly due to new product launches from giant Apple and stronger seasonal demand in major developed markets like the US and UK.”
Mawston pointed out that “Chinese brands, such as Huawei Technologies and Xiaomi, are struggling to gain traction in the smartwatch market, at home and abroad, due to weak product portfolios and limited retail presence”.