The market for connected watches and fitness bracelets is experiencing a slight slowdown, but an astonishing brand has just dethroned Apple in terms of global sales. A first that risks changing the situation in this very competitive sector.
THE portable devicesincluding the connected watches and the bracelets fitnesscontinue to attract users, although their growth is down slightly. According to recent data from the IDC (International Data Corporation), 139 millions of these devices were shipped worldwide on the first three quarters of 2024or a decrease of 1% compared to last year. This slowdown, however, did not prevent an unexpected manufacturer of overtake Apple taking first place in overall sales.
HUAWEI create a surprise with 23.6 million units shipped. This represents a impressive growth of 44.3% compared to 2023. This performance is driven by a strategy adapted to the needs of different regions, with models such as the Watch GT 5, GT 5 Pro et Watch D2. On the other hand, Apple, the undisputed leader in the premium connected watch segment, has seen its overall position decline lack of an offer in fitness braceletsa growing market.
HUAWEI overtakes Apple as leader in sales of connected watches and fitness bracelets
The market for watches connected to generally slowed down with 112.2 million units shipped, i.e. decrease of 3.8% compared to the previous year. Conversely, the bracelets fitnessmore affordable, have experienced a increase of 12.7%reaching 26.8 million units. HUAWEI has capitalized on this trend with models that are both efficient and accessible. For his part, Samsungin fourth positionsaw his sales increase by 24.3%thanks to a strategy covering all price segments, from high-end Galaxy Watch Ultra to budget Galaxy Fit3.
The concurrence remains lively, particularly with Xiaomi and BBK (OPPO, OnePlus, Vivo), which display growths respective of 26,5 % et 25,9 %. These brands are positioning themselves in emerging markets with affordable products and feature-rich. At the same time, the Chine, world’s largest market portable devices, recorded a growth of 20.1%representing 45.8 million units over the period. This dynamism shows that it is important to respond to different needs according to the pays and the regionswhile big brands increasingly dominate the market.
Source : IDC
