Apple leads world's wearable market: IDC

In 2017, Apple outranked several traditional Swiss-watchmakers to become the world's numero uno wearable brand. Since then, it has maintained the lead and now, it has widened the gap between the rivals, says the latest International Data Corporation (IDC) report on the quarter ending in December 2020.

It said worldwide shipments of wearable devices reached 153.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2020 (4Q20), a year-over-year increase of 27.2 per cent.

Thanks to the high demand for Apple Watch Series 6 (review), Watch SE (2020) and Watch Series 3, the Cupertino-based company was able to witness 46.6 per cent increase in wearable shipments over the previous quarter and hearables such as AirPods, which are also included in wearables segment, shipments surged during the quarter although year-over-year growth slowed to 22%, down from 28% and 29% in the previous two quarters.

Top five wearable device brands. Credit: IDC

Over-all, Apple was able to capture a 36.2 per cent wearable market share.

"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 Mobile Device Trackers.

"In-home fitness programs are quickly becoming a crucial component of the wearables offering for many companies. Beyond that, the proliferation of health sensors such as skin temperature, ECG, and heart rate tracking is allowing users and health professionals to better understand the onset and tracking of diseases," Ubrani added.

Xiaomi saw 5% (Y-o-Y) growth in shipments and the slow rate is partly blamed on the Covid-19 induced supply constraints, IDC report noted. The China-based company currently holds 8.8 per cent market share. It also saw 55.5 per cent increase in hearables' shipments over the last year and is well-positioned to gain from Huawei's declines as well as grow, in EMEA(Europe, Middle East, Africa) markets.

Samsung came in third with 8.5 per cent share. The South Korean company shipped 8.8 million units across its various price segments and among them, Samsung's low-cost wristbands saw greater traction.

However, Huawei with sanctions by the US government still in force witnessed a decline in shipments in the Middle East and Africa, and Western Europe. But, in China, it saw 9.8 per cent growth.

Worldwide wearables shipments by products type, Q4 2020 (Credit: IDC)

Emerging player BoAt saw the biggest jump of 470 per cent increase in shipments. It should be noted the company exclusively sells only the arphones and operates only in the Indian market.

It has managed to capture 5.4% and caps off as top five brands in the world.

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