Paul Morris·

Not Just Top Watch Or Smartwatch Maker, Apple Is Now The World’s Top Wearables Company

New data from research company Canalys shows that Apple has once again taken control of the global wearable market with impressive shipments of its latest Apple Watch during Q3 2017. If the information is accurate and to be believed, Apple managed to shift approximately 3.9 million Apple Watch units during the most recent quarter, which was enough to give the company a 23 percent share of the global wearable market.

The number of Apple Watches shipped during the quarter was up from the same time last year by approximately 900,000 units, with the information suggesting that Apple’s latest LTE-enabled Apple Watch Series 3 accounted for 800,000 of those units due to a lack of supply on Apple’s part.

Still, it seems that the 800,000 Apple Watch 3 shipments were enough to put Apple back on the top spot, marginally ahead of Xiaomi which holds an impressive 21 percent of the global market in second place. Canalys analyst Jason Low, who is partially responsible for curating and publishing the data, discusses the appeal of Apple’s LTE-enabled Watch in context of the company’s performance, and alludes to the fact that shipments can only increase when supply can match demand:

Strong demand for the LTE-enabled Apple Watch Series 3 has dispelled service providers’ doubts about the cellular smartwatch not appealing to customers.  Despite strong shipments, the Apple Watch Series 3 did not reach its full potential in Q3. It suffered limited availability as demand outstripped supply in major markets. Service providers had underestimated demand for the new Apple Watch.

It’s actually been an extremely polarizing quarter for the wearable market on the whole. Apple may have seen strong enough shipments to return to the top spot where it feels it rightfully belongs, but both Xiaomi and Fitbit have also recorded quarter-on-quarter growth by shipping 3.6 million and 3.5 million devices respectively. Excellent news for all companies involved, but the market actually decreased by 2 percent with a total of 17.3 million shipments. Canalys attributes this to a slowing demand for basic wearable bands.

As we approach the festive shopping period – which is typically one of the most financially lucrative times for any company and not just Apple – there’s the potential for Apple Watch sales to skyrocket if production is able to keep up with demand.

It’s also important to note that Apple recently announced that Apple Watch is #1 selling watch (not just smartwatch) in the world. But this news of the company becoming #1 wearables maker means its Apple Watch has taken over the market in all wearables, including fitness bands, combined.

(Source: Canalys)

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