Apple keeps lead in growing smartwatch market as fitness bands decline | AppleInsider

Globally, the wearables market grew 5.6% year-over-year in the second quarter of 2021, reaching 40.9 million units total, according to Canalys. That market includes smartwatches like the Apple Watch and less advanced bands like the Fitbit or Xiaomi Mi Band 6.

Bolstered by the launch of the Mi Smart Band 6, Xiaomi actually overtook Apple as the top-shipping wrist-worn wearable vendor in the second quarter. Xiaomi had 19.6% of the market and 8 million shipments, compared to Apple’s 19.3% and 7.9 million shipments.

Credit: Canalys

However, Apple still appears to be growing faster than Xiaomi, with 29.4% year-over-year growth compared to the Chinese company’s 2.6%.

In the smartwatch category, which excludes more basic wearables, Apple is still the top player — and it isn’t even close. Apple’s had 31.1% of the smartwatch market in the second quarter. In second place was Huawei with 9%, while Garmin took third place with 7.6%.

Credit: Canalys

Canalys also notes that the smartwatch market is beginning to eclipse the general wearable market. Shipments of basic wearables and fitness trackers started their decline in the fourth quarter of 2020. By Q2 2021, shipments plunged 23.8% to 15.5 million units.

On the flip side, smartwatches are starting to take some of that territory. Shipments of both basic watches and smartwatches reached 25.4 million in the second quarter of 2021, up 37.9% year-over-year. Smartwatches also now account for 62% of the global wrist wearable market.