Huawei has emerged as the dominant player in the global wrist-worn device market, defying the overall decline in the sector. Despite a 0.7% drop in global shipments of wrist-worn devices in the second quarter of this year, Huawei’s shipments surged by over 42%, according to data from IDC.
The global market for wrist-worn devices—including smartwatches and wristbands—saw 43.7 million units shipped during the quarter. Huawei shipped 8.9 million of those, up from 6.3 million last year, claiming more than 20% market share. Its success was driven by both strong domestic sales and expansion into international markets such as the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America.
China played a crucial role in Huawei’s success, where it shipped 6 million devices last quarter, securing nearly 40% of the market. Xiaomi, another Chinese company, also performed well, shipping 5.9 million units and gaining 13.5% market share.
While Huawei and Xiaomi experienced growth, Apple saw a decline, with its shipments falling nearly 12% to 5.7 million units. Apple’s market share slipped to 13%, despite being the leader in the smartwatch category. Analysts view this decline as temporary, with optimism surrounding the release of new products later this year.
In China, smartwatches saw an 18.7% growth in shipments, although wristbands declined slightly by 4.8%. Despite the global downturn, China’s overall growth rate of 10.9% helped mitigate the decline in global shipments.
Huawei’s dominance, particularly with its Fit 3 product line, solidified its leadership in both the domestic and global markets, showing the company’s ability to capitalize on price differentiation and market demand.
