From 2014 to 2015, the total shipment of wearables grew 171.6%, according to IDC. The research company points out Fitbit’s well-segmented device portfolio and extended market reach among factors behind the enormous growth. Compared to Q3 2015, when the company is estimated to have shipped 3.9 million units, about 4.1 million Apple Watch units are believed to have shipped in Q4 2015. China’s Xiaomi was the big mover, seeing 258.5% year on year growth and claiming third spot with 9.7% share for Q4.
Advertisement
Fitbit has always been the king of wearables and an IDC report released today says James Park and Co. still wear the crown. Moreover, when the net of the wearables market is widened, it will be Apple that benefits the most, as its strong brand loyalty and customer base around the world comes into play. Following Apple and Xiaomi, Samsung shipped 1.3 million units, Garmin shipped 1 million units, and a number of other wearable device makers shipped the remaining 10.3 million units at the end of a year ago.
Ramon Llamas, IDC Wearables team research manager, says the triple-digit growth highlights the grwoing interest in wearables from both end-users and vendors.
The next companies in the charts are Xiaomi, which sold 2.7 million units during the quarter, Samsung with 1.3 million, and Garmin with 1 million. “It shows that wearables are not just for the technophiles and early adopters; wearables can exist and are welcome in the mass market”.
And since wearables are yet to fully penetrate the mass market, there is still plenty of room for growth in multiple vectors: new vendors, form factors, applications, and use cases that will help propel the market further, he added.
Breaking it down by vendor, Fitbit ended 2015 as the “undisputed worldwide leader of wearable devices”, – the same way it started the year – IDC said, with 29.5 percent market share during the fourth quarter.
Wearable Internet-connected devices are shipping by the millions, with a focus on fitness leading the way.
“End-users expect improvement from what they have now, and new applications to spur replacement and increased adoption”. “Simply encrusting your watch with gold and jewels is not going to cut it. Rather forming partnerships with notable fashion icons, a route taken by Fitbit and Apple, is far more likely to succeed”. The company has just launched a new Mi Band Pulse, priced at $13, which has a heart rate monitor.
Some of those companies include Motorola, Pebble and Huawei, as well as companies like Recon and Sensoria, makers of eyewear and clothing, according to Jitesh Ubrani, senior research analyst at IDC.
Advertisement
Since then, Apple has managed to become the third top vendor of wearables in terms of global shipments.
