Apple claims the top spot in wearable market followed by Xiaomi and Fitbit in Q3 2017: Canalys


Apple Watch

Apple has regained the top spot in the wearable market in Q3 2017 with 3.9 million shipments and it is the strongest quarter for Apple in 2017, all thanks to the recently launched Apple Watch 3 with LTE support, reveals a new report from Canalys. Xiaomi and Fitbit claim the 2nd and 3rd spots with 3.6 million and 3.5 million, respectively. 

Despite the increase in smartwatch shipments, the demand and overall wearable band market fell 2% to reach 17.3 million units. Despite the strong shipments, Apple Watch Series 3 did not reach its full potential in Q3. The main reason for this is the limited availability of demand outstripped supply in major markets. According to Canalys estimates, 800,000 Apple Watch units shipped in Q3 were cellular-enabled.

Smartwatch Market Q3 2017

However, vendors are expecting a strong Q4 this year, and it will be crucial to assess the reach and consumers reaction toward the emerging trend of fashionable smartwatches that prioritize form rather than function.

Canalys Analyst Jason Low, commenting on the same, said:

Strong demand for the LTE-enabled Apple Watch Series 3 has dispelled service providers’ doubts about the cellular smartwatch not appealing to customers. In China, customers with high expectations are being driven away by the service disruption fiasco in the country. Besides bringing in more stock, operators should work on improving their remote service provisioning systems to cater for the expected higher demand in Q4. While health features continue to be the core focus, vendors are striving to increase the value of smartwatches by prioritizing design and highlighting key features.

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