Huawei surpasses Apple in smart wearables market

The Chinese tech giant shipped 23.6 million wrist-worn devices during this period, representing a 44.2% year-over-year growth.

In the third quarter, Huawei launched the GT5 and GT5 Pro watches, along with the second-generation blood pressure monitor Watch D2.

These releases, combined with a strengthened localization strategy and a focus on building a global brand image, enabled the company to achieve "continuous and stable growth" in regions such as Asia-Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa.

Huawei Watch GT5 series. Photo courtesy of Huawei Mobile

Apple ranked second, with 22.5 million shipments in the first three quarters, reflecting a 12.8% year-over-year decline. Although the launch of the Apple Watch Series 10 briefly reclaimed the top spot in the third quarter, the brand faces growing competition across various price segments in the wrist-worn market.

"Although Apple Watch still ranks first in the global smartwatch market, it needs to introduce more innovative designs to maintain its industry leadership," IDC states.

Apple was the only brand among the top five to experience a year-over-year decline in shipments.

Xiaomi placed third, driven by the strong performance of the Xiaomi Band 9 and Xiaomi Watch S series. The company shipped 20.5 million wrist-worn devices in the first three quarters, marking a 26.5% increase compared to the same Samsung followed in fourth place, with 11.5 million units shipped.

Samsung followed in fourth place, with 11.5 million units shipped. BBK, which primarily dominates China’s kids’ smartwatch segment, rounded out the top five with 7.8 million units shipped.

The IDC report also highlights China as the largest market for wrist-worn devices, with 45.8 million units shipped in the first three quarters of 2024—a 20.1% year-over-year growth.