IDC: Apple Watch Series 4 accounted for less than 20 percent of Apple Watch sales in Q3
Apple Watch Series 3 is still a major player in Apple's smartwatch lineup, as the legacy device outperformed its newer Series 4 siblings to drive a bulk of Apple's wearables sales for the third quarter of 2018.
According to the latest estimates from IDC, Apple shipped 4.2 million Apple Watch units during the quarter ending in September for a 13.1 percent share of the global market. The figure, up 54 percent from 2.7 million units shipped during the same period last year, was good enough to put Apple in the No. 2 spot behind Xiaomi.
Though the Cupertino tech giant launched a redesigned Apple Watch Series 4 with larger display and advanced health monitoring features last quarter, it was the Series 3 that accounted for a majority of its wearable sales. A slate of new features delivered alongside watchOS 5 and a reduced price point stoked demand for the year-old smartwatch, IDC said.
The recently released Apple Watch Series 4 accounted for less than 20 percent of quarterly shipments, according to IDC estimates.
After relinquishing its crown as the world's largest wearables maker to Apple this summer, Xiaomi clawed its way back to the top in the third quarter on strong sales of the Mi Band 3 and an expansion beyond the Chinese market. The Chinese company shipped 6.9 million units for a 21.5 percent marketshare in quarter three, up a whopping 90.9 percent year-over-year.
Fitbit managed 3.5 million unit shipments across its varied product line for a 10.9 percent share of the market, down 3.1 percent from the same time last year. Of note, high demand for the Versa made Fitbit the second largest smartwatch vendor behind Apple.
Huawei and Samsung drew up the rear in fourth and fifth place with a respective 1.9 million and 1.8 million units shipped. Huawei enjoyed 20.3 percent growth on the year, while Samsung was up 91 percent.
As for the wider market, IDC saw basic wearables return to growth as manufacturers build in more advanced capabilities typically reserved for smartwatch devices.
"Many of the new basic wearables include features like notifications or simple app integrations that bleed into smartwatch territory. This has helped satiate consumer demand for more capable devices while also maintaining average selling prices in a market that faces plenty of downward pressure from low-cost vendors and declining smartwatch pricing," said Jitesh Ubrani, senior research analyst at IDC.
Apple first claimed the wearables market crown from longtime frontrunner Xiaomi in June and held that position for two quarters. The recent resurgence of basic wearables, again led by Xiaomi, appears to have come at the expense of more expensive devices marketed by Apple. That could change in the near future as the features -- and prices -- of basic category devices continue to bleed into smartwatch territory.
According to the latest estimates from IDC, Apple shipped 4.2 million Apple Watch units during the quarter ending in September for a 13.1 percent share of the global market. The figure, up 54 percent from 2.7 million units shipped during the same period last year, was good enough to put Apple in the No. 2 spot behind Xiaomi.
Though the Cupertino tech giant launched a redesigned Apple Watch Series 4 with larger display and advanced health monitoring features last quarter, it was the Series 3 that accounted for a majority of its wearable sales. A slate of new features delivered alongside watchOS 5 and a reduced price point stoked demand for the year-old smartwatch, IDC said.
The recently released Apple Watch Series 4 accounted for less than 20 percent of quarterly shipments, according to IDC estimates.
After relinquishing its crown as the world's largest wearables maker to Apple this summer, Xiaomi clawed its way back to the top in the third quarter on strong sales of the Mi Band 3 and an expansion beyond the Chinese market. The Chinese company shipped 6.9 million units for a 21.5 percent marketshare in quarter three, up a whopping 90.9 percent year-over-year.
Fitbit managed 3.5 million unit shipments across its varied product line for a 10.9 percent share of the market, down 3.1 percent from the same time last year. Of note, high demand for the Versa made Fitbit the second largest smartwatch vendor behind Apple.
Huawei and Samsung drew up the rear in fourth and fifth place with a respective 1.9 million and 1.8 million units shipped. Huawei enjoyed 20.3 percent growth on the year, while Samsung was up 91 percent.
As for the wider market, IDC saw basic wearables return to growth as manufacturers build in more advanced capabilities typically reserved for smartwatch devices.
"Many of the new basic wearables include features like notifications or simple app integrations that bleed into smartwatch territory. This has helped satiate consumer demand for more capable devices while also maintaining average selling prices in a market that faces plenty of downward pressure from low-cost vendors and declining smartwatch pricing," said Jitesh Ubrani, senior research analyst at IDC.
Apple first claimed the wearables market crown from longtime frontrunner Xiaomi in June and held that position for two quarters. The recent resurgence of basic wearables, again led by Xiaomi, appears to have come at the expense of more expensive devices marketed by Apple. That could change in the near future as the features -- and prices -- of basic category devices continue to bleed into smartwatch territory.
Comments
Also, the Seiries 4 was not generally available until mid October. Halfway through the quarter
Like putting devices like the Mi Band 3 in the same category as the Apple Watch or indeed any smart watch:
- The device still lacks basic features that were mature in the Gen 0 Apple Watch.
- They are in vastly different price brackets
- Shipped units of a low-RRP, cheap to manufacture plastic band has no bearings on market share whatsoever, nor the smartwatch market.
- The item is frequently a gift with purchase
IDC might as well put Razor scooters in the same category as luxury vehicles. To satiate market demand for people to move around on wheels.
These glaring faults don't even scratch the surface of how IDC actually have no realistic ability to estimate both watch sales figures, units or model share.
The 4 absolutely destroys the 3 in every way. But most people just think it’s incrementel like the first two revisions were. At that point they are looking at price. And the 4 is a good bit more expensive.
As a professional creative in both static and motion art covering digital and print, Apple has a substantial footprint in my home and vehicle. It also has a major footprint in my workplace. However, this year when I’ve submitted budget requests for just two Apple products, I was shot down due to the exorbitant price in comparison to other manufacturer hardware. And it’s something even I was unable to justify.
I like thst the products are priced in accord accord with the card put into crafting them. I am infuriated by the gouging of customers like me who actually need hefty performance from our machines.
And im concerned that other agencies and businesses will be making decisions just like my workplace.
There is s difference between “paying more for better” and “just plain foolish.” At this point, and it pains me to admit it - especially after being s driving force behind Apple s dominance in my workplace, but Apple has taken 2018 as an opportunity to for e people into the “just plain foolish” category wgebn they truly need some real horsepower in their carefully crafted machines.
I stopped reading right about there. I have no doubt the S3 was a far more popular choice given the discounting.
On another note, and I'm not sure how this would effect the numbers overall, but I finally was able to score an Apple Watch 4. My phone provider (in Canada) had preorders and reservations, but they're still filling them. I didn't bother with that, and just got lucky that they happened to have a 44mm space grey model in stock that day. I guess someone didn't pick up their reservation in time. Outside of Apple, they still seem to be hardly available anywhere here, especially the 44mm cellular models.
I believe this estimate. Few people need an Apple Watch, but lots want one. That spells G I F T. And when people are buying for other people, they cut corners.
Regardless: the S3 is still a terrific device. It's not like the S0 where it was barely good enough, it's more your two-year-old iPad.
Conpare it to the 3 or *shudder* earlier.
Its a noticeable difference in speed and vibrance.
Personally, I feel like the 4 is the first Apple Watch I genuinely feel like an Apple product.
The performance and conpeomise of the earlier designs felt like a white label tablet feels like.
Like it just never ever satisfied or hits home.
The earlier watches were still best in class, but the 4 feels exceptional.
Akin to iPhone 4s/6+, iPad 2, and likely HomePod 3.
We get a few revisions, then a big update, but one that while awesome, still leaves the previous generation at a healthy pricepoint. The whales get the latest and greatest, and the masses pick up last year’s excellent product but at a more palatable cost.
Its happened before, it will happen again.
The total numbers for Apple Watch should be much larger for the fourth quarter, and the Series 4 should represent a much larger share of them. But I expect that a lot of Series 3 were also sold as it represents such a good value at its current price and with some of the discounting we've seen on it.
Not everyone needs the latest and greatest, and if the feature set of the AW4 doesn't offer a given person anything of value over the AW3, then paying the extra for that un-needed functionality is dumb.
I have an AW3 with Cellular. It's good enough. It does everything I need, and while I would like to have the newer one, there isn't $500+ additional value in it for me.