The global wearables market has begun to gain traction. Total shipment volumes reached 19.7 million units in Q1 2016, an increase of 67.2pc from the 11.8 million units shipped in Q1 2015 , according to an IDC report.“The good news is that the wearables market
continues to mature and expand,” said Ramon Llamas, research manager for
IDC’s wearables team.
“The wearables that we see today are several steps ahead of what we saw
when this market began . The downside is that it is becoming a crowded market,
and not everyone is guaranteed success.”
IDC notes two areas where the market is showing continued growth: smartwatches
and basic wearables – ie, devices which do not run third-party applications.
IDC identifies Fitbit as a clear market leader with 24.5pc of the overall
action, followed by China’s Xiaomi with 19pc. Apple was a distant third with
7.5pc, followed by Garmin (4.6pc) and Samsung (3.6pc).
“Gamin finished slightly ahead of Samsung on the strength of its
wristbands and watches appealing to a wide range of athletes, most especially
golfers, runners and fitness tracker enthusiasts,” IDC says.
