Apple leads the way as wearable tech charge continues

“The wearable band market is booming, with shipments up 35% year on year from Q1 2017 compared to the same period this year,” Paul Lamkin writes for Forbes. “That’s the word according to industry analyst Canalys, who state that a ‘strong demand for health-centric devices’ is driving the market, with an estimated 20.5 million units shipped from January to March 2018.”

“The wearable band genre includes both fitness trackers and smartwatches and it’s the latter that is proving to be the revenue winner within the category, with 80 percent of shipments being connected timepieces, from just a 40 percent market share,” Lamkin writes. “And, unsurprisingly, it’s Apple leading the way in that field. The Cupertino giant, which launched its third-generation smartwatch at the end of 2017, enjoys an 18 percent share of the overall band market – that’s an estimated 3.8 million shipments.”

“only Chinese brand Xiaomi that comes close to Apple, with a similar number of shipments (predominantly in its homeland) of its budget Mi Band fitness tracker range,” Lamkin writes. “Mi Bands can be picked up for less than $30 [vs. Apple Watch’s starting price of $249 (Series 1) and $329 (Series 3)].”

Read more in the full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: Disruption.

The Apple Watch is going to flop… The Apple Watch is Jonathan Ive’s Newton… Apple may have built out the watch to satisfy the urges of a designer who has become more obsessed with Bentleys and Rolexes than making attractive, functional technology that will actually make life better for the 99%. — Mark Wilson, March 2, 2015

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Once people start using Apple Watch, they aren’t going to want to leave it at home. Ever. And that’s bad, bad news for watchmakers not named Apple. – MacDailyNews Take, April 16, 2015

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The stupidwatches currently on the market were rendered even more anachronistic dead ends today. If you have one of these wastes of time: Sell it. Get as much as you can for that piece of junk, make room on your wrist, and get ready for the world’s first real smartwatch: Apple Watch. Along with many millions of people, you are going to want an Apple Watch. All you have to do it touch it and see even a glimpse of what it can do and you’ll be sold… The Apple Watch is going to be a massive hit that sells millions upon millions of units. – SteveJack, MacDailyNews, September 9, 2014

SEE ALSO:
Wearables market up 35% in first quarter as Apple maintains lead – May 23, 2018
Apple Watch: 46 million sold, user base likely 40 to 43 million – Horace Deidu – May 3, 2018
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Ming-Chi Kuo: Apple Watch sales could top 40-50 million units within next three years – March 27, 2018
Apple Watch dominates smartwatch market – March 1, 2018
Apple’s line of smartwatches outsold the entire Swiss watch industry last quarter – February 12, 2018
Apple Watch sets new all-time record for wearables shipments; ‘Apple has won the wearables game’ – analyst – February 7, 2018
Apple Watch sales momentum is growing; unit sales now rival those of Macintosh – January 23, 2018
Apple Watch Series 3 shipments predicted to rise to 23-25 million in 2018 – December 14, 2017
Apple Watch: The war for wearables is over, and Apple won – December 12, 2017
Canalys estimates Apple shipped 3.9 million Apple Watch units in Q317, despite strong demand outstripping supply – November 14, 2017
When Apple Watch surpassed iPod – November 8, 2017
Beleaguered Fitbit’s first smartwatch plagued by design flaws, delayed – April 11, 2017
Apple Watch sales hit all-time high while Fitbit stumbles – March 2, 2017
The Apple Watch is winning – March 2, 2017
Apple Watch had massive holiday quarter; took nearly 80% share of total smartwatch revenue – February 10, 2017
The Apple Watch ‘WOW’ moment – February 3, 2017