Apple once again fails to take crown as number one global smartwatch brand

Wrist-worn device market data reveals that the Apple Watch isn’t the number one choice for wearables.

As the year approaches its end, the Worldwide Wearables Quarterly Tracker report has revealed which smartwatch is the number one choice among wrist-worn devices.

According to the report, 139 million units of wrist-worn devices were shipped globally during the first three quarters of this year. It was also shared that in China, the number of devices shipped reached almost 46 million units, a year-to-year increase of 20%.

The five companies that shipped the most wearables globally in the first 3 quarters of 2024 were Huawei, Apple, Xiaomi, Samsung, and BBK, China’s wearable tech company that specializes in watches for kids.

The data revealed that Huawei is the leader in global wearable sales, outpacing Apple for the second year in a row. The Chinese tech company grabbed first position with the highest annual growth rate and market share.

The report revealed that Huawei sold 23.6 million units in the global wearable market during the last three quarters of 2024. It also acquired 16.9% of the market share.

Meanwhile, during the same period, Apple reached 22.5 million shipments and obtained a 16.2% market share, securing second place after Huawei. While the company didn’t fall far behind Huawei, it was also noted that Apple suffered a decline of 12.8% in its annual growth rate.

Even though Apple has been reportedly working on new health-related features, such as blood glucose tracking and communication via satellite, users aren’t too keen on upgrading their smartwatch since its latest wearable doesn’t include exclusive new features.