An interesting change is currently being witnessed in the market for smart, wearable devices. The second quarter was characterized by an 8% rise putting the figure at 21.6 million. This was attributed to the very expensive smartwatches as well as to the growing popularity of the very cheap fitness tracking bands. This was confirmed by the Strategy Analytics.
The new trends have placed the Chinese device maker Xiaomi in a position it has never enjoyed before. For the first time in its business history it has risen to the top to become a leader in the market.
Xiaomi has performed much better in comparison to the results it obtained the previous year. The provider’s Mi Band fitness trackers are becoming quite popular and that might in a way explain the improved sales.
On the other hand, Fitbit has shipped about 3.4 million wearables and this as a matter of fact represents a 40% decline. This is in relation to the performance witnessed the previous year that saw the company clinch a 16% share of the market. This was almost half of its market share of 2016.
Apple took the third place with the second quarter being associated with the shipment of about 2.8 million Apple watches. It was an improvement in comparison to the results obtained last year. More specifically, the provider witnessed 50% rise. In terms of the market share this was 13%.
The first quarter was a tough period for Fitbit which is said to have lost a leadership position it had held for quite some time. On the other hand Xiaomi and Apple tied for the first place.
A director at Strategy Analytics, Cliff Raskind opined, “the rumored upcoming Watch Series 3 launch with enhanced health tracking could prove to be a popular smartwatch model and enable Apple to reclaim the top wearables spot later this year.”
At the moment, Fitbit is going through a rather tough time considering that it is caught up in the middle of the dead zone of the market. The executive director at the research firm, Neil Mawston concurs that indeed Fitbit is at the verge of getting trapped in a pincer movement between the low-end.
