Apple loses the top spot in the global wearable band market

Phone Arena

23-05-2025

Quick. Name the top wearable band vendor in the world for the first quarter of this year. Apple? BZZZZ. If you think about it, the answer is pretty easy to figure out. Thanks to its low-priced Mi Band series, Xiaomi took the top spot in this category which includes smartwatches and less functional wrist-worn devices. The Mi Band has been extremely popular since it was first launched back in 2014 priced at $14. The data was released today by Canalys.
One of the few Xiaomi products easily available in the U.S., the Mi Band stops short of being a smartwatch but for the price it usually delivers enough functionality to keep its place on the buyer's wrist. Personally, I purchased the Mi Band 7 back in 2022. For the first quarter of 2025, Xiaomi shipped 8.7 million units, 44% more units than it shipped during the same quarter last year. This allowed the Chinese manufacturer to surpass Apple with a leading 19% market share. The last time Xiaomi topped the charts was in the second quarter of 2021. The Apple Watch fell from the top spot to second place as shipments rose a meager 5% from last year's initial quarter to 7.6 million timepieces. Apple's market share was 16% during Q1.
Xiaomi grabs the top spot from Apple in global wearable band shipments during Q1. | Image credit-Canalys
Huawei shipped 36% more wearable bands in the first quarter to finish right behind Apple with 7.1 million units delivered. This performance enabled the company to remain in third place during the January-March period with a 15% slice of the global wearable band pie.
Samsung had the best performance during the quarter with its shipments soaring 74% to 4.9 million units. In developed countries, Samsung sold its premium smartwatches while in emerging markets it relied on lower-priced mass-market devices. Samsung's market share was 11% during the first quarter. Finishing in fifth place was Garmin with its shipments rising 10% to 1.8 million units. The company's global market share in the wristband industry came to 4% in Q1.
The price of a smartwatch is the most important factor used by consumers to determine which model to buy. | Image credit-Canalys
Overall, 46.6 million units were shipped during the first quarter, up 13% year-over-year. Growth was seen in all three categories: basic bands, basic watches, and smartwatches. Basic bands and basic watches led the way.
The results of an interesting survey were included in the report. It showed that the number one factor that buyers look at when determining whether to purchase a smartwatch is the price of the device followed by the battery life. The brand was number four, just below health-tracking features. The design and style of the timepiece came in fifth.