14 DAY TRIAL // Apple Watch is still selling very well nearly a year after its launch, and a new report released by IDC shows that Cupertino sold a total of 4.1 million smartwatches in the fourth quarter of the last year.
Fitbit continues to be the leading company with 8.1 million devices, up 29.5 percent from the same period the year before, while Apple’s performance can’t yet be compared with 2014 figures because the Watch launched in 2015.
IDC says that Fitbit continues seeing strong sales in the wearables market, and the new devices launched by the company, the Blaze and the Alta, should help consolidate the leading spot. It’s worth noting that, despite the Apple Watch skyrocketing in the last 12 months, Fitbit has remained the top choice for those looking for an activity tracker around the world, with sales goring up every quarter.
Xiaomi also growing at a fast pace
As far as the Apple Watch is concerned, IDC says that strong sales of the smartwatch compensate for the drop the company experienced with other products.
“Apple grew its Watch distribution, enjoyed holiday promotions, and drove the company's overall ‘Other Products’ revenue during 4Q15,” IDC said.
“However, volumes for the quarter grew only slightly from the previous quarter and total revenues have yet to counterbalance the slowing growth and declines from the company's other product categories. Expectations are higher for the next-generation Watch that can leverage the company's platforms (HealthKit, ResearchKit, WatchKit, and watchOS 2) and connectivity capabilities.”
The next companies in the charts are Xiaomi, which sold 2.7 million units during the quarter, Samsung with 1.3 million, and Garmin with 1 million.
Apple is expected to unveil a new refresh of the Watch next month, but it’s very important to note that this won’t be the second generation. Instead, the company wants to release just a small makeover that will include a software update plus some new bands created with premium partners around the world.
The second-generation Apple Watch is likely to see daylight later this year, possibly together with the iPhone 7 in the fall or even next year in the first quarter.
