Apple Watch continues to lead in the smartwatch segment and 2017 shipments beat analyst expectations, according to research firm Canalys. Apple managed to top 18 million watch shipments in 2017, which was a 54 per cent growth over 2016 figures, according to the research firm. Interestingly, the latest Apple Watch Series 3 drove a major part of the growth for the watch segment with just under 9 million shipments for the new model.
Canalys data showed that Apple Watch 3 accounts for nearly half of all shipments for 2017. Considering the Apple Watch Series 3 launched in September 2017, under 9 million shipments is an impressive number. Overall, Apple performed well in Q4, 2017 with watch shipments growing by more than 32% over Q4, 2016. Apple shipped a total of 8 million smartwatches in the last quarter of 2018 alone. This was the highest number of shipments in a single quarter for any wearable vendor and for Apple, notes Canalys.
According to Vincent Thielke, Research Analyst at Canalys, there were a strong demand for the cellular version of the Apple Watch Series 3 in the US, Japan and Australia. “The Apple Watch Series 3 is the fastest-selling LTE wearable on the market with shipments doubling quarter on quarter to reach 1.6 million. But limited operator selection in the UK, Germany and France influenced consumer purchase decisions, and stifled the growth potential of the connected Apple Watch,” he noted.
Jason Low, Senior Analyst at Canalys said that Apple has clearly won the wearables segment. “Despite innovative designs, such as the rotating bezels and circular screens employed by other vendors, Apple has pulled far ahead as it continues to focus on its core iPhone user base. Its recent updates to the Series 3, such as GymKit and Apple Heart Study, are proving to offer compelling use cases, encouraging users to spend more on accessories,” he pointed out.
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