According to new figures from research firm IDC, via MacRumors, Apple Watch Series 1 and Series 2 are a “magnificent success” for Apple, resulting in the company recording its “best quarter ever” for the wearables market.
IDC’s figures show that Apple shipped an estimated 4.6 million Apple Watch units in the fourth quarter of 2016, an increase from an estimated 4.1 million in the year-ago quarter. This meant that Apple’s share of the wearables market, including fitness trackers, was estimated at 13.6%, a slight drop from 14.1% in the year-ago quarter.
In contrast, IDC’s figures show that wearables market leader Fitbit had one of its “largest declines ever” in the fourth quarter, shipping an estimated 6.5 million fitness trackers, down from 8.4 million in the year-ago quarter. This meant that Fitbit’s market share fell from 29% to 19.2%, according to IDC.
IDC notes that Apple’s increased focus on marketing the Apple Watch as a fitness device rather than a fashion device has greatly helped its growth in the wearables market, as has its lower entry price point and the fact that the Series 2 now has GPS.
“Apple is one of the few companies that has been able to quickly refocus its watch to gain traction in the consumer market and has also been leading the charge on introducing the smartwatch category to the commercial segment,” said IDC.
As far as Apple’s official word on this is concerned, while Apple doesn’t release Apple Watch sales figures, Tim Cook recently said that holiday demand for the Apple Watch was “so strong” that Apple “couldn’t make enough.”
Source: Apple Watch's Record-Breaking Quarter Was Opposite One of Fitbit's 'Largest Declines Ever'
