18 million AppleWatches shipped in 2017; breaks Fitbit’s record

Apple has set yet another record. According to a new report from Canalys, Apple Watch shipments set a new record in the year 2017. The company shipped record 8 million Apple watches in the fourth quarter of 2017, which is an increase of 54%.

The report says, “Apple’s Q4 performance was impressive in itself, as shipments grew by more than 32% over Q4 2016 to 8 million, the highest-ever number of shipments in a single quarter, not just for Apple, but for any wearable vendor.”

With this record, Apple has managed to dethrone Fitbit who was the previous record holder. The wearable maker shipped 6.1 million units in the fourth quarter of 2015.

Apple Watch shipments beat expectations, topping 18 million in 2017, up by more than 54% on 2016. As per the report, Apple Watch shipments beat expectations. The numbers topped 18 million in 2017, up by more than 54% on 2016.

The report also adds that Apple Watch series 3 is the fastest-selling LTE wearable on the market, with shipments doubling quarter on quarter to reach 1.6 million. The device did very well in the markets of US, Australia and Japan.
Jason Low, senior analyst at Canalys, said, “Apple has won the wearables game. 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.”

Recently, Apple CEO Tim Cook also said that Apple Watch witnessed its best quarter during the holiday season of 2017. He also added that Apple Watch series models were twice high in demand as compared to the Apple Watch Series 2 a year ago.

This means that Apple is now the biggest smartwatch maker in the world.

According to another Canalys report, in terms of volume, Apple’s closet competitor was Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi in the third quarter of 2017. At that time Apple held 23% market share and Xiaomi and Fitbit acquired 21% and 20% respectively.