Apple retains grip on wearables market but Huawei, Samsung see massive growth: IDC

Apple maintained clear control of the global wearables market in the first quarter of 2019 but saw its share erode due to the growth of Huawei, Xiaomi and Samsung's presence in the space.Huawei may be facing a tough time in the US market, but the China-based company has recorded an astounding 282.2 percent year-on-year growth in the wearables market, according to market research firm IDC.[caption id="attachment_6052241" align="alignnone" width="1280"]

Apple Watch Series 4.[/caption]In its Wearable Devices in Q1 2019 report, IDC highlights that global shipments of wearable devices reached 49.6 million units during Q1, 2019, up 55.2 percent compared to last year.Wrist-worn wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers continue to lead with 63.2 percent share while ear-worn devices are gaining popularity, accounting for 34.6 percent.

Apple continues its leading position with its Apple Watch, AirPods, and select Beats headphones - all falling in the wearables category. The Cupertino giant is estimated to have sold 12.8 million units during Q1, giving it 25.8 percent market share.Xiaomi ranked a far second owing to its affordable Mi Band that accounted for around six and a half million shipments, followed by Huawei at number three (10 percent share), Samsung at number four with 4.3 million shipments, and Fitbit completing the top five.With inputs from ANI