It seems impossible because you are always used to talking about Apple Watch and FitBit, but from the data provided by Strategy Analytics the most sold brand in the world for smartwatch and the like is Xiaomi.
In the 3rd quarter 2018 the Chinese brand commands the ranking with 6.9 million pieces sold, an impressive figure if compared to 3.6 of the same periods last year.
It is almost double: + 90.6%
The market share of 21.5% (which means that 1 smartwatch out of 5 in the world is Xiaomi) is definitely due to the MiBand 3, the evolution with a readable screen of the already famous MiBand 2. Even the writer has one.
Apple slipped to second place with 4.2 million units sold and FitBit, which was on a par with Xiaomi in 2017 lost something, finishing in 3rd place.
Also worthy of mention is the increase of 91% of Samsung, even if the absolute number remains far from the first, with only (so to speak) 1.8 million wearable devices sold.
Once again, Xiaomi’s market strategy is disruptive: giving the quantity of technology and the “right” quality, without overdoing it, keeping the prices affordable.
Now there are the fans lined up for and against Xiaomi, a sign that in one way or another the brand is getting noticed. I do not know what you think, but certainly the numbers give reason to the choices of marketing and product and personally I’m glad to see a “third wheel” headlights in all the tech sectors that count: the competition stimulates the producers to give the best and we consumers can only benefit from it.