Huawei Overtakes Apple in Wrist-Worn Market Amid Rise of Basic Fitness Trackers
In the first quarter of 2025, Huawei has surpassed Apple to become the top player in the global wrist-worn market, driven by a resurgence in basic fitness trackers. The market saw a 10.5% growth in Q1, with fitness band shipments soaring by 34%, largely fueled by a 37.6% surge in China.
Huawei has seized the top spot in the global wrist-worn market from Apple in the first quarter of 2025, a period marked by a surprising resurgence of basic fitness trackers.
That’s according to a new report from the analysts at IDC, who suggest that the global market for wrist-worn wearables grew by 10.5% in Q1, with 45.6 million units shipped. Smartwatches saw modest growth of 4.8%, while fitness band shipments rose by 34%. IDC notes that the trend was largely fueled by a 37.6% market surge in China.
Huawei’s rise has been driven by its integrated HarmonyOS ecosystem and strong sales of its new, affordable Band 10. The company’s latest premium watch, the Huawei Watch 5, likely also contributed to its success.
Despite losing the top position for this financial quarter, Apple recorded its strongest shipment growth since 2023. IDC speculates that this was due to US retailers stocking up ahead of potential tariffs and competitive pricing in China.
The boom in China is being fueled by government subsidies and a new national ‘Healthy Weight Management Action’ plan, aiming to combat obesity and drive adoption of health-focused wearables. Xiaomi and Garmin also saw growth, with IDC predicting a 36.9% growth in China’s wrist-worn market in 2025.
As we close out Q2 next week, we’ll be keeping a keen eye on whether these trends continue to hold.
According to the source: Wareable.
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