Charts of the Day: Xiaomi Bests Apple in Wearable Tech Shipments

Xiaomi Corp. took the title of world’s biggest seller of wearable tech from Apple Inc. in the third quarter this year, thanks to low prices and global expansion, according to a report by data tracker IDC.

The report, released Dec. 3, showed Xiaomi’s shipments were up 90.9% year-on-year in the third quarter to 6.9 million units, accounting for 21.5% of the global market’s total 32 million units.

The surge is because of the success of the Mi Band 3, a fitness tracker launched early this year that was priced under 200 yuan ($29) in China. Besides, the company expanded to markets such as India, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, according to the report.

Apple came in second with its shipment volume of 4.2 million units in the third quarter, up 54% from the same period last year. It was followed by Fitbit, which saw it shipments dip by 3.1% to 3.5 million units.

It has been over a year since Xiaomi first took the top spot. In the second quarter of 2017, Xiaomi beat Apple and Fitbit by shipping 3.5 million units.

Wearable tech products, including smart watches and fitness trackers, help users monitor their sleep and their heart rate during exercise, as well as playing music and setting alarms.

“China — the largest market for wearables and more than double the size of the U.S. market — has grown thanks to strong device development and experimentation, low-cost products, and strong demand for basic devices to draw in new users,” said Ramon T. Llamas, research director for IDC’s wearables team in the statement.

Graphic: Gao Baiyu/Caixin

Contact reporter Tang Ziyi (ziyitang@caixin.com)