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Shipments of Apple ‘s ( AAPL ) smartwatch, the Apple Watch, slowed in the fourth quarter, as the rest of the wearable device market jumped for the holiday shopping season. Market research firm IDC on Tuesday said Apple shipped 4.1 million Apple Watch units in Q4, up 5.1% from the 3.9 million units it shipped in Q3. That growth is down from the 8.3% increase in Apple Watch shipments in the third quarter compared with Q2, when the product debuted. Shipments of wearable devices excluding Apple’s rose 17.9% from Q2 to Q3 and 36.3% from Q3 to Q4, according to IDC. Fitness device maker Fitbit ( FIT ) remained the top maker of wearables worldwide in the fourth quarter. It shipped 8.1 million devices, giving it 29.5% market share, IDC said. That’s up from 22.2% market share in Q3 and 24.3% in Q2. Apple claimed second place with 15% market share, down from 18.6% in Q3 and 19.9% in Q2. China-based Xiaomi placed third with 9.7% market share, followed by Samsung (4.9%) and Garmin ( GRMN ) (3.5%). Total industry shipments of wearable devices reached 27.4 million units in Q4, IDC said. That’s up 30.4% from Q3 and 126.9% from Q4 2014. “Triple-digit growth highlights growing interest in the wearables market from both end-users and vendors,” IDC analyst Ramon Llamas said. “It shows that wearables are not just for the technophiles and early adopters; wearables can exist and are welcome in the mass market.” The wearables market is currently dominated by fitness bands and smartwatches, but it’s likely to diversify into other forms, such as smart clothing, footwear and eyewear, IDC analyst Jitesh Ubrani said in a report. Fitbit remains the “undisputed worldwide leader” in wearables, thanks to its well-segmented device portfolio, focus on fitness, a fast-growing corporate wellness program and extended market reach around the world, IDC said. Apple grew its Apple Watch unit volumes only slightly in Q4 from the previous quarter despite expanded distribution and holiday sales promotions, IDC noted. Expectations are higher for the company’s next-generation Apple Watch, which could leverage Apple’s platforms like HealthKit and bolster connectivity capabilities, IDC said. A second-generation Apple Watch could be revealed as soon as next month, when Apple is planning to hold its spring product briefing. RELATED: Fitbit Q4 Beats, But Q1 Targets Disappoint; Stock Plunges Late Smartwatch Shipments Skyrocket In Q4, Passing Swiss Watches . Scalper1 News
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