Apple led the wearables worldwide. Now is third after two Chinese manufacturers

Chinese manufacturers have achieved what seemed impossible: to dethrone Apple in a category that they did not invent, but they did define. He Apple Watch The physical standard to be followed by the rest has been and still largely, but it is no longer the first in market share after many moons being … and neither the second.

After the stage in which Xiaomi advanced him in quota, now he has also done so The new huawei, which does not compete but creates its parallel reality After the sanctions that forced him to reinvent himself. He is going well.

Why is it important. Huawei leads the global market of Wearable In the first quarter of 2025 with 10 million units sold, followed by Xiaomi with 8.7 million. Apple is relegated to third place with 7 million sales, according to data from IDC.

The loss of leadership – from 1 to 2 and 2 to 3 – marks a turning point for a company that dominates this segment from The launch of Apple Watch in 2014. For years, Apple not only sold more smart watches, but also staying with most of the benefits of the sector.

• Now that last continues, but the unitary majority no longer has …
• … While it is true that this is not usually Apple’s game: as with mobile phones, prioritizes capillarity benefits.

The context. The secret of Chinese success is based on a devastating price strategy. While the Apple Watch becomes more basic It costs about 250 euros, Xiaomi sells its Smart Band 10 For less than 50 euros and Huawei has models from 50 euros.

This price difference is not accidental. Chinese manufacturers have opted to democratize technology Wearablecarrying basic health monitoring and fitness functions to population segments that would never be considered to spend 300 euros on a clock.

In figures. Huawei controls 21.9% of the global body of body devices, rising from 17% of the previous year. Xiaomi reaches 19% compared to 14.7% of 2024. Apple stays at 15.5%, although it has grown since 12.5% ​​last year.

The growth of the sector has been 10.5% year -on -year, with 45.6 million units sold worldwide in the first quarter. China represents 17.6 million of these sales, a spectacular growth of 37.6%.

Yes, but. Apple maintains important advantages that sales figures do not reflect. Keep dominating in profitability, keeping most of the benefits of the sector despite selling fewer units.

In addition, Apple Watch works exclusively with iPhone, which limits its potential market but guarantees a closed and very profitable ecosystem. Apple Watch users They are usually more likely to spend money In accessories and applications. After all, they are the same as they do from the iPhone.

The threat. For Apple, this loss of quota represents more than a change of position. Chinese manufacturers have shown that they can offer 80% of the functionality for 20% of the price, an irresistible equation for many customers.

The Chinese strategy is not limited to being cheap. Huawei has launched premium models like the Watch Ultimatewhich exceeds 1,000 euros, competing directly with Apple’s most expensive versions. Xiaomi, meanwhile, has reasonably improved design and benefits of its basic models.

And now what. If Apple prioritizes recovering fee, you can try to compete in fee, risking your margin. But that is not Apple’s own. Its most common movement is to worry only about its own needle and whether the segment grows or not.

If sales grow, it will hardly worry that other manufacturers sell more devices at a much lower price. If sales fall, their concerns will focus on what they can do to alleviate it. Including check where these sales go, if other manufacturers, to traditional watches or simply a longer update cycle.

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Outstanding image | Daniel Romero in Unspash