Apple Watch Trails lead as competitors with health and low prices

The worldwide demand for smart watches rises quickly, but a quiet quarter for the Apple Watch lets Xiaomi recapture the top position.

The global market for portable bands rose by 13% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the previous year and, according to new data from Canalys, reached 46.6 million programs. The back rash was powered by the broad demand in the categories in the emerging countries and a low comparison basis from the first quarter of 2024.

With 8.7 million units that were sent, Xiaomi again reached the lead to reach looting by 44% compared to 2024. The company attributed strong Redmi Volume 5 sales and deeper integration through hyperos, its individual operating system.

A newly developed smartphone chip and a closely coordinated product portfolio helped Xiaomi to improve its added value, especially in a significant regions.

Apple, Huawei & Samsung expand ecosystems

Apple took second place with 7.6 million Apple Watch programs, a modest increase of 5% compared to 2024. This corresponds to the seasonal expectations, since the first quarter tends to be the most distant point of Apple's typical September refresh cycle.

Instead of pursuing hardware overhaul, Apple focuses on improving the stickiness of its ecosystem.

His health and fitness integrations, data protection protection and seamless iPhone pairing continues to expose the watch to Premium segments. With its installation base, however, persistent growth will probably come from services such as fitness+ and health surveillance functions.

Huawei held third place with 7.1 million units, a win of 36% compared to the previous year. The GT and FIT series found a traction outside of China, supported by a broader introduction of the Huawei Health app. Samsung followed with 4.9 million programs, a sharp increase of 74%, which is due to a double market strategy.

Garmin rounded off the top 5 with 1.8 million units, by 10%. The introduction of Garmin Connect+, a subscription platform for deeper knowledge and training instruments, signals the step of the brand towards recurring income.

The focus is on ecosystems

When the hardware edges tighten, the providers shift the focus of functions on ecosystems. Companies accelerate service development to increase the bond and long -term value.

This shift is particularly visible in China where Xiaomi uses hyperos to link phones, wearables and smart home products into a uniform experience. Huawei pursues a more health-oriented approach and builds up a closed system via its health app.

Important factors for consumers. Photo credits: Canalys

Globally, brands such as oura and Whoop have supported subscription models from the start and positioned wearables as continuous services and not as one -off purchases.

Price, battery life and health tracking remain the top purchase factors. When the ecosystems expand tires and software functions, providers who offer reliable integration and trustworthy data processing will have the advantage.

Xiaomi's climb shows how affordable devices can also take over against brands in combination with a growing ecosystem with a lead. Apple's challenge is to no longer sell the Apple Watch, but to make it indispensable.

The success depends less on how many functions a device are equipped, and more on how well these functions are connected, supported and monetized on the wider platform.