Huawei Leads the Wearables Market, Apple Drops to Third in Q1 2025

In a surprising shake-up of the global wearables market, Huawei has surged ahead to claim the top spot in shipments for Q1 2025. According to IDC China’s latest report, Huawei shipped 10 million devices from January to March, capturing a 21.9% share of the market.

This marks an impressive 42.4% growth compared to the same period last year when it shipped 7 million units and held 17% of the market.

Trailing closely behind, Xiaomi secured second place with 8.7 million shipments and a 19% market share, boasting the highest year-on-year growth at 42.6%. Apple, surprisingly, ranks only third with 7 million shipments and 15.5% of the market, growing steadily by 37.2% compared to its 5.1 million shipments a year ago.

Samsung’s position slipped to fourth with 3.4 million shipments and 7.5% market share, showing a slight decline of 5.7% year-on-year. Garmin completes the top five with 2.1 million shipments and 4.7% market share, growing 29.5% from the previous year.

Overall, the wearables market shipped 45.6 million units this quarter, up 10.5% from 41.2 million in Q1 2024. Smartwatches dominate the segment with 34.81 million units shipped, while smart bands accounted for 10.76 million units.

China remains the powerhouse behind much of this growth, representing 17.62 million of the total shipments and expanding 37.6% year-on-year. The Chinese smartwatch market alone grew 25.3%, with smart bands soaring 67.9% in shipments. This boom is largely fueled by China’s national subsidy programs, which are expected to continue propelling the wristwear market. IDC forecasts a 36.9% increase in full-year shipments for 2025 compared to 2024.

While the subsidies have clearly boosted sales domestically, they raise questions about market fairness and global competition. Still, this momentum places Huawei at the forefront, proving that even under international sanctions, strong government support and consumer demand can reshape market leadership.