Huawei dominates global wearable market

Huawei's dominance in the wearable market continues its upward trajectory, according to the quarter two report from the International Data Corporation (IDC). Huawei saw a 55.1% year-on-year increase in shipments of wrist-worn wearables during the first half of 2024, securing its position as the global leader for two consecutive quarters. Canalys data, however, puts Huawei at second behind Apple and narrowly ahead of Xiaomi.

By Lindsey Schutters

12 Sep 2024

Huawei's Watch Fit 3 is a very well packaged and priced fitness wearable

"The wrist-worn market has been in a technological accumulation phase for some time, with relatively limited innovative technologies being put into the market," said Sophie Pan, research director, IDC China.

"This has made the driving force of the high-end market slightly weak, prompting manufacturers to layout more products in the mid-range to entry-level markets, providing consumers with more choices.

Apple is taking hearing loss and hearing health seriously, which is a big win for society.

Apple taking hearing loss seriously is an industry win

Lindsey Schutters 11 Sep 2024

On the other hand, it has also narrowed the gap between manufacturers on a global scale, promoting changes in the market structure and providing a buffer opportunity for manufacturers to break through with innovation in the next step.

Huawei's success was driven by the popularity of last year's Watch GT 4, along with the recent launch of the Watch Fit 3, which solidified the brand's appeal as a blend of fashion and innovative features.

Additionally, the company's strong market performance reflects growing consumer trust in the advanced health and fitness tracking features integrated into its wearable products.

New devices and innovation

The IDC report also notes the company’s "substantial progress in regions such as the Middle East and Africa, Latin America, and Central and Eastern Europe."

Watch Fit 3 – a well-priced (R3,000) Apple Watch lookalike that came in on the heels of Fitbit’s market departure in SA – played "an important complementary role in its smartwatch product line, significantly driving the growth of its wrist-worn shipments."

As Huawei gears up for its next product launch event on 19 September in Barcelona, the focus remains on wearables.

A new sensor array and data processing pipeline called TruSense replaces the TruSeen tech that matured at version 5.5 on the Watch GT 4.

This new health tracking module will arrive on the upcoming Watch GT 5, and unlock next-generation blood pressure monitoring in the Watch D 2.

Foreign investment

While much of the sensor and software design happens at Huawei’s China campus, the device maker opened up a health and fitness R&D facility in Finland and is now reaping the benefits of that investment.

In South Africa, the company has also maintained a close relationship with Discovery and offers a great, cross platform – Huawei wearables work on Android and iOS devices – alternative to the more utilitarian designs of Garmin.