Ever Trend Zone Xiaomi is back digital New data from Canalys shows that Apple surpasses Apple in the first quarter of 2025, and the global wearable band market crown.
According to the research company, Xiaomi pulled it with a more mature ecosystem strategy than a mature ecosystem strategy than a mature one that returned in mid-2021, but Apple’s wearable strategy is getting old.
According to a first quarter report, the wearable band market showed signs of a strong recovery. Shipping rose 13% year-on-year to 46.6 million units. This is more attractive to emerging markets, primarily due to the demand for basic wearables. And that’s where Xiaomi really made its way forward.
As Canalys analyst Jack Leatherm said:
Xiaomi upgraded the Mi Band and Redmi Watch series with updated designs and advanced data features, lowering comprehensive features to the price segment, boosting its value proposition. Its growth is also supported by effective multi-category adjustments and competitive pricing, particularly in emerging economies. (…) Samsung has also increased its focus on basic bands to increase its presence in emerging economies.
Xiaomi shipped 8.7 million units this quarter, up 44% from a year ago. The Redmi Band 5 played a key role, but according to Canalys, Xiaomi’s wider momentum comes from the Hyperos Push, connectivity phones, wearables and home gear.
Meanwhile, the Apple Watch had a relatively quiet quarter. Cargo has increased by 5% to 7.6 million units to 7.6 million units, increasing its unit share by 16% against Xiaomi’s 19%. These figures reflect the recent counterpoint report, highlighting the Apple Watch’s ongoing two-year global decline in 2024.
The report includes the following:
In 2025, marking the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, Apple is expected to lean into a mature, integrated health-centric ecosystem and regain momentum later in the year with a large portfolio update.
Regarding other regions of the market, Huawei remained third in 7.1 million units thanks to strong performance in the GT and FIT line and the growth in the global footprint of the Huawei Health app.
Samsung was fourth and the biggest jump among top vendors, seeing a whopping 74% to 4.9 million units. Korean companies are focusing on emerging market basic bands and high-end smartwatches elsewhere. Garmin rounded out the top five with a 10% increase from the previous year to 1.8 million units.
