Apple shipped over 3.5 million smartwatches during the last financial quarter, growing 30% on its performance in Q2 last year.
The company itself, as we know, doesn't detail specific sales figures through its own earnings reports, but a new report from Canalys indicates the Apple Watch remains the best selling device on the market.
Read this: Apple Watch Series 4 - features, specs and release date
The firm's research indicates that a total of 10 million smartwatches were sold across the industry, though, interestingly, Apple's share of this figure is actually down year-on-year. With competition from the the likes of the Fitbit Versa and Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music, Canalys notes that Apple's share fell from 43% to 34%.
That didn't stop the LTE version of the Apple Watch Series 3 from selling big, mind. According to the figures, the model proved especially popular in Asia (excluding China). Over 60% of a total 250,000 units sold in Asia were LTE, giving users the ability to break free from their smartphone with on-wrist connectivity.
At first glance, the numbers are intriguing. Apple's share appears to have dropped due to increasing pressure from rivals, and while that doesn't give us an indication of earnings (remember, the Apple Watch is generally a bit more expensive than rivals), and 3.5 million shipments is still a mammoth figure for wearables, it does highlight how Apple's lead over the space isn't untouchable.
In a recent Charged Up piece, we argued that the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Watch doesn't necessarily do enough to seriously stake a claim for Apple's throne, and while that may turn out to be true, it's still possible it can form part of a wider group (including the much-rumoured Google Pixel Watch, as well as more Fossil-backed fashion watches) slowly tugging Apple to the ground.
Of course, Apple itself will be looking to consolidate its continued success over the second half of 2018, with the Apple Watch Series 4 edging ever closer, too.
How we test
Conor moved to Wareable Media Group in 2017, initially covering all the latest developments in smartwatches, fitness trackers, and VR. He made a name for himself writing about trying out translation earbuds on a first date and cycling with a wearable airbag, as well as covering the industry’s latest releases.
Following a stint as Reviews Editor at Pocket-lint, Conor returned to Wareable Media Group in 2022 as Editor-at-Large. Conor has become a wearables expert, and helps people get more from their wearable tech, via Wareable's considerable how-to-based guides.
He has also contributed to British GQ, Wired, Metro, The Independent, and The Mirror.