Thanks to wireless earphones, wearable devices surpass 330 million units... Hearables increase 3.5 times

2019 Wearable Device Shipments Reach 336.5 Million Units, Up 89% Year-on-Year
Hearable Products Like Wireless Earphones Account for Over Half of Wearable Market
Market Share Led by Apple, Xiaomi, Samsung... Samsung Electronics Annual Growth Rate at 153%

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Last year, the global wearable device market experienced explosive growth thanks to hearable devices such as wireless earphones. Hearable devices grew 3.5 times in just one year and accounted for more than half of the entire wearable market in the fourth quarter.

According to market research firm IDC on the 11th (local time), the total shipments of wearable devices in 2019 reached 336.5 million units, an 89.0% increase compared to the previous year (177 million units). Shipments by product type were ▲hearable devices 170.5 million units ▲fitness trackers (smart bands) 69.4 million units ▲smartwatches 92.4 million units ▲others 4.2 million units.

With the rapid growth of wireless earphone product lines such as AirPods and Galaxy Buds, they now hold a larger share than smartwatches and bands. In 2019, the total shipments of hearable devices, including wireless earphones and headsets, accounted for 50.7% of the wearable market. Especially in the fourth quarter, their share increased to 55% of the total market.

2019 Wearable Device Shipments, Market Share (Source=IDC)

Last year, the wearable market share was led by Apple (31.7%), Xiaomi (12.4%), Samsung (9.2%), Huawei (8.3%), and Fitbit (4.7%). Shipment volumes were ▲Apple 106.5 million units ▲Xiaomi 41.7 million units ▲Samsung Electronics 30.9 million units ▲Huawei 27.9 million units ▲Fitbit 15.9 million units ▲others 113.5 million units. Market shares of Apple, Samsung, and Huawei all grew compared to the previous year. Samsung Electronics had the highest wearable shipment volume among the top five companies. Thanks to wireless earphones Galaxy Buds and the Galaxy Watch Active series smartwatches, it grew 153.3% compared to last year.

In the fourth quarter of 2019, wearable device shipments grew 82.3% year-over-year to 118.9 million units. Shipments were ▲Apple 43.4 million units ▲Xiaomi 12.8 million units ▲Samsung Electronics 10.5 million units ▲Huawei 9.3 million units ▲Fitbit 6.3 million units ▲others 3.7 million units. The share of smartwatches and smart bands in the fourth quarter decreased to 44%, down from 69% in the same period last year. Specifically, the smartwatch market grew by 15%, and bands grew by 18%.

Q4 2019 Wearable Device Shipments and Market Share (Source=IDC)

Apple maintained its top position in the fourth quarter thanks to hearable products such as the 2nd generation AirPods, AirPods Pro, Beats, and the Apple Watch. Apple Watch shipments decreased by 5.2% compared to the previous quarter. Samsung Electronics rose to third place by expanding its lineup with the Galaxy Watch Active series and smart bands, securing a diverse consumer base. They increased distribution through carriers by offering wireless earphones Galaxy Buds bundled with smartphones or selling them at discounts to buyers.

For Xiaomi, the share of smart band shipments decreased while the share of hearable products increased. The smart band share dropped to 73.3% from 81.8% in the fourth quarter of 2018. Huawei’s wearable device shipments increased by 63.4% year-over-year. This was due to increased sales of children’s smartwatches and the GT2 series, as well as an expansion of wireless earphones.

Ramon T. Lamas, a researcher at IDC’s Wearable Team, explained, "New products and hearable devices such as wireless earphones encouraged consumer purchases, leading to significant progress in the wearable market last year," adding, "Shipments of mid-to-low priced models of smartwatches and fitness trackers (bands) also increased."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.