Xiaomi has retaken the digital crown in the global wearable band market, surpassing Apple to become the top vendor in Q1 2025, according to new data from Canalys.The research firm says Xiaomi pulled it with a more mature ecosystem strategy than the one it had back in mid-2021 (the last time it led the pack), while Apple’s wearable strategy has grown stale.According to the Q1 2025 report, the wearable band market showed signs of strong recovery.
Shipments rose 13% year-over-year to 46.6 million units, driven largely by demand for basic wearables, which are more appealing to emerging markets.And that’s where Xiaomi really pulled ahead.As Canalys analyst Jack Leathem said: Xiaomi shipped 8.7 million units this past quarter, up 44% from a year ago.
The Redmi Band 5 played a key role, but Canalys says Xiaomi’s broader momentum comes from its HyperOS push, connecting phones, wearables, and home gear.The Apple Watch, meanwhile, had a relatively quiet quarter.Shipments rose 5% to 7.6 million units, inching to 16% total unit share against Xiaomi’s 19%.
These numbers echo a recent Counterpoint report, which highlighted the Apple Watch’s ongoing two-year global decline in 2024.The report reads: As for the rest of the market, Huawei held onto third place with 7.1 million units, thanks to strong performance from its GT and Fit lines and the growing global footprint of the Huawei Health app.Samsung, in fourth, saw the biggest jump among the top vendors, a whopping 74%, to 4.9 million units.
The Korean company split its focus between basic bands for emerging markets, and higher-end smartwatches elsewhere.Garmin rounded out the top five with 1.8 million units and a 10% year-over-year increase. You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day.
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