Apple has set a new quarterly sales record for its smart wearable, shipping over 6 million Apple Watches in the fourth quarter of 2016, according to Canalys. The analyst firm has noted in its report that Apple Watch generated more than US $2.6 billion in revenue for Apple in Q4 of 2016, making up nearly 80% of total global smartwatch revenue (via DigiTimes).
Canalys’ estimates show that Apple shipped 11.9 million smartwatches in 2016, holding a 50% market share globally for the year.
Driven by Apple’s strong performance, global smartwatch shipments reached nine million units in the fourth quarter of 2016, increasing 12% from a year earlier. Xiaomi also enjoyed a record quarter shipping a total of 5.5 million Mi Band bracelets in the quarter.
In the coming quarters, Samsung Electronics is expected to push shipments of its Gear S3 Classic and Frontier.
The report also adds that Android Wear shipment volumes will bounce back significantly this year, as new products that were postponed due to the delay of Android Wear 2.0 will be launched soon.
