Dan's Biz Bookshelf: 'Apple in China: The Capture of the World’s Greatest Company'
The Chemical Connection: Experience and Wisdom Gained by Doing Business
It's Only Common Sense: Leveraging AI in Your Sales Strategy
Worldwide Shipments of Wearable Devices Grew 8.8% Year Over Year in Q1 2024 While Average Selling Prices Continue to Decline
June 4, 2024 | IDCEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
The wearables market began 2024 with a growth spurt as global shipments of wearable devices grew 8.8% year over year in the first quarter (1Q24) to 113.1 million units, according to new data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker. Despite the shipment growth, average selling prices (ASPs) declined for the fifth quarter in a row, dropping 11% in 1Q24 as emerging markets gained traction and as the economy put downward pressure on consumer spending.
"The lack of major innovation in the premium segment has allowed tier-2 brands to narrow the gap across the board," said Jitesh Ubrani, research manager, Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers. "Until we get to a point where new sensors or algorithms enable prescriptive insights or the tracking of new datapoints such as blood pressure or glucose, consumers will likely gravitate towards the mid to value price points and this is where brands have continued to invest by diversifying their pricing ladders."
"It's important to pay close attention to smaller, regional vendors," said Ramon T. Llamas, research director with IDC's Wearables team. "The appetite for wearables is not lost on emerging markets, but higher prices on wearables from premium brands make them cost prohibitive for many. That has opened the door for local brands to introduce low-cost yet feature-laden devices to meet this unsatiated demand. That's how companies like Xiaomi and Imagine Marketing have established positions among the top vendors worldwide."
Company Highlights
Apple maintained the top position although it was held back by poor macroeconomic conditions, a temporary ban on certain watch models, and the lack of newer AirPods. Overall, Apple Watch shipments declined 19.1% year over year while hearables including AirPods and Beats declined 18.8% during the quarter.
Xiaomi ranked second with 43.4% year over year growth thanks to an easy comparison over a 16% decline in the first quarter of 2023. The company's value-oriented products resonated with users and the recent re-entry into Wear OS watches has helped the company become the third largest vendor within the Google ecosystem and grow its overall smartwatch average selling prices.
Huawei captured the third spot, surpassing Samsung, thanks to the return of its smartphone business, which had a positive impact on wearables due to bundling. However, the company's sales are heavily concentrated in China with about three quarters coming from the region.
Samsung slipped into fourth place. The launch of the Galaxy Fit 3 as well as success with lower-priced hearables helped the company achieve market beating growth although its core smartwatch volume declined 5.1% during the quarter.
Imagine Marketing (boAt) rounded out the top five. The Indian brand known for its extreme value-oriented products managed to grow its hearables volume by 17.5% but its smartwatches saw a tremendous decline of 61.3% due to extreme competition within the home country.
Share on:
Testimonial
"The I-Connect007 team is outstanding—kind, responsive, and a true marketing partner. Their design team created fresh, eye-catching ads, and their editorial support polished our content to let our brand shine. Thank you all! "
Sweeney Ng - CEE PCBSuggested Items
American Standard to Participate in European Microwave Week 2025
09/05/2025 | American Standard CircuitsAnaya Vardya, President, and CEO of American Standard Sunstone Circuits has announced that his company will once again be taking part in European Microwave Week, Europe’s premier RF, microwave, radar and wireless event, to be held from September 21-26, 2025 at Jaarbeurs in Utrecht, The Netherlands.
TSMC and South Korean Rivals Lose U.S. Fast-Track Export Privileges for China
09/03/2025 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamWashington has revoked Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s (TSMC) special fast-track status for U.S. chip-making equipment exports to its Nanjing, China, plant, Reuters reported on Sept. 2. The move comes days after similar actions against South Korean chip makers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.
UHDI Fundamentals: UHDI Technology and Industry 4.0
09/03/2025 | Anaya Vardya, American Standard CircuitsUltra high density interconnect (UHDI) technology is rapidly transforming how smart systems are designed and deployed in the context of Industry 4.0. With its capacity to support highly miniaturized, high-performance, and densely packed electronics, UHDI is a critical enabler of the smart, connected, and automated industrial future. Here, I’ll explore the synergy between UHDI and Industry 4.0 technologies, highlighting applications, benefits, and future directions.
It's Only Common Sense: Leveraging AI in Your Sales Strategy
09/01/2025 | Dan Beaulieu -- Column: It's Only Common SenseLet’s get one thing straight: AI isn’t here to replace you; it’s here to make you smarter and faster. Every time a new tool shows up, half the sales floor panics: “They’re going to automate us out of a job!” This is shouted while doomscrolling LinkedIn. Relax. Sales is still, and will always be, about human connection, trust, and delivering value. However, if you’re not using AI to your advantage, you’re handing your competitors a loaded gun and asking them to shoot first.
I-Connect007 Editor's Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
08/22/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007In this week’s roundup, we have a variety of articles covering design, manufacturing, sustainability, and, of course, tariff negotiations. We have a milestone anniversary to celebrate as well, with Dan Beaulieu about to publish his 1,000th column. When does Dan even sleep? Here’s to hoping that we have 1,000 more weeks of "It’s Only Common Sense."