China's shipments of wearable devices up 20.3％ in Q1

Domestic shipments of wearable devices in China rose 20.3 percent in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year, accounting for 10.35 million units, said research firm International Data Corporation (IDC) on Monday.

IDC also said that exports of wearable devices - including smartwatches, fitness trackers and smart clothing - reached 24.7 million units in the first quarter of 2017, up 17.9 percent on 2016's figures.

According to IDC,

Chinese tech company Xiaomi and American computer giant Apple are tied in first place.

Chinese tech company, Xiaomi, and American computing giant Apple are tied in the first place, with both companies shipping 3.6 million units in the first quarter. However, Xiaomi nudged into the lead with a 14.7 percent market share, with Apple slightly behind at 14.6 percent.

Xiaomi “is allowed to throttle up on its inexpensive devices within the Chinese market and for Apple to leverage its position as the leading smartwatch provider worldwide,” said Ramon Llamas, research manager for IDC's Wearables team.

Llamas said Xiaomi and Apple have supplanted Fitbit for the moment, but “the next question is whether they will be able to maintain their position.”

A visitor wears new generation smart glasses at the Wearable Expo in Tokyo.

IDC pointed out that shipments of smartwatches intended for children in China, which can track their current position, was booming.

In the first quarter of 2017, shipments rose 64.9 percent to 3.5 million units.

(CGTN)