A recent survey carried out by Omdia indicated that last quarter’s sales of smartbands placed Xiaomi as the king of the sector. From there to the conclusion that this Chinese manufacturer is the largest seller of smart watches, there is one step. But it’s one in the wrong direction. Omdia includes in its data not only smart watches, but also smart bracelets and this is key to understanding the sector: while Xiaomi dominates in volume thanks to its popular bracelets, It is Huawei that has emerged as the true dominant force in the advanced smartwatch segmentdisplacing Apple in units sold globally.
The crux of this apparent contradiction lies in a crucial distinction that is often overlooked. Smartbands, such as the popular Xiaomi Mi Band, focus on basic activity and sleep monitoringthey have small screens and their greatest attraction is a very affordable price. Their sales volume is massive.
Smartwatches, for their part, offer larger and quality screens, premium materials, advanced health functionalities (such as ECG or oxygen saturation monitoring) and a more complete user experience. Reports that place Xiaomi at the top usually group sales of both categories under the term “wearables”. But when we narrow the focus and analyze exclusively the smartwatch market, the panorama changes radically.
According to the latest data from specialized firms such as Counterpoint Research (a benchmark in the sector), corresponding to the first quarter of 2025, leadership in the coveted smartwatch segment is distributed like this:
First place for Huawei. The Chinese manufacturer has experienced explosive growth, more than 100% year-on-yearwhich has allowed it to rise to first place in unit sales, challenging and surpassing Apple for the throne. His strategy is working.
The silver medal goes to Apple. It remains undisputed in terms of revenue generated, but has lost ground in volume of units sold in the face of Huawei’s push. Very far from bronze, Xiaomi. In this specific ranking, where his bands are not counted, his position is noticeably lower.
Why did Huawei surpass Apple? The short answer is the new Watch GT 6 series. This device has become a global success thanks to a winning formula: long-lasting battery, high-end screen, comprehensive health technology and a very competitive price, below Apple and Samsung.
Although Huawei does not reveal official figures by model, analysts agree that The company’s 103% year-on-year growth was “driven by the launch of its Watch GT 6”. Growth of this magnitude is only possible with sales of several million units in a single quarter, confirming the resounding success of the device.
In short, the history of the wearables market has two clear winners, each in their own category: Xiaomi is the king of volume when smart bracelets are included, while Huawei already dominates a sector which until now was exclusive to Apple.