International wearable sales grew eight per cent year-on-year (YoY) in Q2 2017, driven by Xiaomi expanding availability of its fitness bands in APAC and EMEA.

According to market analyst firm Canalys, Xiaomi sold 3.5m units in the quarter, followed by Fitbit on 3.3m units – a 34 per cent decline – and Apple Watch at 2.7m.

The smartwatch market is expected to receive a boost in the second half of 2017, driven by cellular-enabled smartwatches, which are forecast to shit 12m units by the end of the year. A large part of this 12m is expected to come from the upcoming Apple Watch with a built-in data connection that can be used separately from an iPhone.

“Apple is poised to capture the cellular smartwatch market by using its strong relationships with operators, which will become critical points of sale for cellular smartwatches and related services,” said Jason Low, analyst at Canalys. “Apple is the industry leader in allowing consumers to experience the different Apple Watch styles and functionalities in-store. It is crucial for Apple Stores and Apple’s offline retail partners to adapt quickly to effectively showcase new cellular-enabled use cases as soon as products are available.”

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