China's Wearables Market Continues to Grow

Network of domestic brands and strong consumer interest contribute to increasing device shipments

September 30, 2016 | Mobile

Following reports of robust shipments of wearables in China in 2015, newer data suggests that the devices were once again off to a solid start in 2016.

According to International Data Corporation (IDC), domestic shipments of wearables by Chinese manufacturers rose to 9.54 million in Q2 2016, up 13.2% from the previous quarter and an increase of more than 81.4% from Q2 2015.

To date, China’s wearables market has been dominated by homegrown brands like Xiaomi, Lifesense and Okii. According to IDC estimates, these three brands together controlled 50.1% of the country’s wearables market in Q2 2016.

Additional research into the popularity of wearables in the Asia-Pacific region confirms the popularity of the devices in China. According to a May 2016 DigitasLBi study of devices owned by digital buyers in select countries in the region, 48% of digital buyers in China owned a wearable device as of that month, putting China in a tie for first place with India by that measure.

As manufacturers look to meet demand for wearables in China, key areas of focus are likely to be devices dedicated to health and fitness. Those areas were by far the most popular uses for wearables among the country’s consumers as of August 2015.