Apple Watch shipments passed 18 million units last
year, beating expectations, according to a new report.
Shipments increased 54% over the previous year, according to the report by Canalys.
The Series 3 watch was the key growth driver,
with total shipments of the latest version at just under 9 million units, accounting for nearly half of all shipments in 2017.
In the fourth quarter alone, shipments grew by more than 32% over
the same quarter a year earlier, which was the highest number of shipments for any wearable vendor in one quarter.
“The cellular version of the Apple Watch was in strong demand in the
U.S., Japan and Australia, where all major operators stocked it in time for the holiday season,” stated Vincent Thielke, research analyst at Canalys. “But limited operator selection in the
U.K., Germany and France influenced consumer purchase decisions, and stifled the growth potential of the connected Apple Watch.”
“Apple has won the wearables game,” stated
Jason Low, senior analyst at Canalys.