• by Chuck Martin , Staff Writer, August 7, 2019

The smartwatch is the king of wearables and Apple is the king of that hill.

New numbers from Strategy Analytics show the annual global smartwatch shipment growth at 44% for the second quarter with 12 million devices being shipped.

The Apple Watch accounted for 46% of the smartwatch market, followed by Samsung and then Fitbit.

Apple shipped 6 million watches in the second quarter compared to 4 million in the same quarter last year.

Samsung shipped 2 million smartwatches globally in the second quarter up from 1 million a year ago.

Fitbit was in third place, shipping 1 million smartwatches, slightly fewer than a year ago. The wristband maker now accounts for 10% of smartwatches shipped in the quarter, a drop from 15% a year ago.

Overall shipments of wearables are estimated to reach 223 million devices this year, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC), which estimates that smartwatches and ear-worn devices will account for more than 70% of wearables shipped by 2023.

The wearables action remains on the wrist.