At its most recent earnings call, Apple stated that its Apple Watch sales had grown 50 percent year-over-over, although the company has never revealed exact sales numbers. Estimates from Canalys suggest that unit sales almost hit 4 million for Apple Watch in the third quarter.
Canalys stated that the cellular version of the Apple Watch Series 3 has proven popular enough for demand to outstrip supply. The company also stated that wireless carriers have been surprised by the demand for the device.
Canalys estimated that roughly 800,000 of the 3.9 million Apple Watch units sold in the third quarter were the LTE model.
The Q3 calendar refers to July, August, and September. The Apple Watch Series 3 has only been available since the middle of September, Canalys estimating that roughly 25 percent of the Apple Watch units sold were Series 3 LTE models.
In China, the Apple Watch LTE access is currently disabled by the government. Canalys expects strong demand from Chinese customers once the issue is resolved.
The numbers bode well for Apple’s holiday quarter and the Apple Watch has typically performed well around this time.
Canalys has stated that it believes that Apple is currently the number one wearable manufacturer for smartwatches and less-feature-rich smart fitness bands. It’s thought that Xiaomi and Fitbit trailed Apple with 3.6 and 3.5 million units, mostly consisting of fitness bands.
Via 9to5Mac