IDC Device Tracker estimate puts Apple Watch sales at 3.6 million to date

Although Apple has yet to announce its official sales numbers for the Apple Watch, yet another research firm is putting forth an educated guess, estimating that Apple debuted at second place in the wearable device market behind Fitbit.

IDC’s latest Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker suggests that 3.6 million Apple Watch units shipped last quarter, giving it a 19.9 percent share of units worldwide. IDC claims that was second only to Fitbit, which it estimates shipped 4.4 million units, for a 24.3 percent share.

The only other wearable device which has cracked the million-unit mark, according to IDC, was Xiaomi, which is said to have shipped 3.1 million units, good for third place. IDC’s estimates place Garmin in fourth with 700,000 devices shipped, and Samsung in fifth with just 600,000 units.

IDC has projected that total wearable shipments reached 18.1 million units last quarter, up a massive 223.2 percent from the same period a year prior.

This is all speculation, though, as Apple has yet to reveal specific sales numbers to date.

Further complicating matters is the fact that the Apple Watch was only available at Apple’s own stores until earlier this month when it debuted at Best Buy — after the June quarter covered by IDC’s research. That means the only company with any concrete idea of the watch’s performance thus far would be Apple itself.

Though Apple hasn’t given specific sales figures, the company did make an effort to combat erroneous research that suggested sales of the Apple Watch were “collapsing” post-launch. Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said last month that the device had actually posted its best monthly performance to date in June.

Sales estimates, however, have been estimates: Slice Intelligence put first-quarter sales at 2.79 million, Canalys estimated 4.2 million, and Bloomberg forecast sales at 1.9 million.

So, it’s anyone’s guess, some are more informed and accurate than others, but given that Best Buy has just placed the Apple Watch in all of its locations, sales can’t be doing that badly.

Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

Via AppleInsider