Global smartwatch shipments grew 44% on year in the second quarter of 2019, according to Strategy Analytics. Apple Watch maintained its strong leadership, as Samsung returned to second place and Fitbit slumped to third.

Global smartwatch shipments reached 12.3 million units in the second quarter, compared to 8.6 million units in the same period of 2018, according to the research firm. Smartwatch growth continues to soar, as consumers increasingly accessorize their smartphones with fitness-led wearables.

Apple shipped 5.7 million smartwatches worldwide in the second quarter, rising by an above-average 50% from 3.8 million in second-quarter 2018. Apple Watch remains a long way ahead of the chasing pack and its global smartwatch market share grew to 46%, up from 44 percent a year ago.

Samsung shipped two million smartwatches worldwide in second-quarter 2019, more than doubling from 0.9 million a year ago. Samsung's global smartwatch market share has jumped from 11% to 16% during the past year. Samsung is now established as the world's number two smartwatch vendor. Recent new models, such as Galaxy Watch Active 2, should enable Samsung to solidify its global smartwatch presence for the rest of this year, according to Strategy Analytics.

Fitbit shipped 1.2 million smartwatches worldwide in the second quarter, dipping from 1.3 million a year ago. Fitbit captured a 10% global smartwatch market share, slumping from 15% a year ago. Fitbit has struggled to compete with Apple Watch at the higher end of the smartwatch market, while its new Versa Lite model has struggled to take-off at the lower end. Fitbit will have to move fast to execute a recovery, because Samsung, Garmin, Fossil and other competitors are keen to grab a slice of its valuable health and fitness customers, according to Strategy Analytics.

Rodney Chan, DIGITIMES, Taipei