The worldwide wearable device market recorded its eighth consecutive quarter of steady growth in the first quarter of 2015, bucking the post-holiday slowdown in what was described as “a strong sign for the wearables market”.

“It demonstrates growing end-user interest and the vendors’ ability to deliver a diversity of devices and experiences. In addition, demand from emerging markets is on the rise and vendors are eager to meet these new opportunities,” said Ramon Llamas, research manager for wearbles with analyst house IDC.

A total of 11.4 million wearables shipped during the three months, a 200 per cent increase from the 3.8 million seen in Q1 2014.

“What remains to be seen is how Apple’s arrival will change the landscape. The Apple Watch will likely become the device that other wearables will be measured against, fairly or not. This will force the competition to up their game in order to stay on the leading edge of the market,” Llamas said.

IDC also noted that price erosion has been “quite drastic”. More than 40 per cent of devices are now priced under $100, which has enabled the top 5 vendors to grow their dominance of the market to three quarters from two-thirds in a year.

Apple’s arrival in the market will “test consumers’ willingness to pay a premium for a brand or product that is the centre of attention”, Jitesh Ubrani, senior research analyst for the research firm, noted.

Vendor highlights
Perhaps the standout vendor was Xiaomi, which started the year by “blasting through the one million unit mark” with its Mi Band – a product which only started shipping in the second half of 2014.

As with its smartphones, Xiaomi’s performance was driven by China, but the company has global aspirations in this market.

Fitbit “started 2015 in the same way it ended 2014: as the clear market leader in the worldwide wearable device market”, IDC said. The company has recently refreshed its portfolio, which addresses “multiple segments of the market, from casual exerciser to committed athlete”.

Samsung took fourth place from demand for its Gear smartwatches. A limiting factor for this vendor, however, is that its Gear devices only connect with some high-end Samsung smartphones.

Jawbone beat Pebble and Sony for fifth, following the release of its entry-level Up Move and continued demand for its older Up24.