Apple Watch 3 shipments reached new highs last quarter

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apple watch
The Apple Watch is going from strength to strength.
Photo: Apple

Apple has yet to reveal exactly how many Apple Watches it has manufactured and sold, but according to market research firm Canalys the shipments figure is likely to have been 3.9 million units in Q3 2017.

That’s its strongest quarter so far in 2017, and enough that Apple retook the wearable device lead — with rivals Xiaomi and Fitbit shipping 3.6 million and 3.5 million bands, respectively.

“Strong demand for the LTE-enabled Apple Watch Series 3 has dispelled service providers’ doubts about the cellular smartwatch not appealing to customers,” said Canalys analyst Jason Low.

Of the Apple Watches shipped in the quarter, approximately 800,000 out of the 3.9 million units were cellular-enabled.

Making the figures even more impressive (and, possibly, more frustrating for Apple in some ways) is the fact that the Apple Watch Series 3 may not have reached its full sales potential for the three month period spanning June through September. That’s because limited availability meant demand outstripped supply, as service providers underestimated how many people would want the devices.

Questions about the quarter ahead

Something that will be interesting to see is how well the Apple Watch does over Q4 2017. On the one hand, the holiday quarter is always a strong one for Apple — and it would be a big surprise if the Apple Watch Series 3 wasn’t a top holiday seller. At the same time, sales may take a hit in China, due to the government’s recent decision to block LTE cellular connectivity due to supposed security concerns.

Did you buy an Apple Watch in the past three months? Do you plan to buy one as the holiday season approaches? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: Canalys

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