Apple ships 3.5 mn smartwatches in Q2 2018, with LTE version: Canalys

According to a new report by Canalys, Apple's smartwatch performed strongly in Q2, 2018, with 3.5 million shipped worldwide when compared to the same period last quarter.

While overall, global smartwatch shipments reached 10 million units on the back of stellar performances by such as Fitbit and Garmin.

The report said Apple watch to Asia (excluding China) surpassed 250,000 units, with the LTE version accounting for about 60 percent. The cellular-connected Apple Watch Series 3 was the best-shipping smartwatch in Asia in Q2 2018.

"Apple's decision to expand internationally with operators has quickly reaped the rewards in the Asia Pacific," said Canalys Senior Analyst Jason Low.

Since the launch of the Apple Watch Series 3, Apple has formed partnerships with operators in Australia, Japan, and Singapore, with Thailand, India and South Korea added in the last quarter. "Operators in these markets are willing to resell connected devices other than smartphones that can help them generate extra revenue from data services. India is a surprising addition to the list of countries. But this is a good strategy by Airtel and Reliance Jio to retain their high-value customers in a bid to minimize churn in a cut-throat market," Jason Low further added.

Apple will face a threat from competitors which have started to pass the million quarterly shipments mark," Canalys Research Analyst Vincent Thielke.

Furthermore, Vendors are trying to differentiate their products with advanced heart-rate metrics, smart coaching, mapping and consumers now have a much wider range of smartwatches to choose from they did a year ago.

Meanwhile, Samsung and Google are also rumored to launch Galaxy and Pixel watches respectively.