NZ puffs behind the pack in wearable tech

Apple's latest wearable: the Watch Series 4.

Worldwide sales for "wearables" - fitness bands and smartwatches - rose 7 per cent to 27.9 million for the June quarter, according to stats compiled by market tracker IDC.

New Zealand puffed behind the pack, however.

"Year-on-year, the NZ market has declined by 24 per cent from approximately 60,000 shipments to around 45,000," IDC market analyst Alex Yuen says.

Fitbit leads the pack here, with 23 per cent share by IDC's count, with Apple in second on 17 per cent.

Apple does not sell the most expensive models in its Watch series here, which has helped Fitbit's cause.

And while Apple has just released its Watch Series 4 in NZ, which has received strong reviews for its new heart-health tracking features, the "LTE" version - which offers internet and call connectivity without the need to pair with an iPhone - is not available here.

A rep for Apple says the company will release the LTE version here if Spark, Vodafone and 2degrees offer support.

On the global scene, Fitbit - which almost single-handedly created the market for wearables has continued its decline (see chart below). Three years ago, it held nearly half the global market.

But the latest stats from market tracker IDC indicate Apple, Xiaomi and Huawei are now eating its lunch.

The June quarter of last year saw an evenly balanced market with China's Xiaomi, Apple and Fitbit tightly clumped around the 13 per cent mark.

The June quarter just gone saw Apple (17.0 per cent) and Xiaomi (15.1 per cent) move head, while Fitbit (9.5 per cent) continued to fall away.