FitBit Sold 5.6 Million Wearables in Q4, 13.9 Million in 2018
- Paul Thurrott
- Feb 28, 2019
-
9
Fitbit today announced that it sold 5.6 million wearables in the fourth quarter, up 3 percent year-over-year. And Fitbit is now the number two smartwatch maker in the world behind Apple.
“I’m proud of our performance this year,” Fitbit co-founder and CEO James Park said in a prepared statement. “Our results demonstrate that our strategy is the right one, placing us on a path back to growth and profitability. We grew our active users [by] 9 percent to 27.6 million … and grew the number of devices sold in the fourth quarter.”
Windows Intelligence In Your Inbox
Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday — and get free copies of Paul Thurrott's Windows 11 and Windows 10 Field Guides (normally $9.99) as a special welcome gift!
"*" indicates required fields
FitBit’s full-year results weren’t quite as rosy: It sold 13.9 million wearables in 2018, a decline of 9 percent from the previous year. But its latest devices—the Fitbit Versa, Ace, and Charge 3—were by far its best-sellers, and together represented 79 percent of the revenue that FitBit earned in the fourth quarter.
Looking ahead, Park says that Fitbit will introduce “more affordable devices with engaging health and fitness features, making the health benefits of being on Fitbit even more accessible.” The company expects to grow active users, devices sold, and revenue—including revenue from health services—in 2019.
Fitbit notes in its results that it is now the second-largest maker of smartwatches in the United States, but a separate report from Strategy Analytics claims that it is likewise number two worldwide. Apple sold 22.5 million Apple Watches in 2018, the firm says.
“Apple Watch is losing marketshare to Samsung and Fitbit, whose rival smartwatch portfolios and retail presence have improved significantly in the past year,” Strategy Analytics noted.
Conversation 9 comments
-
provision l-3
<p>So … In 2018 Apple sold almost double the number of smartwatches as number two (Fitbit), three (Samsung) and four (Garmin) combined and you are writing a fluff piece for Fitbit? Way to bury the lede. I guess Paul is sticking with his stance that the Apple Watch is a failure. </p>
-
provision l-3
<blockquote><em><a href="#408029">In reply to Hoomgar:</a></em></blockquote><p>Where did I say or insinuate anything like "if someone isn't first place he shouldn't report"?</p><p><br></p><p>As far as the fluff piece goes, there is a lot going on in the smart watch world. Samsung and Garmin both had a ton of growth and neither of which are really mentioned. Also, at about 12% market share Paul would consider about any other device a failure (HomePod is a great example, he had a whole article about how it was a failure because of a similar marketshare). But with a device he uses the article is all sunshine and flowers. It's a fluff piece. </p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p>