Huawei tops global smartwatch market in Q1 2025 with 200M+ wearable shipments and health-tech innovation

Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., the Shenzhen-headquartered technology conglomerate, has captured the top position in the global wrist-worn wearable market in the first quarter of 2025, according to new data from the IDC Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker. With global shipments exceeding 200 million units cumulatively as of June 5, 2025, Huawei’s wearables division has officially overtaken long-standing rivals in one of the fastest-evolving segments of consumer electronics.

While Huawei is not listed on any stock exchange, institutional sentiment within Asia’s broader technology investment ecosystem is tilting positively, particularly as rival players like Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL)—the parent of Fitbit—struggle with product stagnation and strategic recalibration.

Huawei’s ascension parallels a global shift toward healthcare-driven device adoption, as consumers increasingly demand personalized, continuous health monitoring amid aging populations and rising chronic disease awareness. The company’s rise also mirrors China’s export revival in mid-tech manufacturing, marking its broader push to reclaim technological leadership post-2020s trade disruptions.

How Did Huawei Surpass Apple and Fitbit in Q1 2025 Wearable Shipments?

The IDC report confirms that Huawei outperformed all competitors in wrist-worn shipment volumes for Q1 2025, cementing its position as a global frontrunner. This marks a substantial leap from its Q1 2024 ranking, when it was third globally behind Apple and Xiaomi. Huawei’s continued domestic dominance in China—its largest market—played a foundational role. However, the broader narrative is about diversified global growth.

The company’s five-series wearable portfolio now meets highly segmented user needs: lifestyle, fitness, outdoor adventure, and medical diagnostics. These include the HUAWEI WATCH Series, WATCH GT, WATCH FIT, WATCH Ultimate, and WATCH D. With strong demand across Asia-Pacific, Europe, and Latin America, Huawei’s market share has expanded into geographies once considered inaccessible due to geopolitical restrictions on its smartphone business.

Investor tracking tools across Asia note that Huawei’s wearable business has now become the company’s second-largest consumer revenue line after smartphones, with an estimated RMB 68.2 billion ($9.4 billion USD) generated in wearable and smart health device sales in 2024—a 38% year-on-year growth rate.

What Sets Huawei’s Smartwatches Apart from the Competition?

Huawei’s key competitive advantage lies in its health-first product architecture. While most smartwatches focus on superficial fitness tracking, Huawei’s WATCH D Series—a wrist-based blood pressure monitor—has achieved Class II medical device certification in China, a global first for consumer wearables. It is now officially referenced in the Chinese Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Hypertension (2024 revision).

Other standouts include the WATCH 5, which introduces the proprietary X-TAP multi-sensing technology. This tactile innovation enables precise gesture controls, multi-dimensional health data capture, and standalone eSIM-based call functionality, reflecting Huawei’s broader ambition to create a full-stack smart living interface.

Additionally, the WATCH GT offers industry-leading battery performance, with up to 14 days of uninterrupted use—far surpassing Apple Watch’s 18–36 hour range. Meanwhile, the WATCH FIT series meets demand for lightweight, entry-level devices with full sport mode integration, while the WATCH Ultimate is designed for professional divers, mountaineers, and golfers.

Huawei’s decision to lean into scenario-based design rather than one-size-fits-all devices has been key to capturing fragmented demand profiles across consumer segments and geographies.

How Has Huawei’s Health-Tech R&D Infrastructure Fueled Its Wearable Innovation?

Huawei’s leadership in wearables is underpinned by a massive and sustained R&D commitment. With three dedicated Health Labs and inputs from over ten research institutes globally, Huawei is rapidly advancing biometrics, medical-grade diagnostics, and personalized health optimization.

Its TruSense System, launched in 2024 and upgraded in 2025, blends wrist and fingertip data acquisition to deliver real-time monitoring across 17 micro-body indicators. These include metrics previously limited to clinical settings—like 10-second blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) levels, heart rate variability, and vascular elasticity—all now integrated into a user-friendly interface.

Huawei’s wearables now hold seven domestic medical certifications and compliance approvals across 13 overseas jurisdictions, making them uniquely positioned to participate in the evolving global conversation around digital public health.

Furthermore, the company has partnered with over 160 global medical institutions, launched 300+ collaborative health research projects, and engaged 17 million active users in ongoing health data studies—an institutional-grade framework few competitors have attempted.

What Is the Strategic Significance of Huawei’s Active Rings Campaign?

Huawei’s “Active Rings” initiative, which evolved from the “Light Up Your Rings” campaign of 2023, is not just a fitness challenge—it’s a user engagement engine. By gamifying health tracking and rewarding daily activity completion through visible, animated rings, Huawei has created a repeatable behavioral loop that significantly increases app engagement and device stickiness.

Over 6 million users have lit up rings more than 300 million times, a feat unmatched even by Apple’s famed activity rings. In 2025, Huawei extended this program globally, with successful launches in Germany, Spain, and China. The rollout continues in APAC, the Middle East, and Latin America, supported by local partnerships and culturally tailored fitness events.

Analysts note that Active Rings has been instrumental in driving retention metrics—one of the hardest KPIs to maintain in a saturated wearable market. Huawei’s blend of software engagement and hardware innovation offers a full-stack ecosystem play, echoing the success of Apple’s Watch–Fitness+ combination but adapted for local markets.

What Are Analysts and Institutional Players Saying About Huawei’s Wearable Momentum?

While Huawei remains privately held, cross-border investment funds tracking Asia’s hardware and medtech segments have flagged Huawei’s wearables division as a key growth driver. Institutions like Hillhouse Capital and Sequoia China have increased exposure to Huawei-linked supply chains—particularly in sensor components and health-focused chipsets.

Market sentiment is increasingly bullish within tech-focused analyst notes. HSBC Global Research recently highlighted Huawei’s “critical lead in non-invasive biometrics” as a “durable moat,” especially as Western regulatory agencies begin evaluating wearable health claims more stringently.

Moreover, institutional FOMO (fear of missing out) is rising as Huawei starts converging into medtech verticals once dominated by legacy players like Omron or Philips. The inclusion of Huawei devices in national health guideline documents provides not just validation, but opens doors to reimbursement-linked opportunities in public health infrastructure—a rare feat for a consumer tech firm.

What’s the Outlook for Huawei’s Wearable and Health Business in 2025 and Beyond?

With wearable shipment momentum secured in Q1 2025 and over 200 million units now delivered globally, Huawei’s next frontier is clear: medical-grade consumer diagnostics. The company is actively pursuing Class III certifications for upcoming devices in the cardiovascular and glucose monitoring domains. If achieved, this could position Huawei as a first-mover in wearables-as-medical-devices—an untapped $80 billion global market.

Analysts expect further M&A activity in the smart health segment, particularly as Huawei seeks to consolidate AI-driven diagnostics, cross-platform health data syncing, and even pharma partnerships. There is also anticipation around new features tied to women’s health, elderly care, and mental health resilience—three domains where smartwatch adoption is accelerating but feature depth remains thin.

In terms of international expansion, Huawei will likely double down on markets with favorable digital health frameworks and low-cost insurance schemes. These include Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, and Brazil, where users are receptive to proactive health monitoring and digital-first care delivery.

Huawei’s dominance in the Q1 2025 wrist-worn device market isn’t just a headline—it marks a paradigm shift in the smart wearable sector. By combining deep R&D, institutional credibility, and user-centric innovation, Huawei has carved out a new frontier where wearables are not just lifestyle accessories but foundational tools for modern healthcare.

As rivals plateau and regulators scrutinize exaggerated health claims, Huawei’s methodical march toward medically certified, data-validated, and mass-accessible wearable solutions could rewrite the trajectory of both the consumer tech and digital health sectors in the years ahead.