Pebble controlled the smart wearable market in the first quarter

According to analytics firm Canalys, smartwatch maker Pebble controlled a leading 35% of the global smart wearable band market. The smartwatch, which got its start as a Kickstarter crowd-funded project, has become a success. To kick off the new year, Pebble launched a new stainless steel version of its watch. And with the Pebble App Store available for both iOS and Android versions of the watch, Pebble was able to outship both Sony and Samsung during the January through March period. Sony was next with a 29% share, followed by the 23% share scored by Samsung.

In the basic band category, Fitbit is the king, accounting for 50% of shipments in the quarter. The product achieved that domination despite the recall of the Fitbit Force due to skin irritation reported by some wearers. It was subsequently blamed on contact dermitis caused by a material used to make the device. Jawbone also had a strong first quarter, while the Nike FuelBand's share dropped to 10% While Nike is now focusing away from the hardware end of the business, Canalys expects Nike's software to be used for the Apple iWatch, expected in the second half of the year.


source: Canalys via Mashable, SlashGear