A recent Strategy Analytics research reveals that global smartwatch shipments are rising. 56 percent is the increase, from 11.6 million units shipped globally in Q4 2017 to 18.2 million in Q4 2018. That’s an “all time high” yearly number of 45.0 million units, notes the research, for the entire year of 2018.

Of all the players, Apple is still comfortably in the first place, with its Apple Watch, that shipped 9.2 million units worldwide in Q4 2018. That is up 18 percent from 7.8 million units in Q4 2017. However, its market share fell from 60.4 percent in 2017 to 50% in 2018.

The difference almost entirely went to Fitbit, which saw an impressive growth to 12.2% marketshare in 2018, versus 1.7% the year before.

2.4 million smartwatches worldwide and captured 13 percent global smartwatch marketshare in Q4 2018, rising strongly from 5 percent marketshare a year ago. Samsung is once again the world’s second largest smartwatch brand — Steven Waltzer, Industry Analyst at Strategy Analytics

Garmin managed to hold on to its fourth place shipping 8.5 million units in 2018, but losing .4% marketshare from 7.5%. The research notes that 8 in 10 of all smartwatches shipped worldwide are branded Apple, Fitbit, Samsung, or Garmin.