(JW Insights) Jun 13 -- The shipment of wearable devices reached 24.71 million in China in the first quarter of 2023, down 4.1 percent from the same period of last year, according to the latest report from research firm IDC.

As one of the wearable devices, wristbands saw shipments reach 2.85 million in the first quarter of this year, an increase of 8.5 percent year-on-year, said a China Daily article on June 9.

The wristband, a lower-priced entry-level wearable product, is easier to leverage popular demand as the economy gradually recovers.

The smartwatch shipment reached 5.9 million devices in the country in the first three months, falling 16.7 percent year-on-year, with the product for adults and children hitting 3.1 million and 2.8 million devices, down 19.5 percent and 13.3 percent year-on-year, respectively, the IDC report showed.

However, the wearable market saw a diametrically opposite trend in sales and shipments in the first quarter of this year.

According to a sales tracking report from IDC, the sales volume of smartwatches for adults and children, as well as wrist band grew 1.8 percent, 2.2 percent and 10.6 percent, respectively, year-on-year in the first three months. The smartwatch market showed a slight recovery trend on the sales side.

The wearable market still has opportunities for growth this year, as new smartwatches will be equipped with more health-related functions, adding that the wrist wear entry-level market is picking up due to the spending willingness of low- and middle-income groups, said the IDC report.

(Chen HX/Li PP)