New Delhi, Mar 5 (IANS): Driven by strong response to Watch Series 6 and SE, Apple maintained its top position in the global smartwatch market in 2020 with shipping 33.9 million units, a new report said on Friday.

Chinese brand Huawei with 11.1 million smartwatch shipments was second while Samsung with 9.1 million units came third, according to Counterpoint Research's 'Global Smartphone Shipments Tracker'.

Overall, Apple saw a 19 per cent growth while Huawei registered 26 per cent growth (despite US sanctions) in the global smartwatch segment last year.

In a year where annual smartwatch growth inched forward at only 1.5 per cent, Apple maintained its number one position and increased its market share by 6 per cent from 2019, helping shift the overall market closer to the premium segment.

The Apple Watch Series 6 and SE did exceptionally well, shipping 12.9 million units and accounting for 40 per cent market share in the festive quarter (Q4) alone.

"Price band dynamics during Q4 2020 indicate ASPs (average selling prices) are on the rise. The 2019's biggest segment ($101-$200) shrank by 7 per cent, while the more premium $300-plus segments grew by 8 per cent, helped tremendously by Apple, which enjoyed a dominant market share of over 70 per cent in this category," informed senior analyst Sujeong Lim.

Samsung increased its share by 1 per cent (YoY), rebounding in the latter half of the year with the launch of Galaxy 3 Watch.

Honor, newly spun off from Huawei, also did well, with shipments doubling from 2019. Other Chinese brands such as Amazfit and Xiaomi also performed well, enjoying double-digit growth.

The smartwatch market is being driven by three premium brands -- Apple, Samsung and Huawei.

"Over a three to four years' timeframe, we see budget players like OPPO and realme gaining a significant share, intensifying overall competition and bringing down the prices," said Lim.