Huawei Is the World's No.1 Smartwatch Brand, GT 7 Reaches Malaysia Sept 29

Huawei closed the first half of 2026 as the world's largest wearables brand, ranking first in global wrist-worn device shipments and taking more than 20 percent of the market, according to the latest IDC Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker.

The company has led China's wrist-worn market by shipment volume every year since 2021 and has held the global top position several times since 2024. IDC points to a mature product cycle and a portfolio that now stretches from serious running watches to everyday health trackers, a luxury line and a children's range.

Closer to home, Huawei says it also led Malaysia's smartwatch market over the same period, citing independent third-party research on first-half 2026 shipments in the country. That local claim comes from the brand rather than from IDC, so we note it as Huawei's own figure.

The watches that carried the first half

At the sporty end sits the Huawei Watch GT Runner 2, built for distance runners with a first-to-market Marathon mode and a running power metric that follows effort from preparation through to recovery. A Racing Legend Edition, developed with marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge, adds a Training Camp Dashboard with deeper performance data and fitness import and export.

For everyday wellness, the Huawei Watch Fit 5 series introduces a Mini-workout feature, short routines meant to break up long sedentary stretches. The Huawei Watch Ultimate Design Spring Edition takes the luxury route, pairing premium materials with health tracking aimed at women, including menstrual cycle monitoring. Rounding out the range, the Huawei Watch Kids X1 series carries dual cameras and precise positioning for younger wearers.

The wearables push runs alongside Huawei's other Malaysian launches this year, including the Huawei FreeBuds Neo, which landed locally at RM399 after rebate.

What Malaysia gets on 29 September

Malaysian buyers do not have long to wait for the next step. Huawei will launch the Watch GT 7 series in Malaysia on 29 September 2026 at a Kuala Lumpur event, extending a line-up that already competes with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. Local pricing and availability were not confirmed at the time of the announcement, and we will update this story once Huawei sets them.

For now, the headline is the market position: on IDC's numbers, no brand shipped more wrist-worn devices worldwide in the first half of 2026 than Huawei.