The worldwide wearables market maintained its upward trajectory during the first quarter of 2017 with Xiaomi and Apple leading all companies and multiple products, experiencing double- and triple-digit growth, according to a new report from IDC.

Companies shipped a total of 24.7 million wearable devices during the first quarter of 2017, up 17.9 percent from 20.9 million units shipped during the same period last year.

"Fitbit finds itself in the midst of a transformation as user tastes evolve from fitness bands to watches and other products," Ramon Llamas, research manager for the IDC wearables team, said in a press release about the report. "This allowed Xiaomi to throttle up on its inexpensive devices within the China market and for Apple to leverage its position as the leading smartwatch provider worldwide. Now that Xiaomi and Apple have supplanted Fitbit, the next question is whether they will be able to maintain their position."

IDC noted that Xiaomi began 2017 as co-leader of the worldwide wearables market alongside Apple, having spent several years as the number two or three company. More than 96 percent of its shipment volume — primarily fitness tracking wristbands — remained within China, and many were shipped as part of smartphone bundles to consumers.

As for Apple, it saw sustained demand for its watches for nearly two quarters after the Series 1 and Series 2 versions launched to the market, and recorded the second highest year-over-year growth among the leading companies.