BEIJING -- Chinese tech giant Xiaomi overtook Apple to become the top-shipping wearable band vendor in the second quarter of 2021, according to an industrial report.

Xiaomi took the lead with shipments of 8 million units during the period, occupying nearly 20 percent of the market share, data from the technology market research firm Canalys showed.

Apple closely followed with a shipment of 7.9 million units, while Huawei ranked third with a shipment of 3.7 million units, the data showed.

"Xiaomi made a wise move to hasten the release of the Mi Band 6, which is a more compelling device than its predecessor," said Canalys Research Analyst Cynthia Chen.

"Xiaomi's quick pivot to basic watches also helped the company boost its wristwatch shipments by 1.3 million units this quarter," Chen added.

In the second quarter of 2021, the global wearable band market shipped 40.9 million units of devices, up by 5.6 percent from a year ago, according to Canalys.