Apple Watch roars back with its best sales quarter yet

After a 2016 which saw Apple Watch sales fall on a year-over-year basis for multiple quarters, Apple CEO Tim Cook recently said that this past holiday quarter was the Apple Watch's best sales period yet.

A new estimate from IDC backs that up, finding that Apple shipped 4.6 million Apple Watches during the holiday quarter. Apple doesn't release official sales figures, which means IDC's estimate is among the most reliable indicators.

IDC analysts are practically gushing about the updated Apple Watch Series 2, the new model, which was in short supply last holiday season:

Watch Series 1 and Series 2 proved to be a magnificent success for the company as it was the company's best quarter ever in the wearables market. The lower entry price point and the inclusion of GPS on the Series 2 along with a completely revamped user interface have helped the company grow its presence. Apple is one of the few companies that has been able to quickly refocus its watch to gain traction in the consumer market and has also been leading the charge on introducing the smartwatch category to the commercial segment.

Here's the IDC chart: