Wearable Technology Market

Global Wearable Technology Market Size (2024 to 2029)

The global wearable technology market is anticipated to be worth USD 71.68 billion by 2029 from USD 33.25 billion in 2024, growing at a CAGR of 16.61% from 2024 to 2029.

MARKET DRIVERS

The rising health issues and the desire for a healthy lifestyle are some of the factors driving the global wearable technology market growth. The space between patients and doctors or hospitals is filled by digital health technologies through telehealth services and online consultations. It helps medical professionals in analyzing patient situations and developing a precise treatment plan since it gives them access to real-time, current blood pressure, oxygen saturation, heart rate and blood sugar. Furthermore, wearable medical devices also perform remote monitoring of patients which lowers healthcare expenditure and hospital readmissions.

Technological advancements in sensor technology and miniaturization have provided the development of comfortable, lightweight and smaller devices. As a result, Consumer adoption and acceptability have grown greatly. Additionally, advancements such as battery life and 5G connectivity are transforming wearable devices into more powerful, versatile and user-friendly devices. The growing advances in immersive reality technology are also propelling the global wearable technology market. Augmented reality and virtual reality provide immersive digital experiences, interactive environments, simulation and engagement have completely changed learning techniques. However, these are in the emerging stage and will need some time, personalization and investment to meet the huge demand in education.

Growing technical developments present an excellent opportunity for the expansion of the global wearable technology market. The innovative advances in the fashion industry are contributing to market growth. Manufacturers have allowed the introduction of smart clothing, with major effects on the medical field, by incorporating state-of-the-art electronics into clothing. Furthermore, huge investments are made by established brands such as Nike and Adidas to create T-shirts with sensors to track heart rate, calories burned and other health-related metrics. The area of lower visibility of wearable devices also presents potential prospects for market expansion. Gadgets can look more like jewelry or clothes than like a fitness band or clip-on monitor. They could further be covered up from view by taking the shape of a strap or patch.

MARKET  RESTRAINTS

The limited functionality of budget and basic devices is affecting the expansion of the global wearable technology market and may drift away the interest of tech-savvy customers in this technology. Also, the largest issue is that wearable typically has screens that are far smaller than those of smartphones. An app's user satisfaction is unlikely to be perfect and most users may never be completely satisfied with its appearance and functionality. Additionally, the lack of regular updates is another factor hindering market growth. In today’s connected devices world, the absence of multi-platform support is affecting the demand for wearable technology.

Impact of COVID-19 on the global wearable technology market

COVID-19 had a long-term impact on the global wearable technology market. Despite the decrease in the purchase and sale of electronic devices during the pandemic, the demand for smart wearable devices increased for health purposes. As a result, the business of wearable technology sharply rose after COVID-19 and not just in the healthcare sector but in other sectors such as industrial, consumer electronics, enterprise, fashion and others. Initially, there was modest growth in the sale of wearable devices including wristbands, fitness trackers and smartwatches due to restrictions and lockdowns, but it increased in the post-pandemic period. Furthermore, the incorporation of wearable Internet of Things and artificial intelligence in healthcare facilities presents a substantial opportunity to elevate the standard of treatment and improve the welfare of patients.

REPORT COVERAGE

SEGMENTAL ANALYSIS 

Global Wearable Technology Market - By Type

Based on type, the wearable non-textile segment dominated the market and accounted for the major share of the global wearable technology market in 2023 and the domination of the segment is expected to continue throughout the forecast period owing to the growing demand for health monitoring equipment to improve welfare and assist in the management of chronic diseases. Further expansion into healthcare, sports and business sectors is expected because of continuous advancements and a growing emphasis on personalization. Moreover, the seamless integration with various devices including smartphones and smart homes enhances functionality and provides convenience which is boosting the segment growth.

Global Wearable Technology Market - By Product

Based on product, the wristwear segment had 48.7% of the global market share in 2023 and is expected to register prominent growth during the forecast period. To boost their product sales many smartwatch and fitness tracker companies specifically targeted athletes, adventure seekers and sports enthusiasts which is the key factor propelling the segmental growth. These gadgets offer indicators linked to fitness and promote a healthy way of living by giving details on calorie consumption, water breaks and step counting. On the other hand, the headwear/eyewear segment stood at the second position in the category due to the growing use of smart headwear and virtual reality and augmented reality headsets in the multimedia and healthcare sectors.

Global Wearable Technology Market - By Application

Based on application, the consumer electronics segment is estimated to account for the major share of the global wearable technology market during the forecast period and the growth of the consumer electronics segment can be attributed to the rising adoption of wearable technologies such as fitness bands and AR/VR headsets. Products that give customers easy access to health information are in demand because of the evolving lifestyle of consumers. Fit and wellness applications have become more common owing to wearable technology. This covers smart clothing, smart health watches, smartwatch phones and others.

REGIONAL ANALYSIS 

Asia Pacific is rapidly growing at a higher CAGR and presents diverse regional dynamics. The quantity and diversity of the user base attract wearable technology companies. Its strong focus on wellness and fitness has increased the demand for heartbeat-monitoring wearables, smartwatches, fitness trackers and others for keeping track of sleeping patterns, physical activity, etc. Moreover, the rising number of manufacturers to assist in the market expansion during the anticipated duration. Furthermore, In the first half of 2023, more than 57 million wearables were shipped to India which saw the market grow by over 53 percent year over year basis.

North America is the biggest market having a significant share and is expected to continue this trend in the forecast period. The demand for more powerful and sophisticated wearable technologies is growing as smart devices become further advanced. The high disposable income along with the rapid adoption and recognition of new technology are a few key drivers of the regional market. Furthermore, the region is home to major wearable companies including Apple, Fitbit and Garmin who are prime contributors to the market growth. However, the market has reached its maturity which is slowing down the regional growth rate.

The European wearable technology market is propelling forward at a consistent pace which is moving towards niche applications and specific segments. Key players including Google, Apple, Samsung, Withings, Qualcomm and Microsoft have made strategic investments in the health and fitness industry from which wearable technology is already experiencing significant market penetration. It is projected that more than 28 billion euros will be utilized for formulations and intermediate materials in the wearables supply chain by 2025 indicating its high level of dynamic activity. Additionally, AI and VR technological advancements will boost the demand for smart glasses and this will be extremely beneficial to Germany's wearable electronics sector.

Latin America's wearable technology market is in the emerging phase with promising prospects for the future. The high smartphone adoption rates in the region is driving the development of wearables powered by apps and seamless connectivity. The growing emphasis on health and wellness is increasing the widespread use of fitness trackers and health monitoring devices. Moreover, Government programs were implemented in Brazil and Mexico to promote wearable technology innovation and use.

Middle East and Africa saw considerable growth in terms of both unit and value in 2022. The Shipments to the region in 2022 increased 9.8% year over year (YoY) to more than 14 million units. The market's value increased by 25 percent to 2.86 billion dollars. In 2022, earwear device shipments increased by 13 percent YoY which accounted for half of total wearable shipments. Apple and Samsung held an overall share of almost 40 percent in the earwear segment with Apple ranking first and Samsung ranking second. Third place went to the Chinese seller Xiaomi.

KEY MARKET PLAYERS IN THE GLOBAL WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY MARKET

Companies playing a notable role in the global wearable technology market include Fitbit, Inc. (U.S.), Apple, Inc.(U.S.), Xiaomi Technology Co. Ltd. (China), Garmin Ltd. (U.S.), Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.(South Korea), Guangdong BBK Electronics Co., Ltd (China), Misfit, Inc. (U.S.), Alphabet, Inc. (U.S.), LG Electronics Inc.(South Korea), Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. (U.S.), Adidas Group (Germany), Sony Corporation (Japan), Jawbone, Inc. (U.S.), Lifesense Group (The Netherlands), and others.

RECENT HAPPENINGS IN THE GLOBAL WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY MARKET

Product Launches:

• In October 2023, Xiaomi introduced its Wrist ECG and Blood Pressure Recorder for monitoring and fall detection.
• In September 2023, Garmin introduced the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro Solar for multi-sports tracking which comes with advanced health metrics, solar charging and a sapphire glass display.
• In October 2018, the company Fitbit launched a new product “Fitbit Charge 3”, a smart band for fitness tracking that is said to automatically capture the user’s fitness activity such as steps, distance, heart rate, floors climbed, hourly event, active minutes, and calories burned.
• In 2018, Apple, Inc. came up with a new updated version of their smartwatch gadget, the Apple Watch Series 4 that comes with some advanced features such as water resistance up to 50 meters, a built-in global positioning system (GPS), bright display, and dual-core process enabled.
• A recent study has been published regarding Wearable devices mentioning that these are compelling tools that keep patients involved and invested in their health. The most frequent users of wearable devices are less healthy than average and more likely to need to be hospitalized. Devices like activity trackers help customers stay more active and more vigorous on their own, decreasing their need to see a doctor; while more advanced devices can monitor patient health metrics such as blood pressure, heart rate, and diet on the go. Instead of having to go to a clinic for monitoring, patients can do it at home and always be connected to a doctor. If a monitored patient’s blood pressure spikes, the doctor can receive a notification and act.

Collaborations/Partnerships:

• Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd in 2016, December entered a partnership with a company named Lonely Planet, which is the largest travel guidebook publisher for up-gradation of their smartwatch features.

DETAILED SEGMENTATION OF THE GLOBAL WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY MARKET INCLUDED IN THIS REPORT

This research report on the global wearable technology market has been segmented and sub-segmented based on type, product, application and region.

By Type

• Wearable Smart Textile
• Wearable Non-Textile

By Product

• Wristwear
• Headwear/Eyewear
• Footwear
• Neckwear
• Bodywear

By Application

• Consumer Electronics
• Healthcare
• Enterprise
• Industrial

By Region

• North America
• Europe
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East & Africa