Products

Insider Intelligence delivers leading-edge research to clients in a variety of forms, including full-length reports and data visualizations to equip you with actionable takeaways for better business decisions.
Reports
In-depth analysis, benchmarks and shorter spotlights on digital trends.
Learn More
Forecasts
Interactive projections with 10k+ metrics on market trends, & consumer behavior.
Learn More
Charts
Proprietary data and over 3,000 third-party sources about the most important topics.
Learn More
Industry KPIs
Industry benchmarks for the most important KPIs in digital marketing, advertising, retail and ecommerce.
Learn More
Briefings
Client-only email newsletters with analysis and takeaways from the daily news.
Learn More
Analyst Access Program
Exclusive time with the thought leaders who craft our research.
Learn More

About Insider Intelligence

Our goal at Insider Intelligence is to unlock digital opportunities for our clients with the world’s most trusted forecasts, analysis, and benchmarks. Spanning five core coverage areas and dozens of industries, our research on digital transformation is exhaustive.
Our Story
Learn more about our mission and how Insider Intelligence came to be.
Learn More
Methodology
Rigorous proprietary data vetting strips biases and produces superior insights.
Learn More
Our People
Take a look into our corporate culture and view our open roles.
Join the Team
Contact Us
Speak to a member of our team to learn more about Insider Intelligence.
Contact Us
Newsroom
See our latest press releases, news articles or download our press kit.
Learn More
Advertising & Sponsorship Opportunities
Reach an engaged audience of decision-makers.
Learn More
Events
Browse our upcoming and past events, recent podcasts, and other featured resources.
Learn More
Podcasts
Tune in to eMarketer's daily, weekly, and monthly podcasts.
Learn More

Post-pandemic decline hits wearables segment

The news: Global wearables sales fell 6.9% YoY in Q2 2022, with demand declining due to inflation, fears of a recession, and consumer austerity, per IDC.

A maturing segment: The benefits of wearables like smartwatches for health and fitness tracking have resonated with consumers and medical professionals alike. Before the decline, smartwatch demand was growing by a record 13% YoY

The wearables segment is now coming out of that period of hyper-growth, per the IDC. The pandemic fueled focus on health and fitness, especially for remote workers, who saw smartwatches as essential but are challenged by current economic realities.

  • Competition in smartwatches was expected to intensify with Google, Samsung, and Fitbit’s WearOS consortium fielding new models.
  • Market leader Apple recently expanded its Apple Watch offerings across a range of price points, from $249 to $799. “There seems to be a watch available for everyone," said Jitesh Ubrani, research manager for IDC mobility and consumer device trackers.
  • Recent wearables health tracking features include blood oxygen sensors, ECG, high and low heart rate notification, and temperature sensing to support cycle tracking and ovulation.
  • 90% of wearables owners use them to track fitness and monitor health, particularly to count steps per day (64%), derive motivation to exercise (36%), and track weight loss (27%), per Deloitte’s Connectivity and Mobile Trends Report that polled 2,005 US consumers.

More than a step tracker: Fifty-five percent of device owners share their data with medical providers through apps, in-person visits, or text and email. 

  • The data indicates wearables could be helping providers inform their treatment plans.
  • “Whether it’s a wearable or not, just collecting data from home, I’m making my patients healthier,” said Richard Milani, MD, chief clinical transformation officer at Ochsner Health System in New Orleans, in an interview with Signals.

What’s next? New features and innovation have slowed—the latest Series 8 Apple Watches use the same system on a chip (SoC) as Series 6 and Series 7 devices. A lack of significant updates means consumers will hang on to older devices longer. 

  • "Cooling demand will force companies to further differentiate themselves," noted Ramon T. Llamas, research director for mobile devices and AR/VR at IDC.
  • Expect to see increased separation between basic health-focused smartwatches aimed at children and families like the Apple Watch SE, and fitness and sport activity models like the Apple Watch Ultra.
  • There are opportunities for sub-$200 wearables, Android-compatible devices, and non-watch trackers to attract new users. 

This article originally appeared in Insider Intelligence's Connectivity & Tech Briefing—a daily recap of top stories reshaping the technology industry. Subscribe to have more hard-hitting takeaways delivered to your inbox daily.