Smartwatch makers to offer more uses for healthcare and fitness

Wearables market seen growing at annual compound rate of at least 4% until 2027

- Osmond Chia

More intimate healthcare and fitness uses are coming up on consumers' wrists as smartwatch makers cosy up to their wallets.

The wearables market, which smartwatches dominate, is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of at least 4 per cent until 2027, said market researcher Canalys.

In the first half of 2023, 86 million units of wearables had already been shipped globally. More than 180 million wearables were shipped worldwide in 2022, most of which were some form of smartwatch, said Canalys.

Healthcare and fitness uses in smartwatches in recent times have catapulted the popularity of these devices. They are an extension of the mobile phone and monitor a plethora of readings, from a user's heart rate to his location and even how well he sleeps.

Wearables are appealing because they offer personalised readings of the user's health, said Professor Lim Chwee Teck from the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Institute for Health Innovation and Technology.

He is one of many experts at the university who are developing wearable-related technology, including stretchy electrical circuits that patch themselves when torn by oozing out liquid metal, and sensors that track movement during rehabilitation, which will allow users to monitor their own progress.