The market for 'edge AI smartwatches,' which operate artificial intelligence (AI) directly on the device without relying on smartphones or cloud services, has seen explosive growth.
According to global market research firm Counterpoint Research, shipments of edge AI smartwatches increased by 70% year-over-year in the first quarter, accounting for 25% of the total smartwatch market.
The demand for edge AI smartwatches has surged as these devices have evolved from simple activity trackers to advanced tools that provide real-time health analysis and personalized information.
Advancements in low-power AI chips have driven this change. By performing AI computations directly on the device, these smartwatches reduce battery consumption and can immediately detect anomalies such as falls or arrhythmias. Processing personal health data internally also enhances privacy protection.
Brand-wise, Apple dominated the first quarter, capturing approximately 90% of edge AI smartwatch shipments.
The enhancement of health and fitness features is particularly driving the expansion of edge AI applications. As smartwatches analyze heart rate, sleep patterns, and body temperature in real time, the rate of disease detection has significantly increased.
The industry is now focusing on developing management technologies for complex conditions such as diabetes.
Competition among global chipset manufacturers is also intense. Following Apple's introduction of the 'S9' chip with a neural engine in 2023, Huawei launched its self-developed 'Kirin W80' chip and AI assistant 'Celia' last year.
This year, Qualcomm announced the 'Snapdragon Wear Elite' featuring a dedicated neural processing unit (NPU), while Google is expected to enhance the AI capabilities of its next-generation tensor-based wearable chips.
Counterpoint Research stated, "Edge AI smartwatches are evolving beyond just dedicated chip integration to a phase of software optimization," predicting that the share of edge AI in the global smartwatch market will rise to about 32% this year.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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