Fitbit’s premium membership service passed 500,000 subscribers since its launch in August 2019, said the company Monday. The service gives users data, actionable insights, “hundreds” of workouts, games and challenges, sleep tools and wellness reports, it said. The app-based service expects to add seven languages this year.
Q1 wearable device shipments grew 29.7% globally to 72.6 million units, fueled by strong demand for earwear and wristbands, reported IDC Thursday. The wristband category grew 16.2%, while hearables grew 68.3% and were 55% of the entire wearables market, it said. Hearables were “resilient” to COVID-19's “market-suppressing forces,” it said: Consumers clamored for “sophisticated earpieces” for music playback and to increase productivity during stay-at-home orders. The pandemic’s supply chain disruptions had “adverse” impacts on smart and basic watches, said IDC: "The downward pressure on watches shifts the onus to the latter half of 2020."
Fitbit is researching wearables’ role in atrial fibrillation detection, it said Wednesday. The optimal way to identify irregular rhythm through heart rate tracking technology is to screen when the body is at rest, making assessment during sleeping hours ideal for detection, said the company. Fitbit devices’ multiday battery life makes that possible, it said. Fitbit’s devices use photoplethysmography technology to measure the rate of blood flow directly from a user’s wrist; they could potentially be used to determine a user’s heart rhythm and check for irregularities, it said. The study is part of a plan to make detection tools for a range of conditions.
Global wearable device shipments grew 89% last year to 336.5 million, IDC reported Tuesday. The proliferation of “hearables” drove much of Q4 growth to 118.9 million, capturing 55.3% of wearables units. Wrist-worn devices captured 43.8% share in Q4, down from 68.6% in 2018's holiday quarter, said IDC. Though the share for wrist-worn devices declined, the category itself grew 16.3% over Q4 a year earlier, it said. "Hearables were the big story due to new product introductions and more smartphones cutting the cord with traditional earphones, practically driving users to purchase a hearable.” Smartwatches and fitness trackers “also posted record annual volumes from an abundance of lower-cost models," it said.
Fitbit revenue dropped to $502 million in Q4 from $571 million in the year-ago quarter, the company reported Thursday. The wearables maker added 2 million active users, bringing the total to 29.6 million, it said. It had a $120.8 million loss compared with a $15.4 million profit a year ago. Average selling price plummeted 19% year on year to $81 per device, driven by introductions of more accessible and affordable devices and more aggressive promotions, it said. Fitbit sold 16 million devices in the quarter, and the smartwatch business grew 45% at retail on demand for the Versa 2 smartwatch, said CEO James Park. The company signed an acquisition agreement with Google Nov. 1 (see 1911010051), valued at $2.1 billion. Fitbit stockholders approved the transaction Jan. 3 but it has come under scrutiny by lawmakers and DOJ over antitrust concerns. Thursday, the European Data Protection Board warned Google’s buy of Fitbit poses privacy risks.
The global wearables market will reach $35.48 billion in 2024, based on a 13 percent compound annual growth rate the next five years, said Technavio Friday. A key driver will be growing adoption of contactless payments, it said. Wearables vendors are integrating NFC into devices such as smartwatches, smart bands and smart rings, said the researcher, noting Xiaomi launched its MI Band 3 in 2018 integrated with NFC chips to support contactless payments. Retail players are partnering with payment service providers to accept contactless payments via wearables, it said, saying most of Target’s stores have started accepting contactless payments via card readers at checkout. In the transition from traditional to smartwatches, meanwhile, some vendors are introducing hybrid styles to attract customers who prefer old-school mechanical watches integrated with smart features. Functions in the watches are handled by a smartphone through an app, said Technavio, highlighting Citizen’s Eco-Drive watches with companion apps.
CTA, along with Heart Rhythm Society, released Thursday at CES a paper recommending best practices for using wearables to manage personal health, including detecting and monitoring cardiovascular biometrics. The paper includes an overview of the wearables landscape and advice on using devices. A FAQ section covers topics including data management, when to call a doctor, sharing data with a health provider, data privacy and security policies.
Bose is working with location-based platform company Here Technologies to deploy augmented reality location applications and services, said Here at CES in Las Vegas. Here developers will have access to the Bose AR platform and spatial-audio capabilities and can leverage sensors integrated into Bose Frames, QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones II and noise-canceling 700 headphones to create enhanced navigation and contextual user experiences. The experiences will allow users to receive content relevant to where they are based on a wearable’s field of vision or travel direction, it said. The BoseARSDK, which accesses a sensor and acoustics development environment in an AR-enabled wearable, can be controlled with voice commands, head gestures and touch. Developers will be able to access Here maps, global points of interest, the positioning stack and Bluetooth and ultra-wideband beacon support for indoor orientation and navigation, it said.
A crowdsourced campaign for earbuds based on electroencephalogram (EEG) biofeedback has raised more than $260,000 on Indiegogo with two days left, said developer Potential X. The FocusBuds are billed as “smart” with embedded biosensors that monitor brain activity and remind users to refocus when distracted. The primary innovation of FocusBuds is integrating EEG technology that once required bulky equipment into earbuds for $249, said the company.
Orangetheory Fitness debuted a proprietary device that fits on an Apple Watch band so members can monitor their heart rates during workouts, said the health club chain Thursday. Called the OTbeat Link, the device enables members to “sync their Apple Watch directly with the Orangetheory Fitness in-studio heart rate monitoring system,” it said. Orangetheory also created a version of its fitness app for the Apple Watch to accompany the OTbeat Link, it said. The OTbeat Link, available in Q1 at $129, can be purchased as a stand-alone tool or as a feature of a new premium-tier membership bundle, it said.