Wearables push on heart tracking
The wearable heart‑health market is expanding fast — leaders like Garmin, Samsung, Huawei and Xiaomi are driving growth while smart rings (Oura) are gaining mainstream traction for recovery and readiness metrics. - TV host Ben Shephard said Oura revealed his workouts were 'better than I thought,' and analysts are even asking whether rings could challenge watches. (openpr.com) (express.co.uk)
Market research firms estimate the wearable heart‑monitoring device market at about $2.67 billion in 2025, with a projected rise to $3.05 billion in 2026 (CAGR ~14.2%). (researchandmarkets.com) IDC reported 45.6 million wrist‑worn devices shipped in Q1 2025, with Huawei, Xiaomi and Apple among the top vendors by unit volume. (my.idc.com) Quarterly analysis from Counterpoint shows Garmin posted shipment growth off new models while Samsung’s smartwatch shipments declined in the most recent quarter. (counterpointresearch.com) Samsung’s Irregular Heart Rhythm Notification for Galaxy Watch received FDA clearance in May 2023, enabling proactive AFib alerts from the wrist, and Garmin has rolled its ECG app into additional regions and supported models since 2023–24. (news.samsung.com) Oura announced it has sold more than 5.5 million rings to date and reported revenue exceeding $500 million in 2024, saying over half of those rings were sold within the prior 12 months. (businesswire.com) Industry data shared with Bloomberg showed smart‑ring shipments were forecast to jump about 49% in 2025 versus an estimated ~6% rise for smartwatches that year, even as market reports caution rings still compete against entrenched smartwatch ecosystems. (bloomberg.com) A clinical comparison highlighted by TechRadar found the Oura Ring delivered stronger sleep‑stage and HRV readings than some wrist wearables in controlled tests. (techradar.com) Product reviews and comparisons report smart rings typically achieve roughly 6–8 days of battery life versus about 18–36 hours for many flagship watches, a gap attributed in part to ring placement near finger capillaries that can stabilize photoplethysmography signals. (comparesmartrings.com)
