Top Global Wearable Device Shipments 2024

An International Data Corporation (IDC) report projects that global wearable device shipments will grow by 6.1% year-on-year (YoY) to 537.9 million units in 2024.

"This growth is driven by a global economic recovery, device replacement cycles in the market, and continued adoption in developing regions," IDC wrote in its report on Thursday, September 26, 2024.

By type, earwear or audio devices are projected to be the most shipped wearable products globally. In 2024, shipments are expected to increase by 10.2% (YoY) to 342.2 million units.

Next are smartwatches, with 156.5 million units shipped this year. However, their shipment volume is projected to decline by 3% (YoY) from the previous year.

“With smartwatch prices continuing to rise, vendors will face a significant challenge in justifying these increases,” said Jitesh Ubrani, IDC Mobility and Consumer Device Tracker.

According to Ubrani, smartwatch manufacturers can implement design changes such as larger screens, adding additional sensors, and utilizing artificial intelligence (AI).

Wristband shipments are expected to grow by 7.8% (YoY) to 35.2 million units, smart glasses shipments by 73.1% (YoY) to 1.8 million units, and smart ring shipments by 88.4% (YoY) to 1.7 million units.

"Among other device types, smart rings and screenless smart glasses are also expected to grow, as more brands compete in these markets," IDC wrote.

In addition, shipments of other wearable device types totaled 0.6 million units, a slight increase of 0.1% (YoY).