On September 24, at the Fourth Beidou Large-Scale Application International Summit, Huawei officially unveiled a smartwatch supporting Beidou satellite voice messaging. According to disclosures, an upcoming smartwatch product will become the first mass-market smart device to support this feature, marking the integration of wearable technology with satellite communication entering a practical phase and further expanding safety boundaries in outdoor scenarios.
This product development comes amid sustained growth in the global wearable device market. The latest report from IDC, a globally renowned research firm, indicates that worldwide shipments of wrist-worn devices reached 49.22 million units in the second quarter of 2025, representing a 12.3% year-over-year increase. As a major global market for wrist-worn devices, China's shipments exceeded 20.8 million units in Q2, achieving a remarkable 33.8% year-over-year growth rate. This performance significantly outperformed the global market, positioning China as the core driver of industry growth.
Functional upgrades drive demand release, with smartwatches for adults becoming a growth engine.
Currently, smart wearables have evolved into a multi-form factor ecosystem encompassing watches, bands, and glasses. Among these, smartwatches have seen the most remarkable functional evolution— Not only have the accuracy of standard heart rate and blood oxygen monitoring continued to improve, but advanced health features like blood pressure monitoring and emotional state recognition have also been introduced. Simultaneously, customized capabilities such as sports trajectory positioning and real-time data calculation have been developed for specialized sports scenarios like trail running and skiing, comprehensively covering both daily health management and professional athletic needs.
These functional upgrades have directly fueled explosive growth in specific categories. IDC data reveals that in Q2 2025, China's adult smartwatch shipments reached 9.58 million units, surging 64% year-over-year to become the primary driver of wrist-worn device market expansion. The fitness band category also delivered strong performance, shipping 6.21 million units in Q2, a 40.8% year-over-year increase. This growth trajectory is closely tied to multiple favorable factors: the implementation of national subsidy policies, the boost from the 618 shopping festival, and the concentrated launch of new products. It also reflects the sustained release of consumer demand for high-quality wearable devices.
Notably, the industry's growth momentum is expected to intensify further. IDC research indicates that leading manufacturers will launch iterative new products in the second half of 2025, focusing on optimizing fitness and health monitoring algorithms while expanding scenario-based functionalities. This is anticipated to further stimulate demand among new users and upgrade intentions among existing users, injecting sustained long-term momentum into market growth.
Policy Support + AI Empowerment Highlight Industry's Long-Term Potential
Policy support also provides strong backing for the wearable device industry. Recently, the General Administration of Sport of China issued the “Guiding Opinions on Promoting High-Quality Development of Sports and Health Initiatives,” explicitly advocating for the “active application of smart wearable monitoring devices and equipment.” This move integrates wearable devices into the sports and health service system, opening up new “sports + health” application scenarios for the industry.
Capital markets also hold optimistic views on the industry's prospects. Galaxy Securities analyzed in a research report that, in the long term, the deep integration of AI technology with wearable devices will drive an upgrade from “single-point functionality” to “holistic intelligent services.” For instance, AI algorithms can integrate multidimensional health data to enable disease risk alerts and personalized health recommendations. Coupled with expanding demand driven by heightened consumer health awareness, the smart wearable device industry is poised to enter a high-growth cycle fueled by both technological advancement and market demand.
From a market entity perspective, the industry ecosystem continues to expand. Qichacha data shows that as of September 23, 2025, the number of existing domestic smart wearable-related enterprises reached 387,000, with over 60% established within the past three years, reflecting high entrepreneurial enthusiasm in the sector. Geographically, first-tier and new first-tier cities account for 24.27% and 22.96% of these enterprises respectively, demonstrating significant industrial clustering effects that lay the groundwork for technological innovation and supply chain synergy.