Chinese wearable devices to overtake the US market this year
China’s wearables market will overtake the US this year, with more than one-fifth of internet users wearing a connected device, according to eMarketer.
China's wearable devices market continues to grow
The findings, from eMarketer’s first-ever wearables forecast for China, predicts 21% of adult internet users in China, or 144.3 million people, will wear devices like the Apple Watch compared with 20.4% in the US.
The China market is expected to continue to grow, with eMarketer estimating wearables will be worn by almost a quarter (24.5%) of Chinese internet users by 2019.
“Wearable devices will continue to experience high growth among those in China,” said Shelleen Shum, senior forecasting analyst at eMarketer. “Thanks to the availability of inexpensive devices with constantly improving functionalities, coupled with an enthusiasm for new technology among working adults, it is not surprising that the adoption of wearable technology is on the rise in China and will surpass the US in 2017.”
The Chinese wearable technology market has experienced triple-digit growth in recent years with no signs of slowing down, with the growth driven by inexpensive trackers such as the Mi Band, while the Apple watch has also led to growth among middle class Chinese.