As the focus on healthy lifestyles grows, the demand for tracking, analyzing, and sharing personal health and fitness data has driven rapid growth in the fitness tracker and activity monitor market.

These wearable devices not only record daily activities and exercise habits but also provide multidimensional data analysis, including steps, heart rate, sleep quality, and calorie expenditure, catering to everyone from casual fitness enthusiasts to professional athletes.

01 Market Overview

In 2024, the global fitness tracker market reached $53.7 billion, projected to grow to $167.7 billion by 2030. China’s market, valued at $13.2 billion in 2024, shows strong demand in East and South China. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) reported in 2022 that wearable fitness devices have ranked among the top three global fitness trends for six consecutive years, with post-pandemic rises in home fitness and outdoor activities further boosting demand.

Fitness tracker users are divided into two groups:

• Amateurs: Focus on basic functions (steps, sleep, heart rate monitoring), seeking affordability, simplicity, and long battery life. Products like Xiaomi Band are known for low cost and high value.

• Professional Athletes: Require high-precision data (e.g., VO2 Max, training load), specialized modes (e.g., triathlon), and durability. Devices like Garmin Forerunner and Wahoo Tickr X meet these needs with advanced sensors and GPS.

This diversity in demand poses challenges for fitness tracker design, particularly in achieving low power consumption, high accuracy, and cost-effectiveness.

02 Recommended Chips

Designing cost-effective, low-power, and high-accuracy fitness trackers remains challenging. Devices must:

• Operate for extended periods with minimal power;

• Integrate multiple sensors for precise data collection and processing;

• Support wireless communication like Bluetooth for real-time syncing and sharing;

• Balance comfort, lightweight design, and battery life.

Chip selection is critical, requiring a balance of performance, power, cost, and ecosystem support to meet rising expectations for smart wearables.

Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) chips are the core of fitness trackers, handling data collection, processing, and transmission. Below is a comparison of TI’s CC2640, Nordic’s NRF52832, and NRF52833, evaluating their performance in addressing these challenges.

03 Future Trends

With advancements in AI and edge computing, future fitness trackers will not only record data but also analyze health trends, predict risks, and offer personalized recommendations. Manufacturers are innovating in battery life, app ecosystems, and data privacy.

• Sustainable Energy: Research into powering devices with sweat or body heat could reduce battery dependency, potentially revolutionizing next-generation fitness trackers.

• Expanded Health Monitoring: Devices like the HUAWEI WATCH FIT4Pro support ECG and blood oxygen monitoring, moving toward medical-grade applications.

• Data Privacy: The 2024 GetHealth data breach highlighted privacy risks, prompting enhanced local data processing and encryption.

• Ecosystem Integration: Connectivity with smart homes or fitness equipment (e.g., Peloton) enhances user experience.