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Benefits of wearables: do we see what we want to see? Can a fitness tracker change the lifestyle and improve the health of its owner? Studies in this area are conflicting or few, and reliable publications are lacking. Many available reports are biased, while surveys among smartwatch users tend to be unreliable. A fast-moving market needs fuel The global market of wearables is booming, and it includes wristbands and smartwatches capable of monitoring physical activity and selected health parameters. In 2019, its value was USD 28 billion and, according to forecasts, it will grow by 15% year-on-year between 2020 and
2027. In 2020 alone, Apple sold approx. 32 million Apple Watches (approx. 55% market share). Samsung, Garmin, and Fitbit are also leading manufacturers. While smartwatches have a relatively wide range of features, including some functions of smartphones and traditional watches, fitness bands have a narrow-
ly defined purpose: tracking physical activity and motivating the user to maintain or increase the intensity of training or change their lifestyle to improve their physical condition and health. In many cases, this promise tempts the consumers. Therefore, to accelerate market growth, the wearables manufacturers promote a new trend of technology-driven healthy lifestyles. But is there any causal correlation between wearables and health at all?
Data, numbers, statistics and charts. As much and as little The most recent Forrester Research report on wearables in healthcare is not the
OSOZ Polska 7/2021
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