2024 has been a huge year for wearable tech and one that’s changed the landscape massively.
Here we are at the end of another big year of wearables — in an industry that’s one of the most exciting in tech. This is Wareable’s 10th end of year review, and genuinely, this might be the most interesting year since the boom of wearables in 2014.
Wearables are not only driving new form factors and insights but also represent one of the most exciting and relevant intersections for AI, via health insights and also AR-based glasses.
Looking back at 2024, it’s been something of a breakout year. We’ve seen Oura grow from cult wearable tech hero to a huge $5bn success story, and advanced sensors and health metrics go from bright ideas to realities.
Let’s look back at the year and all the big stories that caught our eye.
January
Xiaomi Watch 2 was first budget Wear OS watch
Xiaomi launched its Watch 2, and for the first time brought a true budget option to the Wear OS cannon. Running on Wear OS 4, it marked the first truly aggressive Xiaomi smartwatch in terms of features and pricing.
Samsung launched sleep apnea detection
Samsung introduced sleep apnea detection feature for its Galaxy Watch series, gaining FDA clearance. Samsung’s implementation monitors oxygen saturation and breathing patterns during sleep to identify potential sleep apnea episodes. Apple would later follow suit using different technology and approaches.
Oura rolled out Stress Resilience
Oura unveiled its Stress Resilience feature, utilizing heart rate variability (HRV) to provide real-time stress insights. Through the app, users receive actionable recommendations, such as mindfulness exercises and lifestyle adjustments, to improve their mental well-being.
February
Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 revived fitness trackers
Samsung’s Galaxy Fit 3 debuted as an entry-level fitness tracker, combining affordability with essential features. Sporting a vibrant AMOLED display, robust activity tracking, and up to two weeks of battery life, it was an injection of faith into the stuttering fitness tracker market.
Honor smart ring announced, never to be heard of again
Back at MWC, Honor unveiled its first smart ring, signaling its entry into the growing market for compact health wearables. The ring focuses on core features like heart rate and sleep tracking, with an emphasis on affordability and minimalist design. But we’ve heard precious little about the ring since then, and a promised 2024 launch has been and gone.
Humane enjoyed AI Pin hype
It seems years ago now, but the Humane AI Pin was the talk of the town in February. The vision of a wearable AI assistant for hands-free interaction certainly caught people’s imaginations. We tried it at MWC and it was clear that while there was the seed of an idea, it was slow, clunky, and ludicrously expensive. By the summer, the company would be up for sale and the Humane AI dream effectively dead.
March
Oura brought Pregnancy Insights
Oura launched its Pregnancy Insights feature, tailoring its biometric tracking for expectant mothers. Using heart rate variability, sleep data, and temperature trends, it provides personalized insights into the changing body during pregnancy. The move doubled down on women’s health, which was a key pillar of Oura’s strategy.
Dexcom Stelo officially announced for the U.S market
After a CES unveil, Dexcom introduced Stelo, the first prescription-free continuous glucose monitor (CGM) for the U.S. market. Aimed at pre-diabetics or Type 2s, it broadens access to glucose monitoring and was the first over-the-counter solution.
Ray-Ban Meta gained AI powers
Ray-Ban smart glasses received a major update with Meta’s AI integration. The new features enabled voice-controlled assistance, hands-free messaging, and real-time contextual help.
Polar Grit X2 challenged Garmin
Polar unveiled the Grit X2, a rugged multisport GPS watch with dual-band GPS, a reinforced sapphire glass display, and extended battery life.
April
Form launched 2nd gen AR swim goggles
Form launched its second-generation smart swim goggles, featuring improved AR overlays for real-time swim metrics. The updated design offers greater comfort and functionality, including enhanced data tracking and compatibility with popular swim apps.
Oura rolled out Symptom Radar beta
Oura introduced Symptom Radar into beta as part of its Labs feature. Symptom Radar tracks biometric tracking with illness detection. It looks for deviations in metrics like heart rate and temperature, the tool helps users identify potential signs of illness early. It would land out of beta as a fully-fledged feature in December 2024.
May
Fitbit Ace LTE took everyone by surprise
Fitbit surprised everyone with the launch of Ace LTE, its first kid-focused wearable with cellular connectivity. The Ace LTE allows children to make calls, send messages, and share their location with approved contacts.
June
Samsung pre-emptively sued Oura
Ahead of the Galaxy Ring launch, Samsung filed a pre-emptive lawsuit against Oura, escalating tensions in the competitive smart ring market. Oura had been aggressively suing every smart ring company for infringement on its patents, and the suit marked a pre-emptive strike against the company doing the same. As of December 2024, Oura is still to sue Samsung.
Galaxy Watch FE was budget alternative
Samsung launched the Galaxy Watch FE, a budget-friendly smartwatch offering essential health and fitness features. Positioned as an entry-level option, the Watch FE includes heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, and access to Samsung’s Health ecosystem.
Abbott shows off Rio
Abbott introduced the Rio CGM, a consumer-focused continuous glucose monitor, in the U.S. A riposte to Stelo, the device aims to make glucose tracking more accessible and affordable for diabetes management over the counter.
July
Oura went full AI
As July came around, Oura rolled out AI-driven health coaching, enhancing its smart ring’s capabilities. Oura Advisor offers personalized advice based on the user’s biometric data, helping them optimize recovery, activity, and sleep.
RingConn Gen 2 smashed crowdfunding targets
RingConn unveiled its second-generation smart ring, offering enhanced health metrics like heart rate variability and sleep tracking. With a sleeker design and improved battery life, RingConn 2 became a strong competitor to industry leaders like Oura. It went on to smash crowdfunding targets, and get an excellent 4 stars in our review.
Meta moved its glasses project into a new wearables division
Meta restructured its AR glasses project under its dedicated wearables division, signaling a stronger commitment to hardware innovation. It separated AR and smartglasses from the company’s VR and Oculus plays and arguably gives the segment more room to grow and succeed.
Ultrahuman launched PowerPlugs for Ring Air
Ultrahuman expanded its ecosystem with PowerPlugs, which are essentially an app store for its Ring Air platform. The company added apps for AFib detection, as well as Jet Lag Advisor and others.
Samsung launches Ring and Watch 7
The Galaxy Watch 7 wasn’t a huge talking point this year, but Galaxy Ring was. As a first gen product, the form factor and sleep coaching insights impressed us — although Samsung priced the Ring higher than we expected. It also launched the Galaxy Watch Ultra, a straight shot at Apple’s premium smartwatch.
August
Garmin Fenix E and Fenix 8 land
Garmin launched the Fenix 8 and Fenix E, and brought its flagship multisport wearables up to date. Fenix 8 got AMOLED displays for the first time, as well as improved solar charging, and longer battery life. The Fenix E offered a Fenix with pared-back features to compete against the Apple Watch Ultra, although made too many sacrifices to impress us in our review time.
Pixel Watch 3 went big
Google officially unveiled the Pixel Watch 3, introducing a new 45mm size alongside the existing 41mm option. The smartwatch features a brighter AMOLED display with reduced bezels, achieving up to 2,000 nits brightness. Health and fitness enhancements include advanced running analytics, training load analysis, and a personalized readiness score.
September
Abbott Lingo launched in the US
Abbott launched its Lingo biowearable in the U.S., offering real-time glucose monitoring starting at $49. Abbott’s entry into the U.S. market positions it as a key player in biowearables.
Apple Watch Series 10 got new sizes and sleep apnea feature
Apple celebrated the 10th anniversary of its smartwatch with the launch of the Apple Watch Series 10. The design changed slightly with an increase (again) to 42mm and 46mm case sizes. It also introduced sleep apnea detection via the accelerometer, which was approved by the FDA just after launch.
Apple added hearing features to Apple AirPods Pro 2
Apple expanded the health functionality of AirPods Pro 2 with hearing-focused features, including a professional-grade hearing test, as well as a hearing aid feature. The hearing test is rolling out widely, while the company is still battling regulators in most territories to get the AirPods approved as an over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid.
October
Oura Ring 4 joined the smart ring war
Oura launched its fourth-generation smart ring, introducing improved sensors for sleep and activity tracking and a sleeker design. The company boosted signal pathways from 8 to 18, to improve accuracy on dark skin, higher BMI, and when the ring twisted on the finger. It also launched a revamped app with a focus on longitudinal health and ovulation tracking. Read our Oura Ring 4 review.
Aktiia announced smartphone blood pressure breakthrough
Aktiia unveiled a smartphone-based blood pressure tracking technology, eliminating the need for cuffs, or even the company’s wearable device. By utlising a smartphone camera, the app can take on-demand blood pressure readings, making it more convenient and accessible.
Whoop added step goal (after saying it wouldn’t)
Whoop introduced a step-counting feature, aligning with industry norms and enhancing its appeal to casual fitness users. The company had stoically dismissed step tracking for years, but had U-turned due to customer demand, and allegedly, realization that step counts are a great way of staying healthy.
Strava Intelligence launched
Strava debuted its Athlete Intelligence feature, using AI to provide performance analysis and training insights. Available in beta, the tool offers insights and context into workouts.
NHS put smartwatches and wearables at heart of NHS plans
The NHS revealed plans to integrate wearables into its healthcare strategy, using devices for remote monitoring and preventative care. The initiative reflects the growing recognition of wearables as vital tools for improving public health and streamlining medical services.
November
Oura and Dexcom partnered up
Oura announced a $75m investment from Dexcom, that included a partnership to integrate continuous glucose monitor data into its platform. The collaboration enables seamless data sharing, providing users with a holistic view of their health, and more context about blood glucose spikes. And that wasn’t the end for Oura investment for 2024…
Strava pissed off everyone with API changes
Strava faced backlash over changes to its API policy, restricting third-party app access. The move sparked outrage among developers and users after it effectively cut off a whole cottage industry of services and apps that analyzed workout data from the platform.
Oura acquired Sparta Science
Oura acquired Sparta Science, a leader in movement and injury analytics, to expand its capabilities in performance monitoring. The acquisition enabled Oura to access Sparta’s enterprise-grade health platform and experience working with the military after the smart ring giant penned a $90m+ deal with the Pentagon.
Coros launched Pace Pro to undercut Garmin
Coros introduced the Pace Pro, a running watch with an AMOLED display and exceptional battery life. It again puts pressure on Garmin, with an impressive $349 price tag and high grade features that restores Coros as a budget alternative.
Ultrahuman became first ring with Afib detection
Ultrahuman added its AFib PowerPlug, and made the Ultrahuman Ring Air the first smart ring to provide early warnings for irregular heart rhythms. This addition aligns with the brand’s mission to deliver comprehensive health tracking, appealing to users prioritizing cardiovascular health.
December
Vuzix Z100 launched to consumers
Vuzix brought its Z100 smart glasses to the consumer market, offering AR features like real-time navigation and hands-free notifications. It’s the first consumer offering from the enterprise-focused company, which perhaps signals a maturation of the AR market.
Oura hit $5.2bn valuation and looked at new products
Oura reached a $5.2 billion valuation, after a further Series D round of funding as well as its $75m investment from Oura. Tom Hale, Oura CEO also teased new upcoming products.
Polar 360 went B2B
Polar launched its 360 B2B platform, providing businesses with customizable wearable solutions. The initiative targets corporate wellness, healthcare, and sports industries, demonstrating Polar’s shift toward enterprise-focused offerings.
