Varying Requirements in Wearables Space to Create Diverse OS Market, Says ABI
Sports, fitness and wellness trackers will be dominated by Linux (53 percent) and proprietary operating systems (38 percent) through 2023, with Android-based operating systems completing the field, said ABI Research Tuesday. As fitness and wellness trackers include more advanced features…
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such as heart rate monitoring and step tracking, a more complex OS is required, likely leading to a disparate market, said analyst Stephanie Lawrence. Sports, fitness and wellness tracker vendors have to weigh developing a proprietary OS that functions accurately with the device, leveraging an existing OS with high functionality and app support, or adapting an open-source OS, a less costly alternative, she said. Google’s Android-based Wear OS, capable of powering complex devices, enables vendors to offer a wearable with a recognizable user interface, a large library of apps, and compatibility with various smartphones, Android- or iOS-based, she said. More sports, fitness and wellness tracker vendors, such as Fitbit and Garmin, are developing their own OS to ensure an optimum experience with features and battery life and compatibility with mobile platforms, she said.