Artificial intelligence in smartwatches is experiencing a huge boom. Apple completely dominates here
Processing AI tasks directly on the device is a huge trend that is fundamentally changing the wearable electronics market. According to the latest report from analyst firm Counterpoint Research, global shipments of smartwatches with support for the so-called Edge AI will grow by 70% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026. As a result, these advanced models now account for a quarter of all units shipped. However, it is absolutely crucial to note that roughly 90% of all these watches bears the logo of a bitten apple. Apple thus it dominates this segment by a huge margin. What does it actually mean? Edge AI in practice? Concept Edge AI refers to the ability of a device to process tasks related to artificial intelligence locally, without the need to send sensitive data for processing to a remote location. cloude-servers. Analysts from Counterpoint Research define Edge AI watches are devices equipped with a dedicated Neural Engine or NPU that can partially or fully run machine learning models, provided that at least one key health, safety, or interactive function runs purely on this local accelerator. In practice, this means that the watch Apple Watch integrated Neural Engine takes care of lightning-fast processing of gestures and requests for the assistant Siri and evaluating important health and safety signals right on your wrist. This ensures not only immediate response without dependence on an internet connection, but above all maxmaximum possible protection of the user's privacy. Healthcare functions are experiencing a huge boom The move of AI into devices is naturally reflected in the skyrocketing availability of advanced health features across the market. The report states that shipments of smartwatches with blood pressure monitoring doubled from 11% to a respectable 23% in one year, specifically from Q1 2025 to Q1 2026. Similarly, models with sleep apnea detection saw a huge jump, increasing from just 5% to 18%, a more than threefold increase. The share of watches with integrated ECG functionality also saw a slight but steady improvement, rising from 31% to 34% over the same period. Software optimization as the key to success However, hardware alone would be useless without quality software. It is expected that with further development, Edge AI watches will approach 32% this year. The direction in which this technology segment will develop was very precisely outlined by Counterpoint Research's research director, Mohit Agrawal. " Edge AI in smartwatches is moving from primarily hardware integration to a phase that includes software optimization. The real breakthrough is smaller, more efficient models and an operating system-level approach that allows any application to run processes locally. AI must move from a single application to a personal layer that works with personal data. This enables instant health alerts, gesture controls, and richer personalized experiences. "
Source: Letem světem Applem