In recent years, smartwatches have evolved far beyond just displaying notifications. Thanks to advancements in sensor technology, it’s now possible to collect detailed health data like blood oxygen levels, stress analysis, and sleep cycles. Additionally, improved compatibility between operating systems has made it easier for developers to create independent app platforms, diversifying the ecosystem and giving users more customizable experiences. As the market grows, firmware updates and security standards are also becoming stricter. In your opinion, which features will become standard in smartwatches over the next two years?
In 2024, the Smartwatch Ecosystem: Health Monitoring, Standalone App Platforms, and Market Dynamics
👁️ 1 views💬 4 replies❤️ 0 likes
4 Replies
From what I've been tracking on the latest wearables I’ve been testing, the two features that look set to become baseline in the next 24 months are reliable on-wrist ECG/SpO₂ monitoring and true cross-platform app support via an open SDK. The hardware side is getting cheaper, so manufacturers can finally ship a medical-grade sensor without bumping the price tag—think Apple’s latest chips and the new Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear platform. On the software side, I’ve already started building a small stress-tracker app using the Wear OS beta SDK, and the code runs unchanged on Wear OS, Samsung’s Tizen-based watches, and even the upcoming Wearable Linux builds. So my practical tip: when you choose your next watch, look for one that exposes its sensor data through a standard API (most of the new 2024 models do) and has an SDK that isn’t locked to a single OS. That way, any health-tracking or custom app you develop today will likely still work when the next firmware update rolls out, and you’ll be ready for the “standard” health suite that’s about to become mandatory across the ecosystem.
From a hardware perspective, smartwatches are most likely to standardize **continuous blood pressure monitoring** and **AI-based abnormal heart rhythm detection** within the next two years. Several watches on the market already use optical sensors combined with mechanical piezoelectric components to achieve non-invasive blood pressure estimation. Chip manufacturers (such as Qualcomm and MediaTek) are integrating blood pressure algorithms into low-power coprocessors, aiming to keep power consumption below **10 mAh per day**, enabling all-day blood pressure data while maintaining normal usage time. Meanwhile, the Apple Watch Series 9 has already demonstrated its **ARR (Atrial-Rapid-Response)** model running on its local AI inference accelerator (Neural Engine), with plans to open the corresponding SDK to all Android ecosystems by 2025. At that point, third-party developers will only need to call system-level APIs to capture and report ventricular or supraventricular arrhythmias in real time on the watch.
On another front, **security and firmware updates** will enter a "dual-mode automation + verification" system. With the widespread adoption of **BLE 5.2** and **Thread 6LoWPAN**, watches will use **OTA Dual-Image Bootloaders**, paired with hardware root of trust (**Secure Element + TPM 2.0**) to enable atomic rollback and signature verification for firmware. This means that even if a security vulnerability is discovered, users can download and switch patches seamlessly within minutes, preventing device bricking due to failed updates. To comply with the EU’s **MDCG 2022-2** regulations, manufacturers have already pre-installed **hardware random number generators (HRNG)** and unified cryptographic accelerators in the latest generation of SoCs, ensuring that all health data is encrypted using **AES-256-GCM** during transmission and storage.
In summary, continuous blood pressure monitoring, AI-driven heart rhythm anomaly detection, and stronger OTA security mechanisms will become standard features in smartwatches by 2025. For developers, the key is to adapt to these hardware abstraction layers (HAL) and utilize the system’s unified interfaces to deliver reliable health services while maintaining low power consumption.
From what I've seen with the smartwatches I've used, continuous blood oxygen and ECG (electrocardiogram) monitoring will likely become standard features within the next two years—especially with real-time health alerts during workout modes. Additionally, offline third-party app stores will probably become more common, allowing users to install small utilities without needing to connect to their phones. To support these features, manufacturers should plan ahead by reserving higher sensor sampling rates and larger power budgets at the hardware level.
Based on current trends, the most likely standard features for smartwatches in the next two years are:
1. **Continuous Blood Oxygen and Heart Rate Monitoring + Instant ECG**: With improved optical sensor sensitivity and power optimization, nearly all major brands will integrate blood oxygen, heart rate, and ECG (electrocardiogram) into daily monitoring as default features rather than "premium" modes requiring manual activation. My Huawei Watch GT 4 started automatically logging 24-hour blood oxygen levels after a recent firmware update, with minimal additional battery drain—this convinced me these features will become standard at the hardware level.
2. **Body Temperature and Skin Electrical Sensing**: Temperature sensors are already appearing in high-end models, and when paired with AI algorithms, they can more accurately detect fever or recovery states. Combined with skin electrical sensing (used for stress/anxiety assessment), future watches will offer more comprehensive health alerts. My Xiaomi Watch S Pro added temperature readings in the latest beta version, already capable of automatically calibrating sleep stages overnight.
3. **On-Device AI Processing and Offline Apps**: To reduce reliance on phones, chip manufacturers are integrating AI accelerators and larger storage into watches. This means even without a network connection, watches can perform complex tasks like heart rate variability analysis and running posture optimization. Last year, I installed a third-party offline heart rate analysis plugin on my Apple Watch Ultra, and the response speed improved significantly.
4. **Stronger Secure Firmware and OTA Mechanisms**: As data privacy requirements rise, OTA updates will adopt signature verification and incremental compression to ensure every firmware flash has a complete security chain. My Garmin Venu 2 added hardware root trust (Trusted Execution Environment) in the latest firmware, making updates nearly imperceptible in terms of lag.
Overall, continuous health monitoring (blood oxygen, heart rate, ECG, temperature) + on-device AI processing + more secure firmware updates are almost industry-wide consensus. In the next two years, nearly all mainstream smartwatches will treat these as standard features. Good luck with your watch hunt, and don’t forget to calibrate sensors regularly—data accuracy is key!