Wearables for the apparel industry 

A wearable computer is a small gadget that can be worn as an accessory and is capable of processing as well as storing data. Wearable computers are designed to be ergonomic, easy to access, and can improve day-to-day tasks by making information quickly available to the wearer.  

GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 10+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established apparel companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of wearable computers. 

‘Application diversity’ measures the number of different applications identified for each relevant patent and broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.  

‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of different countries each relevant patent is registered in and reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.  

The leading players in terms of patents filed in the wearable computers space are Nike, Levi Strauss, Gunze, Apple, Sony, Alphabet, and Microsoft. In October 2022, Google launched its first smartwatch, Pixel Watch. It is a high-priced smartwatch.   

In terms of application diversity in the wearable computer space, Nike leads, followed by Samsung, Immersion, Sony, and Levi Strauss.  

The top players in this space in terms of geographic reach are Nike, Sony, Samsung, HP, and Apple.  

As technology progresses and more wearable devices are being invented, wearables are finding increasingly diverse applications in various fields from tracking physical activities to tracking health vitals.  

To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the apparel industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Retail and Apparel.