5G Paves Way For Unlimited Opportunities In Wearables

The much-awaited 5G has just been launched in India and though the services are currently available in a few cities, it has the potential to change our world drastically. As per the plans, telecom operators aim to reach 200 cities by March next year, and by the end of 2023, almost every district is expected to have 5G coverage. 5G, touted as the next revolution in cellular technology, can deliver up to 20 Gigabits-per-second (Gbps) peak data rates.

While it is tremendously faster than 4G, it is interesting to note that this is just one of the benefits that this next generation of cellular technology offers. The other features of 5G include massive coverage capacity, which is an astonishing ability to support around one million devices per square kilometer, and ultra-low latency, which in the best cases can be unimaginably low -- around 1-millisecond delays. The low latency may not be of much significance for the consumers, but it’s a sine qua non in industrial use cases such as autonomously operating heavy mining equipment or remote surgeries performed by robotic arms.

From a consumer perspective, 4G brought about the smartphone revolution. Before it, cellular technology was pretty much limited to voice calls. Now, 5G brings the promise of a brighter tomorrow.

A game changer
The 5G ecosystem has sprung into life. For example, the government has asked all smartphone players to fasten the software update on their devices, so that people, who own 5G-enabled devices, can access the latest technology. In India, around 165 smartphone models, across various brands, are already 5G enabled and the number is continuously rising. However, when it comes to connecting devices, 5G will be a game changer for wearables and hearables.

Today, a growing percentage of people are embracing smartwatches and fitness trackers. A lot of this is due to the availability of trendy smartwatches across every price point that allows consumers to make personalised style statements. Additionally, we are all becoming more conscious of our lifestyle and its impact on our health. These unobtrusive and stylish devices are helping us achieve this otherwise insurmountable task. No wonder, it is a fast-growing category. As per IDC, watch-based wearables continue to be the fastest-growing category shipping 6.4 million units April-June period of 2022; a year-on-year growth of a whopping 298.4 per cent. With a strong push for entry-level price points, the average selling price declined by 28.9 per cent YoY to reach $45.1 (vs $63.4 a year back). Basic watches continue to dominate with a 95.2 per cent share growing by 306.4 per cent annually during the period.

Smartwatches have been helping us track, say, burnt calories. So what advancements can 5G possibly bring? Apparently, many. To begin with, it can potentially make wearable technology a lot lighter and therefore more unobtrusive and stylish. All in all, it will throw the chunky wearables out the window. This is because 5G puts tougher requirements on sensors’ weight and power consumption, so they become lighter, smaller, and more power efficient.

There’s more to it
Wearable technology has become more mainstream today and is tracking and measuring our health and our vitals with more accuracy and inconspicuously. Now imagine, what if these smart devices become smarter and instead of just collecting or tracking data could also process and analyse it in real-time on the edge? It will turn these devices into much more powerful ones and also offer the users a better understanding and ultimately more control over their health. It would also mean a timely intervention by a healthcare practitioner, which could potentially save a life.

With the proliferation of 5G many new and different use cases will emerge. Maybe, it will completely change wearables, as we know them today. However, we must be able to harness the potential of 5G to make everyone’s life better and richer. Moreover, we should continue to evolve to manufacture these devices of tomorrow in India.

                                                                        Author

Nitesh Gupta, Director, Optiemus Electronics