The global wearables market experienced a downturn in the first quarter of 2022, IDC figures showed, as momentum in the segment began to normalise following a surge in demand during the Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

In the latest version of its wearables device tracker, IDC reported a 3 per cent drop year-on-year, totalling 105.3 million wearable shipments.

Breaking out wearable products, wristbands plummeted by 40.5 per cent due to supply shortages and dwindling demand, while wireless earpieces declined 0.6 per cent during the period.

IDC noted work-from-home activity during the pandemic stimulated booming demand for ear-worn devices, which was also now normalising. However, watches continued its growth, increasing 9.1 per cent due to greater health-consciousness amongst consumers, nabbing a 28 per cent share in the market.

Apple’s wearables saw a growth of 6.6 per cent during the quarter due to the performance of its Apple Watches, while AirPod shipments remained flat.

Samsung’s decline in smartphone sales, which it typically uses to bundle wearables, contributed to a downturn in its shipments of wireless earpieces.

This deterioration in the market was amplified by increasing competition from low-cost products, forcing companies “to further differentiate themselves”, added IDC.

According to Ramon Llamas, research director of mobile devices and AR/VR at IDC, most features are “increasingly common among the different devices”, and companies will have a job to convince customers to upgrade.