Looking at the results of the global smartwatch market survey, there is an unfamiliar corporations. It is China's "Imoo," which sells smartwatches for children. Imoo has introduced smartwatches with child- and parent-friendly features such as real-time temperature sharing and location tracking, maintaining a global market share between fourth and fifth place.
According to market researcher IDC on the 10th, as of the second quarter this year Imoo ranked fifth with a 6% share of the global smartwatch market. During the same period, Samsung Electronics ranked fourth with a 6.5% share. Shipments reached 3 million units for Imoo and 3.2 million units for Samsung Electronics.
Imoo is gaining popularity because, compared with premium brands like Apple, it offers a variety of price points and languages and has secured the children's smartwatch market in the Asia-Pacific region. Imoo's latest products support not only Chinese and English but also traditional Chinese characters and Thai. Apple products start in the high $300 range, but Imoo can be purchased in the low $200 range. However, it has not yet entered Korea.
Global Market Insights said Apple led the global children's smartwatch market last year, but in specific markets such as the Asia-Pacific region, Imoo ranked first with a 48% share, ahead of Huawei and Xiaomi.
◇ Similar in size to the Galaxy Watch 8… ranges from 210,000 won to the 500,000-won level
Imoo is a children's smartwatch brand established in 2010 under BBK. BBK also operates mid- to low-priced smartphone makers Oppo and Vivo. According to the company, the "I," pronounced "ai," stands for "individuality" and "intelligence." The company name reflects the idea of recognizing children, like adults, as individuals with their own individuality and intelligence.
On Imoo's Europe website, it is currently selling two smartwatch products, the watchphone Z7 and the watchphone Z1, as well as wireless earphones. On the Singapore website, the watchphone X10 model released this year is also available. The X10 measures 56.29 mm wide, 43 mm long, and 13.9 mm thick with the band attached, similar in size to the Galaxy Watch 44 mm model. The display is 1.6 inches, 0.3 inches larger than the Galaxy Watch 8. It supports up to 4G (fourth-generation mobile communication) networks, and the price is 520,000 won in Singapore.
The Z7, released last year, measures 57.9 mm long, 41.5 mm wide, and 15.2 mm thick, similar to the base model of the Samsung Electronics Galaxy Watch 8. The display is 1.3 inches, 0.2 inches smaller than the Galaxy Watch 8. The Z1, released in 2021, measures 51.1 mm long, 41.7 mm wide, and 15.2 mm thick. The display is 1.3 inches. Prices are 360,000 won and 210,000 won, respectively, in Europe.
◇ From location tracking to temperature measurement… detachable and flip models also released
The reason Imoo can make its presence felt in the global smartwatch market is that it offers features friendly to both children and parents. Looking at the X10 and Z7, both products stand out for their cameras and location tracking. Parents can check their child's location in real time, and the built-in camera enables video calls.
The X10 is Imoo's first "detachable" product, allowing the main unit to be removed from the band for use. It promotes the ability to track which floor of a particular building a child is on. The Z7 is a "flip" product, which allows photo shooting when the main unit is flipped up.
Both products also have health features like the Apple Watch or Galaxy Watch, measuring heart rate and blood oxygen levels. They also show calories burned by workout type. They are waterproof, so they can be worn while swimming. The Z1 does not have health features, but it is equipped with location tracking and video calling.
In particular, the real-time temperature measurement feature installed on the Z7 and X10 has proven popular. According to the company, the two products track a child's temperature changes 24 hours a day and send alerts to parents if signs of fever appear. Thanks to this feature, Imoo gained popularity during COVID-19 and once rose to third place in global smartwatch share.
Demand for children's smartwatches appears likely to grow. As of last year, the global children's smartwatch market size was estimated at $11.2 billion (15.7136 trillion won). Global Market Insights projected the children's smartwatch market will grow at an average annual rate of 8.7% through 2034.