The market for sensors connecting to an app will grow to $5.6 Billion by 2017

The revenue generated with sensors connecting to an app will reach $5.6 Billion by 2017. The market will grow by 69% (CAGR) over the next 5 years. 61 Mio. sensors will be shipped to mHealth app users in 2017.

mHealth apps make more and more use of external sensors. Sensors can track a range of health metrics, such as blood pressure, heart rate, glucose level, medication compliance and more.   They connect with the corresponding app via Bluetooth, WiFi or USB. The app analysis, displays and shares the data that is being monitored by the sensors.

mHealth app based business models, which rely on sensors sales will play a major role in the mHealth market. Find more in our latest report:“Global Mobile Health Market Report 2013-2017”.

 The market will grow by 69% (CAGR) over the next 5 years.

The revenue generated with sensors connecting to an app will reach $5.6 Billion by 2017. The market will grow by 69% (CAGR) over the next 5 years.

There are approximately 200 external sensors that connect to a smartphone app today. The majority of these sensors is priced between $20 and $ 200 and is usually charged as one-off-payment or included in a subscription model.

Today’s app-connecting sensors are more consumer products than medical products. With the boom of the smartphone app market, sensors which link to an app became fashionable products. They have got nothing to do with the grey and clumsy sensors that really looked like medical devices and that you would hestitate to show in public. Today’s app-related sensors are very designed just like the corresponding apps.

In 2017, more than 61 Mio. external sensors will be shipped to smartphone and tablet users.   The majority of sensors will track health parameters for sports and fitness purposes just as the existing hundreds of ANT+ sensors today.

The sensor business model will shift from proprietary solutions, which are only working with a single app to open systems, which allow connections to multiple apps (e.g HxM BT by Zephir, Withing).

The market today is dominated by small tech companies that have been first to enter the market in 2009 and 2010. With the growing market potential, big brands from sport like Nike or technology giants (e.g. Samsung) have entered the mHealth sensor market as well. First market exits (e.g. Zeo) indicate that the market will become tough for small tech companies that do not have the financial muscle to increase their customer base fast enough and to keep track with the innovation speed in the smartphone/app/sensor market.

As usual comments are highly welcome.

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MHEALTH REPORT: The “Global Mobile Health Market Report 2013-2017 is a business guide for traditional healthcare companies as well as for mobile operators who want to successfully engage into the new mHealth market.  Country mHealth market reports are available for USA, Germany, Brazil, Japan and UK. See  report preview.