Wearable devices require Operating Systems (OSs) in order to perform correctly and connect to other devices. These OSs can be leveraged from other technologies or other companies, or made completely from scratch in order to be completely designed for the device. Wearables with only one function tend to use a real-time OS that prioritizes the most important task, while wearables with a large number of functions use a general purpose OS that prioritizes completing a large number of tasks.
This report examines the types of OSs and platforms that are used within wearable devices in order to power them. It covers an overview of the technology, what the different types of OSs are, some of the major wearable OSs available, the wearables that require an OS, forecasts, and other market players. Forecasts include shipments of wearables by device type, shipments of wearable by OS, shipments of wearables by device type and OS, and shipments of wearables by end-user and OS.