China Smart Devices: Five Segments Diverge in 2024

Executive Summary

China's smart device landscape reveals a tale of five segments at vastly different maturity stages, with portable smart screens surging +210.5% YoY to CN¥ 850 million while the broader XR glasses market contracted -21.2% YoY. Moojing Market Intelligence (魔镜洞察) analysis of Tmall (天猫)/Taobao (淘宝) and JD.com (京东) sales data for the 2024 rolling year (July 2023 to June 2024) identifies robot vacuums as the dominant segment at CN¥ 13.52 billion, AR glasses posting +59.9% growth, and emerging categories like smart rings gaining early traction. This article examines the strategic positioning and growth dynamics across all five segments.

Five Segments, Five Growth Trajectories

China's smart device ecosystem is experiencing a period of accelerated category divergence. Three overarching market dynamics shape the landscape: strong market demand in robot vacuums and portable smart screens, increasing market concentration in established categories, and market contraction in segments like VR glasses where consumer interest is waning.

A bubble chart analysis mapping store count growth against sales revenue growth reveals how each category occupies a distinct position in the market lifecycle:

• Robot vacuums: CN¥ 13.52 billion (+12.2% YoY) -- mature growth with sustained strong demand
• Portable smart screens: CN¥ 850 million (+210.5% YoY) -- explosive demand attracting rapid new entrant activity
• Blood pressure monitors: CN¥ 2.58 billion (+3.3% YoY) -- stable but slow-growth consolidation phase
• AR glasses: CN¥ 430 million (+59.9% YoY) -- innovation-driven growth in information-enhanced features
• Smart rings: CN¥ 7.46 million (+64.3% YoY) -- early-development category with domestic challengers rising

Investment opportunities today lie at the category extremes -- either in high-growth emerging segments or in technology-driven niches within mature markets.

XR Glasses: AR Rises as VR Falls

The XR glasses market presents a study in contrasts. Overall sales declined -21.2% YoY to CN¥ 920 million, but AR glasses posted +59.9% YoY revenue growth to CN¥ 430 million while VR glasses contracted sharply to CN¥ 490 million (-45.4% YoY). AR glasses' share of the total XR market nearly doubled in one rolling year, climbing from 22.9% to 46.5% -- a +23.6 percentage point shift.

XR glasses market declined -21.2% YoY overall, but AR glasses surged +59.9% as VR contracted -45.4%

Portable Smart Screens: Category Breakout at +210.5%

Portable smart screens delivered the most dramatic growth in our analysis. These large-screen, portable touchscreen displays achieved CN¥ 850 million in trailing-year sales, a +210.5% YoY increase. Tmall/Taobao posted +278.8% revenue growth while JD.com delivered +64.6% YoY.

Xiaodu Tiantan dominates with 58.2% market share, far exceeding second-place KTC at 11.0%. Five of the top ten brands launched products in H2 2023, indicating rapid competitive entry. Hisense achieved the fastest growth at +1,180% YoY, driven by its 27X6H model that gained awareness through a CCTV3 partnership -- demonstrating that traditional TV manufacturers view portable smart screens as a natural product extension.

Consumer reviews reveal binge-watching as the dominant use case (6,875 mentions), followed by exercise (1,687) and studying (852). Bedrooms and living rooms serve as primary locations, with evening as the peak usage time. Short battery life emerges as the primary complaint, suggesting that brands able to extend usage beyond the current approximately 7-hour limit will capture disproportionate share in this rapidly expanding category.

Emerging Segments: Smart Rings and Blood Pressure Monitors

Smart rings reached CN¥ 7.46 million in trailing-year sales (+64.3% YoY), driven by domestic brand Quzzz's sub-CN¥ 700 positioning that overtook Oura to claim 22.8% market share. Despite rapid growth, the category remains orders of magnitude smaller than smart bands. Consumer concerns about sports adaptability and monitoring accuracy represent the most significant barriers to expansion.

Blood pressure monitors posted modest +3.3% YoY growth to CN¥ 2.58 billion. The notable development is tube-style monitors surging +60% YoY as prices shifted from premium to the CN¥ 200-400 mid-range. JD.com outperformed Tmall/Taobao with +13.2% YoY growth, reflecting platform-specific preferences for health device purchases.

Robot Vacuums: Premiumization Reshapes a CN¥ 13.5B Market

Robot vacuums sustained +12.2% YoY growth to CN¥ 13.52 billion. A decisive premiumization shift is underway: mid-to-high-end products (priced above CN¥ 3,000) grew +16.8% YoY to CN¥ 11.27 billion, while budget products declined -4.2% YoY. The CN¥ 5,000-7,000 price segment expanded its volume share from 29.2% to 36.5%.

Mid-to-high-end robot vacuums reached CN¥ 11.27 billion (+16.8% YoY) as budget segment declined -4.2%

Key Takeaways

• Portable smart screens are the fastest-growing segment at +210.5% YoY to CN¥ 850 million, driven by household entertainment demand
• AR glasses surged +59.9% YoY while VR glasses contracted -45.4%, signaling a decisive consumer shift toward information-enhanced wearables
• Robot vacuums remain the dominant segment at CN¥ 13.52 billion, with mid-to-high-end products growing +16.8% while budget declines -4.2%
• Smart rings grew +64.3% YoY but remain nascent at CN¥ 7.46 million, with domestic brand Quzzz overtaking Oura
• Blood pressure monitors show stable +3.3% growth, with tube-style sub-segment surging +60% YoY on price democratization

About the Data

This analysis draws on Moojing Market Intelligence data covering the 2024 rolling year (July 2023 to June 2024). Moojing tracks 400,000+ brands across 30+ e-commerce platforms, representing 58-65% of China's online retail GMV. For full methodology and additional insights, see the complete Smart Devices whitepaper.