Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Antennas to Dominate 60% of Global IoT Shipments by 2030

According to ABI Research, worldwide IoT antenna shipments are projected to rebound to 13 billion units by 2030. Although lingering post-pandemic effects and inflationary pressures have slowed growth in key consumer and industrial sectors, renewed momentum is on the horizon as the connected home, wearable, and hearable markets stabilize and new technologies mature.

Bluetooth and Wi-Fi-enabled antennas will dominate the market, representing more than 60% of total shipments by 2030. Among antenna types, PCB-trace antennas will lead the market, closely followed by SMT antennas. Despite continued inflation and tariff headwinds, North America is expected to retain its leading 30% market share, driven by the strong demand for wearables, hearables, and smart home devices.

Technology innovation is also boosting the antenna industry and lowering one of the key friction points—the wireless antenna design process. According to Dan Shey, Vice President at ABI Research, "One of the most exciting developments in the antenna market is AI-assisted antenna design software. These tools help device OEMs virtually test antenna placement and performance based on board size and electronic design. They can also assist with component selection and enable direct ordering of antennas and ancillary parts."

AI-driven platforms such as Ignion’s Oxion, Taoglas’ Antenna Integrator, and Kyocera AVX’s IoT Solution Optimizer are key offerings in this arena differentiated by AI features. These advances are expected to reignite growth in a market that had stagnated in recent years. High interest rates caused an antenna shipment slowdown for connected appliances and the sharp downturn in smartphone sales in 2022 impacted the hearables market.

In addition, the emergence of Cat-1bis has siphoned significant demand from the cellular antenna market.

"Cat-1bis has taken the market by storm as an inexpensive connectivity technology that significantly lowers device cost while leveraging worldwide 4G coverage," explained Shey. "However, as penetration of this technology continues—replacing Cat-3/4, Cat-1, and Cat-M—devices originally designed with between two and four antennas will now use only one when adopting Cat-1bis."

Source: ABI Research

Stay Connected with ISE Magazine 

Subscribe to our newsletters and magazine for the latest telecom insights, explore the current issue for in-depth features and strategies, and register for upcoming webinars to learn directly from industry leaders.