With AI enabled consumer hardware usecases going to explode this is something super relevant. At least 5 startups have pitched their wearables to me and they could definitely use this
It is a good idea to consult with a contract manufacturer engineering team early, and stop wasting peoples time including their own.
I have also seen people re-brand China pad-printed generic products, and claim they needed investor help buying a shipping container full of cheap stuff or outright e-waste. Careful, especially if you see multiple versions or the same product pop up at the same time. Best of luck =3
In the end is the PCB design the bottleneck to create new devices or is it mostly about available components and their price?
There are already millions of vendors all over the world making infinite variations of PCB designs for the same/similar product. You can hire a design shop in China for peanuts to make a variation as well.
Ultimately the bottleneck is the consumer does not care for infinite variations. The vast majority just want a "top rated product" at the lowest price. Which is whatever Amazon sorts their results as or whatever the Jones are buying that they need to keep up with.
The biggest driver of "unique product" (not just the 9 millionth clone product) commercial success is marketing, it is branding, it is finding a unique niche, it is timing, it is existing social & business relationships to drive sales.