Digital Lifescapes

The wearable technology sector growth was largely a story about the smartwatch: a premium product anchored around a single wrist, sold at a steep price, and adopted primarily by the health-conscious and the tech-savvy. That narrative is now changing in ways that are genuinely interesting to anyone tracking the intersection of Applied-AI, consumer electronics, digital health, and connectivity infrastructure. The latest worldwide market study by ABI Research offers a timely and data-rich window into just how fast that transformation is unfolding. Wearables Market Development Wearable device shipments are projected to grow from 402.96 million in 2026 to 544.08 million by 2031, as vendors broaden access to advanced health, fitness, and connectivity features at more affordable price points. That is not incremental growth; it represents a meaningful expansion of who is wearing smart technology and why. Equally compelling is the revenue picture: the category is expected to generate $44.22 bil...

An eSIM, or embedded SIM, represents a major evolution from the traditional SIM card by integrating the subscriber identity module directly into a device’s hardware rather than relying on a removable plastic card. The global market for eSIM-enabled devices is on a transformative trajectory, with ABI Research forecasting shipments to surpass 633 million units in 2026. The market is driven chiefly by accelerating smartphone adoption in China and advancements surrounding the SGP.32 specification for IoT applications. Software eSIM Market Development Today's eSIM technology is fundamentally altering how consumer electronics and IoT devices connect and provision themselves to mobile networks. Unlike removable SIM cards, eSIMs offer remote provisioning, better security, reduced device size, and rapid network switching, empowering both consumer mobility and large-scale industrial deployments. After a period of subdued growth during the 2022-2023 smartphone downturn, eSIM adoption is now f...

The Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) market is poised for expansion, with global revenues set to reach $14.9 billion by 2030, according to the latest ABI Research worldwide market study. This surge reflects a dynamic era for digital security, shaped by the proliferation of interconnected devices, the acceleration of cryptoagility, and the growing imperative of device identity management. PKI Security Market Development PKI has long underpinned digital trust, securing sensitive data and authenticating identities across networks. Today's business technology landscape has dramatically shifted. Enterprises are rapidly integrating IoT, cloud services, and AI-powered platforms, making the management of digital certificates and identity lifecycles both strategically essential and operationally complex. The threat landscape continues to change as malicious actors exploit new vulnerabilities, pushing organizations toward shorter certificate lifecycles and the adoption of quantum-resistant al...

There is a pivotal shift within the global smartphone market. Recent data from IDC highlights a more cautious outlook for 2025, with projected worldwide smartphone shipments seeing a significantly reduced growth rate. This revised forecast underscores the intricate interplay of global economic factors and geopolitical dynamics on pervasive personal communication devices. IDC's latest update projects a mere 0.6 percent growth in worldwide smartphone shipments for 2025, a stark reduction from the earlier 2.3 percent expectation. Global Smartphone Market Development This recalibration is largely attributed to prevailing economic uncertainties, including inflationary pressures and rising unemployment, alongside the persistent specter of tariff volatility. Despite these global tensions, it's interesting to note that the United States and China are still identified as the primary drivers of this modest growth. China, a critical market, is forecast to achieve a 3 percent year-over-yea...

The market for industrial facilities networking is undergoing a significant transformation. Operational Technology (OT) networks, traditionally reliant on wired connections, increasingly embrace wireless solutions. This shift is driven by several factors, including the need for greater flexibility, improved efficiency, and the emergence of new applications fueled by the Internet of Things (IoT).  At the forefront of this transformation lies a utilization of the 6 GHz band in industrial Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs), a communication innovation. Industrial WLAN Market Development According to the latest worldwide study by ABI Research, they forecast a surge in industrial WLAN access points supporting the 6 GHz spectrum, with shipments rising from 2 percent in 2023 to 71 percent by 2030. The growth of industrial WLANs can be attributed in large part to the limitations of traditional wired networks. Dense deployments of sensors, robots, and other connected devices create a const...

The past decade has witnessed an explosion in Artificial Intelligence (AI) use cases. From facial recognition software to virtual assistants, AI is rapidly reshaping our digital world. However, most of this AI processing power has resided in the public cloud, requiring a broadband internet connection and raising concerns about personal data privacy. This deployment model is about to evolve. The future of AI is the ability to function directly on our devices, according to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research. On-Device AI Market Development The research predicts a significant growth in AI chipset shipments, reaching over 1.3 billion units by 2030.  This surge signifies a critical shift towards on-device AI, empowering smartphones, PCs, tablets, and other gadgets with the ability to process AI tasks locally. This transition is driven by two key factors. Firstly, smartphone and PC vendors are prioritizing the development of chipsets specifically designed for on-device AI,...

The Internet of Things (IoT) continues to expand. According to the latest worldwide market study by Juniper Research, they forecast a 90 percent growth in cellular IoT devices by 2028, with the global number reaching 6.5 billion. This exponential rise presents both exciting opportunities and significant challenges. While the growth of cellular IoT unlocks a vast potential for innovation in smart cities, industrial automation, and remote monitoring, it also requires device management and security advancements. Cellular IoT Market Development Juniper's research highlights the critical role of intelligent infrastructure management solutions. These platforms will empower the users to automate critical tasks such as device configuration, real-time security management, and optimized wireless connectivity. The surge in cellular data usage, projected to reach 46 petabytes by 2028 compared to 21 petabytes today, further underscores the need for automation. This is where federated learning i...

As new devices increasingly connect to the cloud for centralized storage, data analytics, real-time monitoring, and updates, we must ask: Are we prepared for the security implications of this brave new world? The number of Internet of Things (IoT) end-user devices and IoT edge nodes such as home appliances, personal wearables, industrial robots, and even connected drones is quickly increasing. ABI Research forecasts that by 2026, the installed base of connected devices will reach more than 70 billion installations, creating an expansive IoT attack vector in the IoT applications environment. IoT Security Market Development Most of these devices are low-power, storage limited, and with weak computational power, which means these devices are increasingly connecting to the cloud environment for centralized storage, data analytics, real-time monitoring, remote access, and updates in firmware and software. Connecting to the cloud environment creates yet another compromise vector for these de...

A reduction in office occupancy and lease terminations, due to the growth of remote work, has had an inverse effect on consumer spending. As an example, despite the economic issues in some markets, spending on smart home devices grew in 2022. According to the latest market study by ABI Research, by the end of the year, smart home hardware revenues  -- including devices, hubs, and controllers -- will surpass $30 billion worldwide, that's up by 15 percent over 2021. Smart Home Market Development According to the ABI assessment, driving investments in the face of a sharper economic reality is a growing expectation among consumers for smart home capabilities that deliver greater value. "The COVID pandemic-induced emphasis on home improvement boosted the Smart Home industry," said Jonathan Collins, research director at ABI Research . The Work-from-Home phenomenon moved into a more mainstream awareness that continues to bolster spending as consumers look to replace or improve d...

More forward-thinking CIOs and CTOs are focused on the adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT). Management challenges are top of mind for those who have already deployed a large number of sensors and associated network edge devices. Device management services are evolving in response to a greater breadth of new device technologies such as edge intelligence and related connectivity solutions, as well as the customer scalability and security of IoT deployments. But forward-looking suppliers are also preparing for a world where 41.3 percent of the connected devices will be using some form of Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) technologies by 2026. IoT Device Management Market Development Since IoT customers increasingly need to manage a larger fleet of connected devices, ABI Research now forecasts that IoT device management services will exceed $36.8 billion in revenues by 2026. Standardization is beginning to play a bigger role in device management services, as more connected devices use LPWA t...

Let's get real, and update this market outlook. What's the overall size of the Augmented and Mixed Reality market, for both devices and the value chain? We have the answer. With investment and interest growing exponentially, the augmented reality market is set to grow at a significant rate over the next five years. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, nearly 40 million Augmented Reality (AR) smart glasses will ship in 2027, with the total augmented and mixed reality market surpassing $220 billion in the same year. According to the ABI assessment, much of this growth will stem from the consumer AR market on the back of new hardware and content, but the enterprise AR space will also continue to show strong growth. Augmented Reality Market Development "It is impossible to miss news surrounding the augmented reality market today, both from the fascinating metaverse side and the more grounded and short-term augmented reality opportunities and investme...

Companies across the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem are seeking to overcome the inevitable commoditization of their niche area of specialization. Ascending the IoT value chain inevitably involves becoming a connectivity supplier. Connectivity Management Platforms (CMPs) are part of the vendor offerings. They allow connectivity to be intelligently packaged for sale to IoT customers. Although CMPs are table stakes abilities for any company wishing to become an IoT service provider, development has not abated, and the market is becoming more competitive. ABI Research has identified sixty-two companies offering CMPs, operated either proprietarily or commercially available to license. These companies span from connectivity resellers and aggregators to enterprise software developers, IoT service providers, and carrier-grade infrastructure manufacturers. IoT Connectivity Management Market Development "The largest CMP vendors such as Cisco and Ericsson, and their products have always ...

The healthcare sector has advanced technological innovation. But the fragmented way in which many hospitals acquire solutions can introduce cost, time, and resource inefficiencies that hinder care delivery and the ability to meet strategic objectives. Therefore, the last several years have seen healthcare providers around the world embrace the concept of the 'smart hospital' as a means of optimizing multiple aspects of their IT performance. However, hospital implementation of new technologies can present significant challenges for the adopting organizations in terms of cybersecurity, interoperability, and execution. Smart Hospital Market Development According to the latest worldwide market study by Juniper Research, smart hospitals will deploy 7.4 million connected Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) devices globally by 2026 -- that's estimated to be over 3,850 devices per smart hospital. This global figure represents total growth of 231 percent over 2021 when 3.2 million dev...

The number of mobile communication subscriptions worldwide is currently estimated at 8 billion, with 6 billion on smartphone connections, from a user base of 5.9 billion unique subscribers among a global population of 7.9 billion. Fifth-generation (5G) mobile service subscriptions using a compatible device significantly grew during the COVID-19 pandemic, but 4G connections remain the dominant force within the global telecom service provider sector. While the use of mobile phones is common throughout developing nations, 4G services are still an emerging technology in many parts of the world. Overall, 5G subscriptions will likely grow from 580 million at the end of 2021 to 3.5 billion by the end of 2026. 5G Mobile Market Development According to the latest worldwide market study by Juniper Research, revenue generated from 5G mobile services will reach $600 billion by 2026 -- representing 77 percent of global network operator-billed revenue. The adoption of 5G services across consumer and...

A multitude of new devices have been connected to the Internet already this year, and many more will connect in the coming weeks and months. That said, the Internet of Things (IoT) gateway has become an important link in the IoT security and device authentication value chain. They've emerged as a crucial conduit for intelligent network operations across the entire IoT ecosystem, and will very likely increase the demand for more edge computing infrastructure investment. Now the new wave of next-generation smart IoT gateways has arrived at an opportune time, enabling a breadth of novel security, intelligence, and authentication operations at the edge, causing IoT vendors to revisit their deployment and IT management strategies. IoT Gateway Market Development According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, there will be 21.4 million next-gen smart IoT gateways shipped in 2025. "Smart IoT gateways are currently caught amid a greater transformative evolution, furthe...

Smart city projects will gain new momentum in 2020 as more municipal government leaders adopt new technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and Machine to Machine (M2M) communications. Street lighting is the area where adoption is noteworthy. According to the latest worldwide market study by Berg Insight, the installed base of smart street lights was 10.4 million worldwide at the end of 2018. Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24.5 percent, the installed base will reach 31.2 million in 2023. Smart City Market Development Global market leadership continues to evolve as new projects are launched. Europe is the leading smart street lighting market accounting for nearly 40 percent of the installed base. Characterized by a higher degree of utility ownership of street lighting assets, the North American market has seen a more scattered uptake of smart street lighting but is nevertheless home to several of the world’s largest deployments. North America acc...

Clinical-grade remote patient monitoring (RPM) is a solution that involves the secure transmission of medical data collected on devices, via telecommunications services. It's enabled through text, sound, images or other digital media used for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of healthcare patients. The applications of emerging technologies such as the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Big Data analytics are enabling vendors to develop new use cases for remote patient monitoring. Remote Patient Monitoring Market Development In recent years, venture capitalists have increasingly invested in start-ups with competencies in these areas, especially integrated and lower-cost monitors and sensors. With this development, RPM will help to shift some healthcare services from the hospital to the home. According to the latest market study by Frost & Sullivan, RPM is forecast to become a mainstream medical service, with related rev...

Unlicensed wireless communication has transformed internet access across the globe. The upward growth trajectory continues to rise for Wi-Fi applications. More than 20 billion Wi-Fi devices are forecast to ship between 2019 and 2024, according to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research. Continued adoption in traditional markets of strength, alongside traction in mesh networking systems, smart home, automotive, and IoT applications will drive the Wi-Fi market forward to nearly 4 billion annual device shipments by 2024. Wi-Fi Device Market Development "2019 marks the 20th anniversary of Wi-Fi, though the technology shows no signs of slowing down," says Andrew Zignani, principal analyst at ABI Research . "Wi-Fi 6 is quickly gaining momentum in networking devices, while client devices are already arriving into the market and are anticipated to ramp up considerably over the next 12-18 months." According to the ABI assessment, demand for faster, more r...

As 2014 draws to a close Juniper Research has offered up a list of predictions for the coming year. The following are some of the highlights. Over the past year, technology industries have evolved at a rapid pace. New devices present challenges that must be addressed, in particular the security of consumer data. In the wake of a number of high profile security breaches, some enterprise companies will need to regain trust. Therefore, Juniper expects to see an increasing investment in encryption and tokenization solutions, as a means of reducing the risk of data loss or theft during 2015. While smart watches have now arrived, they have yet to endear themselves to most consumers. The release of new wearable devices by big name brands will increase awareness, as well as a series of smaller less known players. Notwithstanding the continuing reluctance of a number of U.S. retailers to accept Near Field Communications (NFC) technologies, Juniper believes that Host Card Emulation should...

The global outlook for media tablet shipments will further evolve as vendor diversification occurs and emerging markets drive more growth. The worldwide tablet market grew 11.5 percent year-over-year in the third quarter of 2014 (3Q14) with shipments reaching 53.8 million units, according to the the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). Partly driven by back-to-school promotions and U.S. appetite for connected tablets, the third quarter also saw shipments grow sequentially by 11.2 percent compared to 2Q14. "Not only is the U.S. market one of the largest for tablets, but third quarter results also indicate that this is where the growth is," said Jean Philippe Bouchard, research director at IDC . As an example of evolving market developments, IDC says that Verizon is continuing to sell connected tablets at a fast pace, a strategy that they believe other carriers will replicate in following quarters. Also, RCA entered the top 5 vendor list, impacti...