Digital Lifescapes

Adoption of mobile internet access, combined with the development of innovative cloud services and wearable devices, has created a multitude of new consumer and business use cases that will drive demand, according to the latest worldwide market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). Global shipments of wearable devices are forecast to reach 125.3 million units in 2018 -- that's up 8.5 percent from 2017. The growing popularity of smartwatches and greater wearables adoption in emerging markets will combine to produce a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11 percent with shipments jumping to 189.9 million units in 2022. Wearables Market Development "The transition from basic wearables to smart wearables will continue over the next five years as the two approach parity in terms of market share by 2022," said Jitesh Ubrani, senior research analyst at IDC . "The rise of smart wearables will not just be in mature markets, but also from emerging mar...

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems are already very sophisticated. Gartner predicts that by 2022, AI-enabled personal devices will know a lot more about that person's emotional state. Moreover, AI is a disruptive force that will reshape the way we interact with many personal devices. "Emotion AI systems and affective computing are allowing everyday objects to detect, analyze, process and respond to people's emotional states and moods to provide better context and a more personalized experience," said Roberta Cozza, research director at Gartner . "To remain relevant, technology vendors must integrate AI into every aspect of their devices, or face marginalization." Emotion AI Market Development The current wave of emotion AI systems is being driven by the proliferation of virtual personal assistants (VPAs) and other AI-based technology for conversational systems. As a second wave emerges, AI technology will add value to more and more customer experie...

As the wearables market evolves, total shipment volumes will maintain their growth momentum. Vendors will ship a total of 125.5 million wearable devices worldwide in 2017, that's a 20.4 percent increase from the 104.3 million units shipped in 2016. According to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC), the wearables market will nearly double before reaching a total of 240.1 million units shipped in 2021, resulting in a five-year CAGR of 18.2 percent. Wearables Market Development "The wearables market is entering a new phase," said Ramon T. Llamas, research manager at IDC . "Since the market’s inception, it’s been a matter of getting product out there to generate awareness and interest. Now it’s about getting the experience right – from the way the hardware looks and feels to how software collects, analyzes, and presents insightful data." According to the IDC assessment, this means that users will be treated to second- and third-gen...

When the smartwatch market came into being, most industry analysts assumed that Apple would dominate the new category. Now it seems that Google Android will likely lead the market, via its extensive open ecosystem of software developers. While the number of high-end smartwatches is faltering, hybrid watches remain largely unaffected by the market slow-down, according to the latest market study by Juniper Research. These watches have traditional watch faces but offer some connected functions -- such as tracking the user's steps or enabling NFC payments -- and claim a larger portion of the market than previously anticipated. Smartwatch Market Development Trends While basic smartwatches account for around 30 percent the current market value, Juniper anticipates that this share will grow to almost 40 percent within the next five years. The new research findings anticipate that as the high-end multi-functional smartwatch market slows, vendors will refine or remove unpopular fu...

When a consumer electronics vendor launches a new product category they are often uncertain about the overall market demand. While early-adopters may adopt the new device relatively quickly, the mainstream user market is far less likely to be interested or motivated to buy. Sometimes the leading vendor in a category will abruptly reach market saturation, as a key indicator of the future outlook. For the first time, the worldwide smart watch market saw a year-over-year decline of 32 percent, according to the latest global market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). Smartwatch vendors shipped 3.5 million units in the second quarter of 2016 (2Q16), which was down substantially from the 5.1 million shipped a year ago. Apple held the top rank by shipping 1.6 million watches. However, it was the only vendor among the top five to experience an annual decline in shipments. Smartwatch Market Development Challenges The year-over-year comparison is to the initial launch quart...

The wearable devices market is evolving rapidly, fueling the explosion of big data apps within the Internet of Things. A combination of new device releases, retail price reductions, and company rationalizations marked the first quarter of 2016 (1Q16) in the worldwide wearables market. According to the latest global market study by International Data Corporation (IDC), the wearable device total shipment volumes reached 19.7 million units in 1Q16 -- that's an increase of 67.2 percent from the 11.8 million units shipped during the same period in 2015. Moreover, the first quarter of 2016 saw its fair share of significant events to entice customers, with multiple fitness trackers and smartwatches introduced at the major technology shows. Wearable Device Category Expansion There were post-holiday price reductions on multiple wearables, including Apple's Sport Watch; and greater participation within emerging wearables categories, particularly clothing and footwear. Conversel...

More people are wearing new personal activity tracking devices. According to the latest market study by The NPD Group, annual 2015 unit sales of connected activity trackers experienced impressive growth of 85 percent versus 2014 -- that's despite a hike in the average selling price (ASP) from $96 to $109. "The increase in ASP speaks to these devices becoming more sophisticated, and that consumers are looking for better-quality devices, not just entry-level products," said Ben Arnold, executive director at The NPD Group . "This, combined with unit growth, shows that prices aren't falling to drive demand -- demand is increasing along with rising prices." Fitbit remained the leading brand in connected activity trackers in 2015, accounting for 79 percent of sales. The company has been the market leader in connected activity trackers since 2014, growing market share by more than 20 points since that time -- despite the entrance of new competing products in th...

Activity tracker shipments continued to grow in 2015 -- up almost 80 percent over 2014. Shipment totals will top 87 million in 2021 as these devices continue to lead consumers into the emerging wearable wireless connected health and well-being market, according to the latest market study by ABI Research. "Activity trackers are the current vanguard device for bringing consumers into connected medical services,” said Jonathan Collins, principal analyst at ABI Research . "As they continue to proliferate, they will spur greater investment in mHealth device development and adoption, as well as the services that can help bring the data these devices collect into health care provision." Essential Network Platforms and Infrastructure Despite the increasing popularity of activity trackers, the professional medical device market still awaits the shift to connected devices that has been underway in the consumer fitness market over the past few years. Connected medical devic...

Shipments of connected wearables reached 72.5 million in 2015, that's up from 25.3 million devices in the previous year, according to the latest worldwide market study by Berg Insight. Many of these devices have become a significant part of the emerging Internet of Things (IoT) phenomena. Increasing by a compound annual growth rate of 25.8 percent, total global shipments of smartwatches, smart glasses, fitness & activity trackers, people monitoring & safety devices and medical devices as well as other wearable devices are forecasted to reach 228.3 million units in 2020. Moreover, Bluetooth will remain the primary M2M wireless connectivity option in the coming years. However, a total of 17.8 million of the wearables sold in 2020 are forecasted to incorporate embedded cellular connectivity, mainly in the smartwatch and people monitoring & safety categories. Apple entered the connected wearables market in Q2-2015 and quickly became the leading smartwatch vendor. The ...

Sensors are an essential component of most Internet of Things (IoT) use-case scenarios. Sensors also enable the key applications in wearable devices. This is why made-for-wearable sensors are being developed around the world, and the market is already primed for significant growth. According to the latest worldwide market study by IDTechEx Research , made-for-wearable sensors will represent 42 percent of all sensors in wearable devices in 2026 -- that's up from just 7 percent in 2015. There will be a $5.5 billion market for sensors used in wearable technology applications by 2025. However, several key challenges must be overcome before these sensor technologies can realize their full potential. Wearable sensor systems will help to drive market development. The textile and electronics industry has started to merge together around e-textiles. High-value sport and fitness applications are the current focus. Vertical industry apps will also include healthcare, home textiles, and ...

A growing list of vendors, a proliferation of devices, superior user experiences, affordable price points, and steady adoption with more use-cases will fuel growth in the worldwide market for wearable devices. According to the latest global market study by International Data Corporation (IDC), wearable device shipments will reach 76.1 million units in 2015 -- that's up 163.6 percent from the 28.9 million units shipped in 2014. By 2019, worldwide shipments will reach 173.4 million units, resulting in a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.9 percent. Total shipments include both basic and smart wearables, which are two very different product categories. "Smart wearables only account for about a third of the total market today while basic wearables, led by fitness trackers, account for the rest," said Jitesh Ubrani, senior research analyst at IDC . Driven by advancements in user interface (UI) and product features, smart wearables are on track to surpas...

According to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC), Apple shipped a total of 3.6 million wearable device units in the second quarter of 2015 (2Q15) -- that's 800 thousand units behind the market leader's (Fitbit) 4.4 million units. IDC reports that the total wearables shipment volume for the quarter came to 18.1 million units -- that's up 223.2 percent from the 5.6 million units shipped in 2Q14. "Anytime Apple enters a new market, not only does it draw attention to itself, but to the market as a whole," said Ramon Llamas, research manager at IDC . IDC believes that the Apple participation benefits multiple players and platforms within the global wearables ecosystem, and ultimately drives total market volumes higher. According to the IDC assessment, Apple could therefore become the consumer wearables market benchmark, and competing vendors need to monitor their design and technology development. Now that Apple is officially a ...

Over the last 18 months, the wearables market has started to mature and has grown considerably with new players introducing numerous products -- such as fitness bands, smartwatches, smart glasses, and other sensor-enabled devices. Using data compiled from approximately 328,000 consumer reviews since January 2014, the latest market study by Argus Insights reveals that after the holiday season of 2013, consumers briefly lost interest in wearables before steadily increasing demand reached its high point in January 2015 where it was four times the level of a year earlier. Since then, however, demand has slowed. According to the report, all the media buzz about the Apple Watch introduction stole consumer interest away from Fitbit and other wearables, as potential buyers waited to determine whether they wanted the Apple Watch. Interest in Fitbit devices resumed and grew once the Apple Watch details were announced, as Fitbit and other wearable manufacturers saw a strong 2014 holiday p...

The emerging applications for IoT sensors that are designed to be worn will become vast. The wearable technology market is forecast to rise from $24.2 billion in 2015 to three times that size in ten years -- creating a market of $74 billion in 2025, according to the latest market study by IDTechEx Research . In addition to increasing demand for current enabling components and software, this market provides a large opportunity for new technologies as electronics move from being bulky devices to ones that can conform to the wearer. As the traditional markets for consumer electronics devices begin to saturate, new markets are being explored and foremost among them is the evolution of smart wearable technology. However, smart wearable gadgets thus far are mixed in terms of their success, consisting usually of bulky electronics with many limitations; power consuption being one of them. About $1 billion was invested in wearables during 2014. According to the IDTechEx assessment, this...

Applications for new categories of wearable devices are beginning to evolve into some interesting areas -- particularly within the medical arena, where innovation is likely to have a very positive impact on the professional healthcare sector. Consumer wearable devices targeting health and fitness applications have already demonstrated some promising early-adopter use-cases. Moreover, advancements in neuroscience technology research have several manufacturers preparing to launch Brain-to-Machine Interface (BMI) enabled products. According to the latest market study by ABI Research, revenues from both medical-grade and consumer BMI related products will already approach $10 million in 2015. That said, let's be clear about the potential applications, BMI technology is unable to read your thoughts. However, tapping into brain activity -- as a means of understanding human behavior, or controlling an external activity -- are now becoming possible. Example BMI Application Scenario...

Purpose-built applications designed to run on Smart Wearable devices are expected to grow from a base of 2,500 at the end of 2014 to 349,000 in 2019, according to the latest worldwide market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). While the majority of these software applications will likely be consumer-focused, IDC believes that a significant opportunity exists for enterprise-oriented apps. Third-party developers capable of delivering clear benefits and a transformative experience will catalyze demand and further accelerate application development on the supply side. With the Apple Watch expected to capture up to two thirds of the smart wearable device market in 2015, Apple's influence on the wearable applications market could be considerable. "It has been clear since well before it was launched that the Apple Watch, with the WatchKit SDK, is poised to set a tone for the broader market," said John Jackson, research vice president at IDC . IDC says that i...

Juniper Research believes that the next-generation smartphone -- enabled by an associated software application -- is set to become a means of linking external Smart Wireless Devices to the mobile cloud. These smartphones will form a central point for a Wireless Personal Area Network, thereby connecting to a wide range of peripheral software apps, web-based portals or cloud-based services. Put simply, a smart wireless device is a stand-alone piece of hardware which can link to a nearby smartphone, often via a short-range wireless technology such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. The device will typically have a companion app, which will add value to the data received from the hardware device. In addition, data from the device may be uploaded to an online site for data analysis. Juniper has unveiled their list of recent smart technology developments that they believe will positively impact the smart wireless devices sector during 2015. The Apple Watch launch is a potential game-changer. Not...

Ever since the first clickable banner ad was produced in 1993, advertising on digital platforms has evolved. The growth in digital advertising has been aided by several improvements, such as programmatic media and big data. The potential for targeted, personalized advertising -- enabled by new mobile device adoption -- is a key area of interest for digital marketers. Advertising spend on smart watches will reach $68.6 million by 2019, that's up from an estimated $1.5 million this year, according to the latest market study by Juniper Research . The study found that market growth will be fueled by the entrance of high-profile brands, such as Apple, into the smart watch arena, combined with the ongoing mainstream acceptance of wearable technology. Juniper believes that the emergence of an additional mobile screen would stimulate interest among advertisers. However, until a significant user base is reached, most ad-spend is likely to take the form of ad-hoc marketing campaigns. ...

The volume of mobile and online ticketing in both the developed and developing parts of the world is increasing. Online ticketing, along with the increasing adoption of smartphones and tablets, has revolutionized the way consumers purchase e-tickets. Global ticket purchases via mobile and desktop devices -- including smartphones, media tablets and PCs -- are forecast to reach 32 billion by 2019, that's up from an estimated 16.2 billion this year. This represents a two-fold growth over the next 4 years, according to the latest worldwide market study by Juniper Research. The new study found that with digital ticketing services developing fast across the transport and events sector, mobile handsets will account for more than 50 percent of all digital tickets purchased by 2019. Airlines often use their mobile boarding pass facility as a stepping stone to mobile ticket purchase and further mobile service features. Typical examples include seat selection, actual arrival and depar...

The introduction of open-source cloud computing services has helped to drive the growth of the Internet of Things (IoT), enabling new forms of wireless digital devices that are able to both send and receive data that's stored online. Moreover, since the introduction of low-energy mobile communications began in the mid 2000s, we're moving beyond the early definition of IoT to now include consumer electronics (CE) devices which become part of the user's personal space. Case in point: research from Juniper Research has found that annual revenues from connected healthcare and fitness online services will approach $2 billion by 2019 --that's nearly six times the $320 million value estimated for this year. The findings from Juniper's latest market study also reveal that connected healthcare devices -- and the data they generate -- will offer substantial benefits to the consumers of these new products. However, cloud service deployments will initially be constrain...