Ninety Million Wearable Computing Devices Will Be Shipped in 2014
Wearable technology will be characterized by the diversity of products, but only the product categories with a clear use-case and therefore target audience will succeed, according to ABI Research. Wearable device sales volumes in 2014 are expected to come from healthcare and sports and activity trackers. While the commercial launch of several smart glass products, including Google Glass, will continue to drive interest in the wearable space, it is not expected to be a significant commercial success in 2014.
“The next 12 months will be a critical period for the acceptance and adoption of wearable devices,” said Joshua Flood, senior analyst. “Healthcare and sports and activity trackers are rapidly becoming mass-market products. On the flip side, wearable devices like smart watches need to overcome some critical obstacles. Aesthetic design, more compelling use cases, battery life and lower price points are the main inhibitors. How vendors approach these challenges and their respective solutions will affect the wearable market far in the future.”