For a while, it's seemed that smartwatches were nothing more than a gimmick. With stagnating sales and many companies dropping out of the smartwatch market such as Motorola, it seemed that the market for smartwatches is going nowhere. However, a report by IDC says otherwise. The report states that not only are smartwatches increasing in uptake but that the shipments of wearable smart devices will more than double by 2021. Smartwatches aren't going anywhere.
In 2017, global shipments of smart wearables closed off at 113.2 million shipments. By 2021, however, 222.3 million shipments are expected — almost double the amount sold in the last year, with an 18.4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR). Now it is important to note that devices such as Fitbit also count as wearable devices, but the company actually leading the charge is Apple, with the Apple Watch. Basic wristbands like the Xiaomi Mi Band or Fitbit Charge are also on the way out.
Source: IDC
As can be seen above, smartwatches will actually more than double in uptake. With a shipment rate of 31.6 million in 2017, they are projected to reach shipments of up to 71.5 million in 2021. This is huge growth for the platform. IDC places this down to a change in fashion trends, along with new watches (largely restricted to China), which come with games to keep children entertained. The projected increase in wearables, can also be attributed to the likes of Google's Jacquard, which is currently powering a Levi's jacket (though this particular product had terrible sales). It is also important to note that the usage of the word "basic" in the chart above still refers to smartwatches, though those with basic features. It looks like smartwatches are here to stay for the foreseeable future.
What are your thoughts? Are you using a smartwatch? You can check out the full report down below.
Source: IDC
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