Worldwide Wearables Market Forecast to Reach 45.7 Million Units Shipped in 2015 & 126.1 Million Units in 2019, According to IDC
30 March 2015 - 11:30PM
Business Wire
A combination of new vendors, new devices, and greater end-user
awareness will drive the worldwide wearables market higher in 2015.
According to the most recent forecast data from the International
Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker,
vendors will ship a total of 45.7 million units in 2015, up a
strong 133.4% from the 19.6 million units shipped in 2014. By 2019,
total shipment volumes are forecast to reach 126.1 million units,
resulting in a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of
45.1%.
Propelling the market higher in 2015 is an increased focus on
smart wearables, or those devices capable of running third-party
applications. These include devices like the Apple Watch,
Motorola's Moto 360, and Samsung's Gear watches. The total volume
of smart wearables will reach 25.7 million units in 2015, up a
whopping 510.9% from the 4.2 million units shipped in 2014. Basic
wearables, or those devices that do not run third party
applications, will grow from 15.4 million units in 2014 to 20.0
million units in 2015, resulting in 30.0% year-over-year
growth.
"Smart wearables are about to take a major step forward with the
launch of the Apple Watch this year," said Ramon Llamas, Research
Manager with IDC's Wearables team. "The Apple Watch raises the
profile of wearables in general and there are many vendors and
devices that are eager to share the spotlight. Basic wearables,
meanwhile, will not disappear. In fact, we anticipate continued
growth here as many segments of the market seek out simple,
single-use wearable devices."
Wrist-worn wearables, including bands, bracelets, and watches,
will account for more than 80% of all wearable device shipments
throughout the forecast. Most vendors have concentrated their
efforts on these products and IDC expects this trend to continue.
Behind wrist-worn products are modular wearable devices, or those
devices that can be worn on any part of the body with a clip or a
strap. Modular devices are traditionally much simpler to produce
than other wearable devices and function well as use-specific
devices. Clothing is the third category and is expected to grow the
fastest as companies embed items like shirts, socks, hats, and
other products with computing power. Eyewear is a smaller category,
which IDC expects to first catch on among enterprise users within
select vertical markets. Finally, earwear will comprise a small
part of the overall market as earphones expand from audio to
include health and fitness features.
"The explosion of wearable devices was clearly led by fitness
bands, which until recently commanded prices that provided
comfortable margins, but those days are changing," said Ryan Reith,
Program Director with IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Device Trackers.
"The price of these fitness bands have come down so significantly
in some markets that smartphone OEMs are now bundling them with
smartphones at little cost. Meanwhile, the market is quickly
shifting toward higher-priced devices that offer greater
functionality. While Apple's entry into the market is symbolic, the
key to success will be to create compelling use cases for the
average consumer. Many users will need a good reason to replace a
traditional watch or accessory with a wrist-worn device or some
other form of wearable that will likely require daily charging and
occasional software upgrades."
Worldwide Wearable Device Shipments,
Market Share and Year-Over-Year Growth by Product, 2014-2019
(Units in Millions)
Product
Category
2014
Shipment
Volumes
2014
Market
Share
2015
Shipment
Volumes*
2015
Market
Share*
2019
Shipment
Volumes*
2019
Market
Share*
Wristwear 17.7 90.4%
40.7 89.2% 101.4
80.4% Modular 1.6
8.3% 2.6 5.7% 6.7
5.3% Clothing 0.0
0.1% 0.2 0.4% 5.6
4.5% Eyewear 0.1
0.3% 1.0 2.2% 4.5
3.5% Earwear 0.0
0.0% 0.1 0.1% 0.6
0.5% Other 0.2
0.9% 1.1 2.4% 7.3
5.8%
TOTAL 19.6
100.0% 45.7
100.0% 126.1
100.0%
Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly Wearable
Device Tracker, March 30, 2015
* Forecast figures.
In addition to the table above, an interactive graphic showing
IDC's 2014-2019 forecast for worldwide smart and basic wearable
shipments is available here. The chart is intended for public use
in online news articles and social media. Instructions on how to
embed this graphic can be found by viewing this press release on
IDC.com.
You can listen to Llamas and Reith talk in greater depth about
IDC's new wearables forecast in the latest IDC Perspectives
Podcast, available on iTunes, on the Web, and via RSS.
About IDC Trackers
IDC Tracker products provide accurate and timely market size,
vendor share, and forecasts for hundreds of technology markets from
more than 100 countries around the globe. Using proprietary tools
and research processes, IDC's Trackers are updated on a semiannual,
quarterly, and monthly basis. Tracker results are delivered to
clients in user-friendly excel deliverables and on-line query
tools. The IDC Tracker Charts app allows users to view data charts
from the most recent IDC Tracker products on their iPhone and
iPad.
For more information about IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile
Phone Tracker, please contact Kathy Nagamine at 650-350-6423 or
knagamine@idc.com.
About IDC
International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global
provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for
the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer
technology markets. With more than 1,100 analysts worldwide, IDC
offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology and
industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC's
analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives,
and the investment community to make fact-based technology
decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. Founded in
1964, IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world's leading technology
media, research, and events company. To learn more about IDC,
please visit www.idc.com. Follow IDC on Twitter at @IDC.
All product and company names may be trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective holders.
IDCRamon Llamas, 508-935-4736rllamas@idc.comorRyan Reith,
650-350-6242rreith@idc.comorMichael Shirer,
508-935-4200press@idc.com