50 million
smartwatches by 2020 says IDC
A year after the launch
of the Apple Watch established a new benchmark for the worldwide smartwatch
market, new smartwatch shipments are expected to see only modest growth for the
rest of 2016 due to late-in-the-year and iterative product releases.
According to a new forecast from the International Data
Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker, total smartwatch
shipments will reach 20.1 million units in 2016, an increase of 3.9% from the
19.4 million units shipped in 2015.IDC categorizes smartwatches as those that
can run third party applications. Examples include Apple’s Watch, Samsung’s
Gear S3, Motorola’s Moto 360, and Pebble’s Watch. Smartwatches are part of
IDC’s larger category of Smart Wearable devices, which also include smart
glasses and certain wristbands. IDC expects total smart wearable volumes to
reach 21.5 million units shipped in 2016. By volume, smartwatches account for
the largest part of the category, and are expected to reach a total value of
$17.8 billion dollars in 2020.
Meanwhile, IDC categorizes a wearables that do not run third
party applications as a basic wearable devices. Basic wearables can take on
multiple form factors – wristbands, clothing, and watches – but underpining all
of them is that none of them run third party apps. Examples include Fitbit’s
selection of fitness trackers, Garmin’s Vivofit devices, and Xiami’s MiBand. By
the end of 2016, total shipments of basic wearables will reach 80.7 million
units.
“To date, smartwatches have remained in the realm of brand
loyalists and tech cognoscenti, but we expect that to change over the next few
years,” noted Ramon Llamas, research manager for IDC’s Wearables team. “First,
smartwatches will look and feel like traditional watches, appealing to those
who put a premium and design and style. Second, once the smartwatches get
cellular connectivity, they’ll disconnect from the smartphone, making them more
useful. Third, smartwatch applications will build on this cellular connection,
and connect with other devices within the home and at work. Finally, smartwatch
prices will come down, making them more affordable to a broader market.”