IDC Estimates 200M Shipped Wearables In 2019

Whether it’s retailers that have stocked up on Apple Watches or investors who’ve placed big bets on manufacturing companies that make the microscopic components critical for mobile devices, there’s a diverse group waiting with bated breath for wearables to take off. Fortunately for them, new research suggests they don’t have long to wait.

The International Data Corporation (IDC) released the newest update to its Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker, and the signs look promising for the future of the industry. By the end of the current year, the rate of wearables shipped will increase 38.2 percent compared to 2015, culminating in about 110 million units delivered. However, by 2020, that number will balloon to 237.1 million devices shipped to consumers wrists, belt loops and wherever else the wearables of the future can be worn.

Moreover, Jitesh Ubrani, senior research analyst at IDC Mobile Device Trackers, explained that the growing total of wearable devices will create more market opportunities for companies that are currently being squeezed out by larger and more established brands.

“Although smartwatches, like the Apple Watch or Android Wear devices, capture the spotlight, they will only account for a quarter of all wearables in 2016 and will grow to about a third by 2020,” Ubrani said in a statement. “It’s time to start thinking about smarter watches — traditional watches with some sort of fitness or sleep tracking but are unable to run apps — built by classic watchmakers. These devices have the potential of making the technology invisible, while still integrating themselves within day-to-day activities.”

Ubrani also noted that the proliferation of simpler devices will also allow developers to avoid common mobile device problems, like battery life or secure payments systems. If all a smart wristband needs to do is track a user’s sleep habits, then its developers can focus on designing the best sensors for that, and only that, purpose.