Wearables to hit 168 million shipments by 2019, report saysDecember 22, 2014 - 14:11 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Wearables are on track to hit 168 million shipments by 2019 with the sector driven by Apple’s long-awaited entry into a segment it will eventually lead, BetaNews says. A new report from Berg Insight predicts that wearable technology shipments will hit 19 million in 2014, up from 5.9 million in 2013, before accelerating to 168.2 million by 2019 thanks to a compound annual growth rate of 54.7 percent. Fitness trackers currently lead the way in the sector with 13 million units shipped in 2014, though they face huge competition from the scores of smartwatches being launched all the time. "This product category is now facing fierce competition from smartwatches that have activity tracking features. Decreasing prices and new form factors will still enable dedicated fitness & activity trackers to reach shipments of 42.0 million units in 2019”, said Johan Svanberg, senior analyst at Berg Insight. “Smartwatches are already the second largest category of connected wearables and sales will pick up considerably in 2015. The Apple Watch will enter the market and other major smartphone vendors will launch next generation Android Wear devices". Apple’s projected dominance in the wearables sector is cemented by a separate report produced by Ipsos MediaCT. "When asked which brands Americans would consider purchasing in the wearable category, Apple [62 percent], Google [44 percent] and Samsung [43 percent] were the top three most mentioned brands. Fitness brands were also highly mentioned, with Fitbit [31 percent] ranking fourth in consideration and Nike in sixth [27 percent]", the report read, according to Wareable. The Apple Watch is still quite the guarded secret given that it has a tentative release date of Spring 2015 in the U.S. and pricing that starts at some $349. Top stories Yerevan will host the 2024 edition of the World Congress On Information Technology (WCIT). Rustam Badasyan said due to the lack of such regulation, the state budget is deprived of VAT revenues. Krisp’s smart noise suppression tech silences ambient sounds and isolates your voice for calls. Gurgen Khachatryan claimed that the "illegalities have been taking place in 2020." Partner news Most popular in the section | European Parliament to discuss repression in Azerbaijan The European Parliament will discuss repression of civil society in Azerbaijan on April 24 PACE wants concessions from Azerbaijan to accept Baku back A PACE co-rapporteur said that Azerbaijani authorities must make certain concessions so that the country can return to PACE. Cyprus parliament honors Armenian genocide victims Acting House President Zacharias Koulias noted that April 24 marks the “black anniversary” of the Armenian genocide. Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed. |