Wearables proved to be a hot product category in 2015. Juniper Research this week pegged smartwatch shipments alone at 17.1 million units last year. Sales of fitness bands easily exceed those numbers. No one expects shipments to slow down any time soon and Digitimes predicts that sales of smartwatches and smartbands will hit 100 million units this year.
The report adds that the second-generation Apple Watch will once more allow Apple to dominate the smartwatch market. It will also be a key reason for the jump in wearable sales. Android Wear, which did not have a stellar 2015, should fare better in 2016 thanks to new features that will attract new hardware manufacturers to the fold. More importantly, Google is working on a version of Android Wear for China with new software partners to fill the gaps where its own services cannot.
Smartwatches geared at children could also contribute significantly this year. China’s BBK topped Samsung in Q3 2015 to become the fifth largest wearable manufacturer solely on the strength of sales of its XTC Y01 children’s smartwatch. New players including Tencent (which also offers the TOS+ mobile operating system) and Qihoo 360 could soon jump into this market as well.
The smartband market is also expected to show strong growth. Xiaomi, which recently released the new Mi Band Pulse with heart rate monitor, is expected to fare particularly well with its low-cost formula. This will push competitors to try to find ways to differentiate their products and could lead to new and innovative devices.
Source : Digitimes