However…we might have to wait until 2017.
The wearable wristband market has been heating up the past
few months, but most forecasts expect more than 17 million wearable devices
will ship throughout 2014. This slightly disappointing number includes both smart
watches like Samsung’s Galaxy Gear, and fitness wristband trackers like the Fitbit.
The research firm Canalys has estimated that smart watch
shipments alone will reach 8 million in 2014, and then will grow to more than
23 million units by 2015. In 2017…45 million.
So in other words, the market is expected to grow.
But is the era of the smart watch just a fad? Or can we really expect the wearable tech trend to
last?
2013 was the year of the Fitbit, when the wristband fitness
tracker became the market leader, capturing 58% of the market share. The
current trend in fitness tracking and wearable tech points to an even greater
increase in Fitbit’s market share. Though, only time will tell if their success
is short-lived or not.
One thing is for certain: with an awareness in personal
health and multiple campaigns aiming at a cleaner Earth, Fitbit, it seems, has
tapped into a lively and active market.
As far as the Samsung Galaxy Gear is concerned, Canalys is
estimating that Samsung has made up the majority of smart watch shipments, with
a 54% market share in the second half of 2013. Competitors rank significantly
lower—Sony (19%), Pebble (16%) and others (11%). As much as the market would
love to see Apple join the ‘smart watch arms race,’ we have yet to see anything
from them. Most suspect that Apple will make an announcement in the coming
months, but for now, not enough information is available to make a proper
prediction.
Samsung, though, has been making a significant ‘push’ to
market their Galaxy Gear. And recently, they’ve discovered just how much their
efforts are paying off. On the flip-side, some critics may view Samsung’s
latest installment to the wearable tech race as petty and desperate. Their
smart watch was released this past year, and in an effort to secure market
share in opposition to Apple, they sacrificed quality. Though, with numerous
software updates and improved functionality, Samsung has proven to be
serious about the smart watch craze.
But one must ask a very important question…
Where will this lead us as a society?
Wearable tech in the past had always been a fantasy—like something
out of an episode of the Jetsons. The concept of being connected to technology
in past years had been ludicrous. The ‘real world’ had nothing to do with
technology and all of its ‘pointless’ and ‘trivial’ nonsense. But fast forward
to the current moment and we’re looking for more.
More smart watches. More cell phones. More tablets.
If it connects to the internet in a reasonable amount of
time and displays an attractive interface, then it’s labeled as ‘good’. Because
really, when we use these devices, we’re looking to stay connected. We want to
harness a level of knowledge that was previously unavailable to the world. Ten
years ago, if I wanted to know who held the world record for any given activity,
I had to go to a library, pick out a book, and then search through countless
pages until I found whatever I was looking for.
How about telephones? Remember when they used to be attached
to a cord? When caller id became a ‘thing’ shortly after, then it was like
everything changed. Soon, cell phones were introduced—and then after
years of innovation and progress, we’ve reached the current moment. Now, the
market demands unification. We want to know when we’re being contacted, by
whom, by what…it’s like we’ve become
information brokers. The smart watch combines everything we appreciate into a
single, attractive product, that will sync with your phone. It’s current, and
according to analysts…they’re here to last.
We're s curious to see if smart watches and other products like this really end up being a so called "fad" or not. The information you provided was definitely informative on the topic.
ReplyDeleteBrittany & Kaitlyn
We are also very curious to see if these watches really do take over! We think they are a great idea! Its crazy to think how far technology has come! We liked how you threw in the changes of phones (Cord, to Cordless, to mobile)! We wonder what technology will introduce next!
ReplyDeleteKelsey and Camry
This post was awesome it is always so cool to see all the new things that are coming out in the world! the new technology is awesome!
ReplyDeleteLian and Natalie
This product seems so cool! I really didn't know much about it until now. It's really cool to see the things they are capable today.
ReplyDeleteThis product is so awesome!! We wish it would get here sooner!!
ReplyDeleteMichelle & Isabel
really cool post! I've seen the product but didn't know too much about it!
ReplyDelete