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Sunday, February 16, 2014

2017...The Year of The Smart Watch


 



It’s no secret that the smart watch is taking over.

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.

 

6 comments:

  1. 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.

    Brittany & Kaitlyn

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  2. 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!
    Kelsey and Camry

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  3. 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!

    Lian and Natalie

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  4. 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.

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  5. This product is so awesome!! We wish it would get here sooner!!

    Michelle & Isabel

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  6. really cool post! I've seen the product but didn't know too much about it!

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