Wearables market to grow 8.2% to 124.9 mn units: IDC

An IDC report said wearables market will grow 8.2 percent to 124.9 million units in 2018 against 10.3 percent growth in 2017.
Wearables forecast chart
The global wearables market is expected to return to double-digit growth from 2019 until 2022 as smartwatches and other form factors grow in popularity.

Smartwatches will be accounting for 44.6 percent of all wearables shipped in 2022. Apple’s decision to include cellular connectivity on the latest Watch has helped bring some much-needed attention to the smartwatch category from telcos.

Basic watches are forecast to see a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.4 percent from 2018 – 2022.

The wristbands market is expected to decline 6.6 percent in 2018 as demand for these simple devices has cooled off and incumbents like Fitbit and Garmin continue to pursue smartwatch growth instead.