IDC: Wearables Maintain Upward Trajectory

According to IDC 2015 wearable device shipments will reach 12.1 million units in 2015, a "strong" 173.3% increase from 2014 shipments reaching 12.4m units, thanks to new vendors including (obviously) Apple joining the wearable fray.

IDC Wearables 2015

The analyst also estimates wearable shipments will grow with a CAGR of 42.6% over the 5-year forecast period, leading to 155.7m units shipped in 2019.

IDC breaks down its numbers in two categories-- basic and smart wearables. Basic wearables should lead 2015 shipments, reaching 39m units (compared to 33.1m smart wearables), but the analyst expects the situation to change in the future.

"We expect smart wearables, those capable of running third party apps, to take the lead in 2016," added Ubrani. "Smart wearables like the Apple Watch and Micosoft's Hololens are indicative of an upcoming change in computing, and the transition from basic to smart wearables opens up a slew of opportunities for vendors, app developers, and accessory makers."

Go IDC WW Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker