Consumers in Mature Markets Will Use and Own Three to Four Devices By 2018

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"With wearables recording heart rates, blood pressure, sleep patterns and steps taken, emotions are the next frontier for personal devices," said Annette Zimmermann, research director at Gartner.

Gartner estimates that over 740 million wearables will be in use in 2016, up 20 percent from 2015. Wearables are set to reach 1.1 billion units by 2019.

Emotions can be measured using a combination of different sensors, including sound recording, or human emotions could be captured and analyzed by recording facial expressions via video or a still camera. "Organizations will be able to translate voice analysis into training tools for customer service employees, and smartphones will be able to analyze conversations and provide feedback on how to improve client interactions," said Ms. Zimmermann.

Devices tracking personal health and fitness will become more accurate, allowing people to better track their physical and mental health. At the same time, organizations will be able to track the stress or fatigue levels of employees who work in hazardous environments or carry heavy responsibility (such as air traffic controllers), and take preventative measures where necessary.

By 2019, one-third of PC users will use speech or gestures to issue commands.

With the recent introduction of 3D cameras on desktop and notebook PCs — together with the Windows 10 personal assistant feature — gesture and voice are set to boost existing keyboard and touch functions.

By 2019, Gartner estimates that more than 60 percent of total PC installed base will be on Windows 10. "If at least half of Windows 10 users opt for voice or gesture to give commands, that will make 30 percent of the installed base using this function," said Lillian Tay, principal research analyst at Gartner.

"Speech and gesture will bring new usage and productivity gains in the commercial sector," said Ms. Tay. "Take, for example, in field service where a worker can have hands-free access to files and documents by using a gesture to flip a page. Similarly, at home, voice and gesture provide a nice fit with a hands-free PC interaction scenario. For example, waving to a screen to change the page of a recipe book when the user is cooking, or opening a browser to search and add items to a grocery shopping list whenever something comes to mind."

More detailed analysis is available in the report "Predicts 2016: More Devices per User Spurs Innovation in User Interface Technologies."

About Gartner

Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT) is the world's leading information technology research and advisory company. The company delivers the technology-related insight necessary for its clients to make the right decisions, every day. From CIOs and senior IT leaders in corporations and government agencies, to business leaders in high-tech and telecom enterprises and professional services firms, to technology investors, Gartner is the valuable partner to clients in approximately 10,000 distinct enterprises worldwide. Through the resources of Gartner Research, Gartner Executive Programs, Gartner Consulting and Gartner Events, Gartner works with every client to research, analyze and interpret the business of IT within the context of their individual role. Founded in 1979, Gartner is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, USA, and has 7,600 associates, including more than 1,500 research analysts and consultants, and clients in 90 countries.

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