Dan’s Biz Bookshelf: 'The New Geography: The Global Contest for Breakthrough Technologies'
The Right Approach: Reflections on 50 Years in the Business, Part 2
The Marketing Minute: Your Marketing Funnel Has a Memory Problem
Worldwide Shipments of Wearables to Surpass 200 Million in 2019
March 17, 2016 | Business WireEstimated reading time: 3 minutes
Worldwide shipments of wearable devices are expected to reach 110 million by the end of 2016 with 38.2% growth over the previous year. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker, an expanding lineup of vendors combined with fast growing consumer awareness and demand will generate double-digit growth throughout the 2015-2020 forecast period, culminating in shipments of 237.1 million wearable devices in 2020.
The market will also be driven forward by the proliferation of new and different wearable products. Watch and wristband shipments will reach a combined total of 100 million shipments in 2016, up from 72.2 million in 2015. Other form factors, such as clothing, eyewear, and hearables, are expected to reach 9.8 million units in 2016 and will more than double their share by 2020. This will open the door for new experiences, use cases, and applications going forward. Still, the primary focus of the wearables market will be on smartwatches.
"Although smartwatches like the Apple Watch or Android Wear devices capture the spotlight, they will only account for a quarter of all wearables in 2016 and will grow to about a third by 2020," said Jitesh Ubrani, Senior Research Analyst for IDC Mobile Device Trackers. "It's time to start thinking about smarter watches -- traditional watches with some sort of fitness or sleep tracking but are unable to run apps—built by classic watch makers. These devices have the potential of making the technology invisible while still integrating themselves within day-to-day activities.
"By creating smarter watches, vendors also stand to side-step some of the typical challenges that smartwatch platforms face," added Ubrani. "There's no need to create a developer or app ecosystem for one thing, and there's plenty of room for simpler devices that appeal to the average user while smartwatches continue catering to the technophiles."
Meanwhile, smartwatches with an app ecosystem – like Apple's watchOS and Google's Android Wear – are expected to gain further salience in the market as both products and experiences evolve. "With few exceptions, this part of the smartwatch market is still in its initial stages," said Ramon Llamas, Research Manager for IDC's Wearables team. "We expect to see major changes, with smartwatches that actually look like watches, user interfaces that are easier than swipes and gestures, applications that rival those on our smartphones, and connections to networks, systems, and other devices. This puts pressure on smartwatch platforms to develop further from where they are today."
Page 1 of 2
Share on:
Testimonial
"Our marketing partnership with I-Connect007 is already delivering. Just a day after our press release went live, we received a direct inquiry about our updated products!"
Rachael Temple - AlltematedSuggested Items
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
03/13/2026 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Cue up “The Final Countdown, the monster ’80s hit song by Swedish band Europe, because it’s almost APEX EXPO week. Side note: When it comes to rock anthems, I’m more of an “Eye of the Tiger” man, myself. Some folks are already arriving in Anaheim, as standards development committee work starts as early as tomorrow. The show continues through Thursday, March 19.
Finding Your Marketing Niche in a Crowded PCB Industry
03/10/2026 | Richard Nichols, GreenSource EngineeringI recently made a flippant comment on LinkedIn, “All marketing and no trousers,” hinting that marketing campaigns often do not have a tangible product to market and the campaign is marketing a concept or a gut feeling. For PCB and IC substrate manufacturers, this poses a great risk for unsuccessful campaigns and the opportunity to innovate in an increasingly competitive and global landscape.
The Marketing Minute: Your Marketing Funnel Has a Memory Problem
03/11/2026 | Brittany Martin -- Column: The Marketing MinuteMany marketing teams work incredibly hard to generate attention. They launch campaigns. Announcements go out. New content is published, and digital promotions are pushed across multiple channels. For a short period, engagement spikes, website traffic rises, and the leads come rolling in. For sales, it all feels so promising. But then traffic returns to normal levels, engagement softens, and the sales team finds itself restarting conversations that never fully developed. When this happens, companies often assume they have a lead problem.
Global TV Shipments Remain Flat at 61.5 Million in 4Q25 Despite 25% Decline in China
03/04/2026 | BUSINESS WIREGlobal TV shipments remained flat year-on-year at 61.5 million units in 4Q25, despite a sharp decline in China, according to data from Omdia’s latest TV Sets (Emerging Technologies) Market Tracker: History – 4Q25. Shipments in China fell by 25.3% year-on-year, as government subsidies ended and many consumers brought forward upgrades over the past year.
It’s Only Common Sense: Reinvention Is a Fundamental Leadership Responsibility
03/02/2026 | Dan Beaulieu -- Column: It's Only Common SenseIf you’re waiting until the numbers drop, the customers leave, or your competitors catch up before you reinvent your business practices, you’ve already lost. Reinvention is a fundamental leadership responsibility, and successful companies reinvent themselves before they have to. They see it not as a rescue mission, but as a rhythm: questioning, disrupting, and rebuilding before market forces force their hand. Leaders who change only when cornered are followers pretending to lead.