Smartwatches – are they really turning into mass-scale devices? This question has been vital since they appeared on the market for the first time. Initially, smartwatches only had fitness tracking abilities and limited app functionality. That’s why most people failed to see any use in them. Plus, they could hardly be called stylish accessories. And on top of that there were low battery time and high price. However, the situation changed in the end of 2016.
According to the report from International Data Corporation (IDC), wearable shipments increased by 16.9% in Q4 of 2016. The total number was 33.9 devices and this is the record in the short history of the wearable market. But what are the reasons for this success?
Obviously, the last quarter of the year means holidays and gifts which raises interest to any technology device. But in this case, there are a few more reasons from the same IDC analysts. Firstly, more companies started making their products. For example, we’ve already seen two models from Google this year. Secondly, smartwatches are becoming less dependent on smartphones. We see more devices which support SIM-cards. It means that smartwatches can actually be used as a cell phone.
Jitesh Ubrani, the main IDC analyst also mentioned another factor for smartwatch popularity – they are finally becoming fashionable. As it turns out, if the manufacturer presents his products as stylish accessories and masks the “smart” feature, he will sell more.
In the future, smartwatches may actually become a great replacement for smartphones. Experts share one view on this matter – smartwatches is the most practical solution. Nevertheless, most users today consider smartphones the best device for all kinds of tasks. Therefore, smartwatches still have a long road to success because there is an obstacle between consumers who follow fashion and who prefer technical characteristics.
