Smartwatches will Lap Fitness Trackers by 2018
About 60 million fitness trackers will be out in the wild by 2018. 60 million. People all over the world will be tracking their daily activity through their Fitbits, Jawbones, and other various bands wrapped around their wrists. But during that same year, smartwatches will topple fitness trackers and become the most-worn wearable device on the market.
At least, that’s according to a new report from Juniper Research. The group states that fitness trackers will triple in number by 2018, but it’s smartwatches—led by Apple’s upcoming iWatch—that will really see the most use.
Apple’s current projections claim that smartwatches will supersede fitness trackers sooner than Juniper’s numbers indicate. The iWatch is expected to drop in the first half of 2015, and Apple expects to sell 15 million devices within the first year. If that prediction comes true, it would break the 60 million mark before 2018.
The iWatch is positioned to be a success, but the market isn’t just Apple and “everyone else.” The International Data Corporation estimates that the market will reach a total of 19.2 million units in 2014, growing 78.4 percent annually until it reaches 111.9 million units by 2018. With Pebble smartwatch, Samsung Galaxy Gear, and the Sony smartwatch in play, Apple will have to prove it has a superior product before it can just be handed the crown.
What makes smartwatches so appealing to the average consumer? Why do we need to spend hundreds of dollars on another piece of tech when we already have expensive phones sitting in our pockets?
Part of it could be style. Fitness trackers and other wearables haven’t exactly been touted for their slick looks and striking sense of fashion. Wearables often favor function over form , and while releases like the Shine tracker by Misfit Wearables and the Basis Peak fitness tracker are trying to change that, sporting an attractive watch that can also track your health data seems more appealing.
The all-in-one philosophy could be another reason smartwatches are expected to be more popular that fitness bands in the future. The iWatch will not only monitor your fitness, but also offer thousands of apps that give users seemingly endless ways to interact with the device.
Oh, it’ll tell time, too.
More than anything, people like new, shiny toys. Fitness bands are functional and serve their purpose, but the masses will always gravitate to the next big thing. Apple has proven this time and time again with products like the iPhone and iPad, and while other companies may find success with smartwatches, the Apple name could play a big role in global adoption of this new technology.
