Fitness wearables will remain the primary wearable device, with smartwatches taking second place over the next 3 years, according to a new study from Juniper Research. The market research firm expects fitness wearables to be used by approximately 110 million people worldwide at the end of 2019. Fitness devices are the most popular wearables because they are both cheaper and have a more obvious use than current smartwatches.
According to Juniper Research, the lines between the categories however are starting to blur, with fitness wearables offering a range of call-handling and notification functions that can also be found in smartwatches. The existence of app-enabled fitness trackers, such as the Samsung Gear Fit and Microsoft Band, lessens the distinction even further.
The research also noted that while future electronic healthcare records will drive the use of dedicated wearables, the price of the devices and dependence on smartphones will hold them back from full adoption by universal healthcare systems.
James Moar, Research author
The use of wearables to track health shows promise, but such devices will not reach their full potential until they can become less dependent on mobile devices to relay their information, in addition to meeting healthcare data storage and relay requirements.
