UPDATED 02:36 EDT / APRIL 22 2015

Is the Price of Wearables Right for BYOx? NEWS

5 game-changing wearable developments for 2015

wearable techThe wearables market is growing – fast. Research service BI Intelligence estimates that the global wearables market is set to grow at a compound annual rate of 35 percent over the next five years, reaching 148 million devices shipped annually in 2019, up from 33 million devices forecast to ship in 2015.

Smartwatches will dominate the market in 2015, accounting for 59 percent of total wearable device shipments, according to BI Intelligence. Fitness trackers and other wearable devices, like smart eyewear, will make up around 20 percent of shipments this year.

Now, a new report from analyst firm Juniper Research aims to highlight the top five developments that are likely to impact growth in the wearables market in 2015:

Apple Watch

 

Apple’s first wearable became available for pre-order on April 10, and the iPhone maker sold an estimated 2.3 million Apple Watches in the first week. Juniper calls the Apple Watch “a game changer,” but not because of groundbreaking technological advancements in the space, but rather because it forms part of Apple’s seamless ecosystem and the new device offers a “best-in-class consumer experience.”

Intel’s wearables

 

Intel Corp. is heavily invested in the connected computing and wearable technology through platforms like Edison, a hardware platform and partner-enabled ecosystem, and Curie, its solution designed for companies interested in developing wearable technology solutions. These new Intel chipsets, notes Juniper, will power a multitude of wearable devices coming to market in 2015.

Intel also has partnerships with fashion retail outfit Opening Ceremony for the MICA bracelet, headphone maker SMS Audio, LLC for smart headphones and eyewear maker Luxottica Group S.p.A. for smart eyewear.

Microsoft HoloLens

 

Announced in January, HoloLens aims to change how we interact with our everyday environments by adding an augmented reality layer to things around us via smart glasses. Use cases are limitless and could include receiving assistance on a task from someone far away to more fun applications like playing Minecraft on your coffee table.

GOQii Fitness

 

GOQii (GO-KEY) is a smart band that measures a user’s sleep, activity and nutritional intake. What makes GOQii different from other fitness and health bands available in the market is that GOQii – through a subscription-based service – links users with their own “real” personal coach that will help them keep motivated to achieve their goals.

Google-TAG Heuer Smartwatch

 

A collaboration between luxury Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer S.A., Google and Intel, this Android Wear smartwatch has opened up the traditional luxury watch market to wearable technology. Along with Apple Watch, notes Juniper, it “signals a new phase of development for smart wear.”

As part of the report, Juniper predicts that the device sales are not where these manufacturers will make the bulk of their profits, with hardware margins for fitness and health wearables set to decline over the next five years. The prime differentiators – and money spinners – will be the ecosystem of software and services surrounding these devices.

Photo credit: Joachim Rotteveel | Flickr

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