By Emmanuel Elebeke

Global shipments of wearable devices reached 49.6 million units during the first quarter of 2019 (1Q19). This represents an increase of up to 55.2% from the previous year.

Wearable devices 

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According to recent data from the International Data Corporation, IDC worldwide quarterly device tracker report, the growth was fuelled by ongoing demand for wearable devices making wrist-worn and ear-worn devices leading the market.

While wrist-worn wearable accounted for the majority of the market with 63.2% share, ear-worn devices experienced the fastest growth (135.1% year-over-year) and accounted for 34.6% of all wearables shipped.

The research manager for IDC, Mobile Device Tracker, Jitesh Ubrani said: “The elimination of headphone jacks and the increased usage of smart assistants both inside and outside the home have been driving factors in the growth of ear-worn wearables.

“Looking ahead, this will become an increasingly important category as major platform and device makers use ear-worn devices as an on-ramp to entice consumers into an ecosystem of wearable devices that complement the smartphone but also offer the ability to leave the phone behind when necessary.”

According to Research Director for Wearables, Ramon Llamas: “Shipments of wristwear, including watches and wristbands grew 31.6% year-over- year, and continue to dominate the wearables landscape. While the functionalities and capabilities have grown and changed, the one common thread is the relentless focus on health and fitness. This has resonated strongly with users and health insurance companies alike, and new health and fitness insights attract a larger audience.”