By the end of 2014, more than 19 million wearable devices will have been shipped to consumers. That number is projected to reach 112 million by the end of 2018, according to research from IDC.
Currently, the market is led by fitness devices. Apple's iWatch and Google Glass, two much-hyped devices, are both scheduled to enter the market soon but may not gain a significant amount of traction until their functionalities are shown to justify their price tags, according to the report.
"Wearable computing is still at the launchpad," said Ramon Llamas, research manager with IDC's mobile phones team, in the news release. "The market has certainly warmed up to the notion of wearables, but the spectrum of devices is so large ranging from very simple, single-purpose devices to full-fledged computers that different categories will be able to gain salience sooner than others. This will either allow vendors to hone their products and services or jump in sooner and establish critical ties with suppliers, distributors and other players in the ecosystem."
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