Smartwatches to rule nearly half of wearables by 2022, says IDC

If you are still skeptical about owning a smartwatch, it may just be the time to do so. According to the latest estimates by market researcher IDC, smartwatches are set to dominate nearly half of the entire wearables market by 2022.

Smartwatches will account for a total of 46.2 million units in 2018, up by 38.9 percent from last year. However, by 2022, the volumes will grow at a CAGR of 19.5 percent to hit 94.3 million units milestone, accounting for nearly half of the entire wearables market.

Apple Watch is expected to continue to dominate with the newest model appealing to cardiac patients following the approval from the FDA and AHA. The latest report also indicates that wristbands will continue to play a significant role in the wearables market with devices going beyond step counting having an advantage against the pricier smartwatches.

Lastly, earwear is set to be the fastest growing wearable device. The devices which offer features in addition to audio will be seeing more growth. It is also predicted that future earwear might come with built-in smart assistants, in addition to real-time language translation and fitness tracking and coaching. Earwear is expected to hit 12.3 million shipments by 2022.