Smart watch shipments to hit 5M units in 2014 as Apple, others rumored to enter market

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
Apple and other companies are widely rumored to be working on smart watch devices for debut later this year or in 2014, and that increased interest is set to grow the smart watch segment by a factor of ten.

Sony Smartwatch


The year 2014 will see five million smart watch units shipped, according to the latest forecasts from market analysis firm Canalys. That figure would be more than 15 times the 330,000 units shipped in 2012, and 10 times the 500,000 expected to ship in 2013.

Next year's crop of smart devices are expected to mark a considerable advancement over the current standard in the segment. Right now, Sony leads the industry with regard to device capabilities, but even its most recent model will likely be outstripped should the rumors surrounding forthcoming devices prove true.

Currently, smart watches like Sony's - and the device made by Pebble - largely function as a means of remotely interacting with one's smartphone: displaying messages, controlling music, and so forth. The next generation, though, may leverage a battery of sensors and low-power wireless technology to not only interact with the wearer's smartphone, but also his body.

Apple is widely expected to be working on an "iWatch" device some say could be revealed within the next year. The company is said to have a 100-man team working on the project, and Apple has filed for protection of the "iWatch" name in Japan, Russia, Mexico, and Taiwan.

The iWatch development may not be going too easily, though, as the company is said to have brought on people to address "hard engineering problems that they've not been able to solve."

Even beyond Apple, the next year or so will likely see the introduction of a wave of smart watches. Microsoft is rumored to be working on its own device, one that would complement that company's Surface devices. Reportedly, Microsoft is testing "transparent aluminum" for the body of its device.

Google, too, is said to be testing an Android-powered smart watch. Likewise, chief Apple rival Samsung has already confirmed that it is looking to bring out a watch as part of its forthcoming "Gear" line of wearable electronics.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 21
    blackbookblackbook Posts: 1,361member
    This story is all fluff and hot air. Thanks AI for reporting.
  • Reply 2 of 21
    Time for Apple to return on track to grow .
  • Reply 3 of 21
    mikejonesmikejones Posts: 323member


    It must be great to be paid lots of money writing reports based on nothing but rumors and things invented from whole cloth.

  • Reply 4 of 21
    don108don108 Posts: 79member
    Market analysis firm=carnival sideshow fortune tellers%u2026just not as accurate or as entertaining.
  • Reply 5 of 21
    Smart Watch = stupidest, most useless idea of all time

    Analysts predicting sales volume for a market that does not exist. Uh-huh.
  • Reply 6 of 21
    yuniverseyuniverse Posts: 115member
    I seriously don't know what's all the hype about smartwatches. I think this will be one of the flop techs few years down the road.
  • Reply 7 of 21
    curtis hannahcurtis hannah Posts: 1,834member
    These Iwatch rumors are annoying, what will be the comments with this scenario "no smart watches entered the market scinse 2013, all brands competing with apples new _____ device instead"?
  • Reply 8 of 21


    Heard these comments before and even well after Apple launched the iPod, iPhone and iPad, (both sizes)


     


    If Apple does introduce an iWatch, Apple will sell more than 5m. And for very good reasons. 

  • Reply 9 of 21
    fazzterfazzter Posts: 120member


    I'm sure some people will want these, but personally at this point I have zero interest in one. That could change depending on the capabilities they have of course.

  • Reply 10 of 21
    jollypauljollypaul Posts: 328member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AZREOSpecialist View Post



    Smart Watch = stupidest, most useless idea of all time

     


     


    Wearable computing has a future, whatever you choose to call it (watch does sound stodgy). I plan to put one on my cat and make it play a meow MP3 controlled from my iPhone. Then I can command "Speak!" and finally get a response.

  • Reply 11 of 21
    hmmhmm Posts: 3,405member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AZREOSpecialist View Post



    Smart Watch = stupidest, most useless idea of all time



    Analysts predicting sales volume for a market that does not exist. Uh-huh.




    I have difficulty picturing how you would use such a small screen. The rumors exist because process shrinks enable the use of intelligent features in diminishing form factors. In the end most people will want to carry a single a device that affords them the greatest possible capability.

  • Reply 12 of 21
    irelandireland Posts: 17,799member
    Sales guess for non-existent products. Interesting.
  • Reply 13 of 21

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post



    Sales guess for non-existent products. Interesting.


    perhaps like pollsters, guesses from so called market analysts should have to stipulate the margin of error, as in -100% +1e9%

  • Reply 14 of 21
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member


    And in 4-6 months it will be revealed that Apple has been seeding the idea of a "smartwatch" to throw competitors off the trail...


     


    I'd laugh my head off if that came to pass.

  • Reply 15 of 21
    sticknicksticknick Posts: 123member
    "Reportedly, Microsoft is testing "transparent aluminum" for the body of its device."

    Transparent aluminum.

    "Hello computer!"
  • Reply 16 of 21


    The digital watch can be ripe for improvements. Few people can or want to remember how to reset the watch for different times, correct the time or date, or get the stopwatch function to work or figure out which combination of which damn side buttons to push to control the damn thing.


     


    I've spent more on replacing the wristbands than on the watch component itself. Never take it off. Swim and shower with it, but I no longer use its alarm -- use my iphone for that now. 


     


    I can see buying an iWatch of some kind but if its not significantly better than my 10 year old Timex, I won't be interested. 

  • Reply 17 of 21
    poksipoksi Posts: 482member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by crazy_mac_lover View Post



    Time for Apple to return on track to grow .


     


    With watch? image

  • Reply 18 of 21
    poksipoksi Posts: 482member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post


    And in 4-6 months it will be revealed that Apple has been seeding the idea of a "smartwatch" to throw competitors off the trail...


     


    I'd laugh my head off if that came to pass.



     


    This is exactly, what is happening. image

  • Reply 19 of 21
    icoco3icoco3 Posts: 1,474member


    Samsung will ship 6 million.


    Analysts will declare Samsung sold 6 million.


    Retailers will warehouse 6 million.


    Retailers will return 6 million.


    Analysts will declare Apple is DOOMED!!!!

  • Reply 20 of 21
    A smart watch would have to be something really special for me to use it. I've had a solar Citizen EcoDrive watch for about 10 years and it is the best piece of technology I've ever owned...it has never needed anything except a new wrist band.

    The mockups I've seen so far show bulky devices which are essentially iPod Shuffles on a wristband. That's not imaginative at all. Plus, this is all rumor and speculation and guessing that 5M units will be sold of a device that doesn't even exist yet is just ridiculous.
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