Smart watch shipments to cross one million in 2013

April 19th, 2013, 00:12 Posted By: wraggster

Rise of smartphones and a thriving app environment set to pave the way. Will you buy one?
Apple is supposedly working on the iWatch, Microsoft is also rumoured to be eyeing a second crack at the smart watch market, while Samsung has confirmed its wrist-based device is in development.
With mobiles seemingly moving from pockets to the arm, ABI Research predicts more than 1.2 million smart watches will be shipped this year. The company notes consumers have been disinterested in the devices over the past decade, with the accessories perhaps considered too bulky, sporting weak functionality, feeble battery life, or just plain ugly.
The report says the watches can be broken into four categories:
* Notification types offer alerts for incoming calls, messages and more.
* Voice operational smart watches enable users to conduct calls and speak some commands via the device, such as Martian’s smart watch.
* Hybrid smart watches offer cross functionality.
* Independent smart watches have the potential to be purchased as a standalone product without the need for a smartphone, and offer features that connect to other consumer devices like speakers, such as Italian smart watch maker, I’m Watch.
Joshua Flood, senior analyst, said: "The strong potential emergence of smart watches can be attributed to several reasons. Contributing factors include the high penetration of smartphones in many world markets, the wide availability and low cost of MEMS sensors, energy efficient connectivity technologies such as Bluetooth 4.0, and a flourishing app ecosystem.
"Smart watches that replicate the functionality of a mobile handset or smartphone are not yet commercially feasible, though the technologies are certainly being prepared."

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...in-2013/021123

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