Wearables

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Meet the Experts

Photo of Ramon T. Llamas
Ramon T. Llamas

Research Director, Mobile Devices and AR/VR



IDC's Wearables research analyzes the market for wearable computing solutions. This includes examining developments in hardware and software as well as analyzing developing consumer and enterprise user needs and tastes. As the market evolves, so do the opportunities for numerous players in the ecosystem: application developers, IT and telecom companies, OEMs, and nontraditional IT companies such as fashion and apparel companies and textile manufacturers. Those investing in this segment and seeking to understand the user and product segments, near-term versus long-term opportunities, and applications and business models will gain critical insights into this growing market. IDC's Wearables research leverages its relationships with nascent and established wearables companies to provide an accurate snapshot of the wearables market and capture developing opinions and insights. We leverage our expertise in mobility, consumer research, and semiconductor research to provide a holistic view of the market that includes documents on the latest market shares, forecasts, developing news on the product releases, and consumer- and enterprise-oriented surveys.


Markets and Subjects Analyzed


  • Consumer attitudes toward wearables and the drivers and inhibitors of adoption of applications
  • Shipments, revenue, and value of consumer wearables
  • Opportunities and challenges for wearables within the enterprise
  • Impact of cellular-connected wearable devices for consumers and enterprise users
  • Evolution of embedded technologies and designs and their potential impact on future applications and segments of wearable technologies
  • Key technology enablers of the wearables market
  • How IT buyers can navigate the wearables market
  • Worldwide and U.S. wearables forecasts for consumers and enterprise users

Core Research


  • Worldwide Wearables Forecast
  • U.S. Wearables Forecast
  • Worldwide Wearables Application Forecast
  • Worldwide Wearables Market Shares
  • U.S. Wearables Market Shares
  • New Wearable Device Releases
  • Survey: Wearables in the Enterprise
  • Survey: Consumer Attitudes Toward Wearables
  • The Opportunity for Cellular-Connected Wearables
  • Navigating the Wearables Market for IT Buyers

In addition to the insight provided in this service, IDC may conduct research on specific topics or emerging market segments via research offerings that require additional IDC funding and client investment.


Key Questions Answered


  1. What are the key drivers and inhibitors of the wearables market from a consumer perspective?
  2. What opportunities lay ahead for wearables in the enterprise, and which verticals are best poised to leverage wearables? What challenges — both short term and long term — must wearables overcome?
  3. How should technology buyers navigate the wearables market?
  4. How will the major platforms influence the wearables market? What opportunities will there be for the proprietary platforms?
  5. How do wearables evolve, and what will be the key enabling technologies that drive their growth?
  6. How do applications for wearables evolve?
  7. How does the wearables market shift from being endpoints to integrated parts of a larger system for consumers and enterprise users?