Business
Market for Wearable Devices Grew 200 Percent
(Philly.com) – In the three months leading up to the April release of the Apple Watch, the wearables market continued to show strong growth.
The worldwide wearable device market recorded its eighth consecutive quarter of steady growth in the first quarter this year, with vendors shipping a total of 11.4 million wearables, according to research firm IDC. That was a 200 percent increase from 3.8 million in the year-earlier quarter.
“Bucking the post-holiday decline normally associated with the first quarter is a strong sign for the wearables market,” IDC research manager Ramon Llamas said in Wednesday’s report.
He said the growth demonstrated growing consumer interest and tech companies’ ability to deliver compelling products and experiences. Demand from emerging markets is also on the rise.