Proliferation of ‘Hearables’ Drove Much of Q4 Growth in Wearables, Says IDC
Global wearable device shipments grew 89% last year to 336.5 million, IDC reported Tuesday. The proliferation of “hearables” drove much of Q4 growth to 118.9 million, capturing 55.3% of wearables units. Wrist-worn devices captured 43.8% share in Q4, down from…
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68.6% in 2018's holiday quarter, said IDC. Though the share for wrist-worn devices declined, the category itself grew 16.3% over Q4 a year earlier, it said. "Hearables were the big story due to new product introductions and more smartphones cutting the cord with traditional earphones, practically driving users to purchase a hearable.” Smartwatches and fitness trackers “also posted record annual volumes from an abundance of lower-cost models," it said.