BI Intelligence

Apple Watch to account for 40% of luxury watch market by 2020

Global wearable shipments forecast

Traditional watch makers predicted that the Apple Watch would have a significant impact on their market even before it came out. For example, Elmar Mock, the co-inventor of the Swatch, predicted an “Ice Age” for the Swiss watch industry. Early numbers are suggesting that those fears were not unfounded. U.S. watch sales in June were the lowest seen in eight […]

Intel acquires Canadian wearables company Recon Instruments

Recon Jet

With the PC market in the doldrums, Intel has increasingly turned to wearables as a new market for its processors and chipsets. It is also getting more involved with wearables themselves. Following last year’s acquisition of Basis Science which offers a wrist-worn fitness tracker and new partnerships with companies such as Luxottica group, Oakley and Tag Heuer, it yesterday announced […]

Smartwatches to make up over half of wearable shipments by 2020

Global wearable shipments forecast

Some 6.8 million smartwatches were sold in 2014. That number includes a number of devices such as Fitbit’s devices that arguably belong more in a fitness tracker category, suggesting that the actual number is even lower than that. With more than 150 companies now developing smartwatches and the upcoming Apple Watch, smartwatch shipments are expected to jump significantly this year and will […]