Apple Watch to kickstart wearables in 2015

Another report has emerged pointing to 2015 as being a massive year for wearables, with the gadgets expected to explode in popularity.

In particular the smartwatch is expected to finally take off, with the Apple Watch helping to drive that category forward when it’s released next spring. Thus far, fitness bands have easily topped the wearables category, but smartwatches are expected to accelerate rapidly now they’re shedding the geeky image with the likes of smart-looking Android Wear devices, as well as Apple’s effort.

The report from Forrester, entitled "Five Urgent Truths About The Future Of Wearables That Every Leader Should Know", was highlighted by Reuters.

The research predicts 10 million sales for the Apple Watch next year (a more conservative number than UBS which forecasts 24 million), and the overall number of folks using wearables should triple by the close of 2015.

The report’s consumer polls -- which took in the opinions of 13,000 Europeans and 4,500 Americans -- found that the latter were more likely to adopt a wearable, with 45 percent saying they would, considerably more than the 32 percent of Europeans. Smartwatches and wrist-worn health/fitness bands are the most likely gadgets consumers can see themselves wearing.

However, wearables are set to be even more important in the business world next year, with business decision makers also polled, and 68 percent saying that developing a wearables strategy was now a priority for their company.

In the report introduction, Forrester noted: "In the future, wearables will offer marketers a wide array of tools for creating deeper engagement with customers -- through employee-worn wearables in customer service, wearables that customers buy for themselves, or even wearables that you give to your customers to interact with you".

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