Juniper Research has revealed that global wearable smart glass shipments will reach 10 million per annum by 2018, compared to an estimated 87,000 this year. At the same time, app-enabled mobile smart wearable device hardware market will approach $19 billion by 2018.
According to the research firm, the smart glasses retail prices will decline towards the end of the forecast period as the adoption level amongst consumers significantly increases.
The report argues that in order for wearable devices to achieve critical mass, they need to be much more than complementary devices or secondary screens. “These devices would need to incorporate intuitive and user-friendly functionalities and capture the imagination of the general public making the technology seamless within their daily routine,” said the report author Nitin Bhas.
In healthcare, first-gen applications will be video documentation and communication, while the true potential will begin to be realized when diagnostic reference, surgical assistance and monitoring can be applied. Long term growth will be achievable but regulatory approval and field trials will potentially impact timescales.
When it comes to adoption among enterprise users, a number of use cases for smart glasses already exists, ranging from engineering to logistics, while app developers are figuring other potential applications.
Unsurprisingly, the market will be dominated by the most developed regions in North America, Far East & China and Western Europe…