If this year the smartwatch industry was not going quite as expected, it looks like 2019 will bring some improvements.
Fortune brings some really exciting news for smartwatch makers.
Wearable devices are appealing for older people
It looks like smartwatches and other wearable devices have started to see a surge in new users coming from quite an unlikely demographic group which is represented by older users.
The number of users of smart wearables is expected to grow about 9% in 2019, as Fortune reports.
Among the age of 55 and older, the number will jump more than 15%, according to research company eMarketer.
The main reason for which this might happen is that wearable makers such as Apple and Fitbit have been adding health monitoring features that appeal to older consumers because they are struggling more with health issues.
For instance, Apple added a fall detection app and also an EKG monitor to its Apple Watch Series 4 during this year. Fitbit, on the other hand, is adding a feature that could be able to detect sleep apnea.
“Wearables like smartwatches are now coming equipped with additional health features, which are especially appealing to older Americans,” eMarketer forecasting analyst Cindy Liu noted in a report on Thursday.
If the number of older users is expected to grow next year, the overall number of younger ones is actually expected to rise a bit slower.
Statistics regarding wearables
For instance, among people with ages between 18 to 44 “wearables usage will increase nearly 7% next year, while the number of kids ages 12 to 17 wearing the devices will increase 9%, eMarketer said. Middle-aged adults are among the leaders in adoption, with usage increasing 13% for those age 45 to 54,” according to Fortune.
It’s expected that by the end of 2019, almost 61 million people or 1 in five adult Internet users will have a wearable device.
Thanks to the rapid advancements in the wearable tech, more people are now willing to buy smart devices.
After finishing Theatrical Journalism at the Faculty of Theatre and Television in Cluj-Napoca, Rada reviewed movies, books, theatre pieces and she also wrote articles from the IT niche as a content editor for software producers. At the moment, she is working with various online advertising firms.
