90 million wearables to ship in 2014

Analysts at ABI Research expect 90 million wearable devices to ship in 2014. As senior analyst Joshua Flood notes, wearable tech will be characterized by a diversity of products, although only those with clear use-cases and target audiences are likely to succeed.

Amulyte pendant powered by Atmel’s SAM4L

“The next 12 months will be a critical period for the acceptance and adoption of wearable devices. Healthcare and sports and activity trackers are rapidly becoming mass-market products,” the analyst explained.

“On the flipside, wearable devices like smart watches need to overcome some critical obstacles. Aesthetic design, more compelling use cases, battery life and lower price points are the main inhibitors. How vendors approach these challenges and their respective solutions will affect the wearable market far in the future.”

According to Flood, chipset vendors are beginning to pave the way with interesting wearable reference designs that will allow non-technology OEMs and brands to quickly jump upon the wearable device bandwagon and offer diverse, innovative, unique and stylish solutions.

“While smart glasses could be the starting point moving away from today’s touchscreen smartphones to eyewear devices using a voice interface, pricing, battery life and style will all play crucial roles for market traction,” he continued.

“Due to these limitations, the enterprise sector will be the early target for smart glasses before they are ready for mass-market adoption. [We] expect more than two million smart glasses [to] ship in 2014, [with] the category forecast to grow rapidly from 2015 onwards. Mobile enabling technologies like augmented reality will play a vital part in enhancing smart glass capabilities.”

Indeed, smart glasses and smart watches will account for a relatively small segment of the wearable device market in 2014, with medical, wellness and sports and activity wearable devices expected to provide the bulk of wearable device shipments this year.

“Activity trackers will continue to be the most popular wearable device as people carefully monitor their activity levels and energy output,” Flood added.

“Concerns around weight management and even obesity are the prime drivers behind this wearable device type. The collection and analysis of the captured personal performance data through associated websites and their communities is also a crucial element in building out the use-case.”

This Amulyte pendant is powered by Atmel’s SAM4L

Amulyte – powered by Atmel’s ARM-based SAM4L MCU – helps seniors keep their freedom and independence, all while providing peace of mind to family members and caregivers.

The Amulyte Pendant is equipped with an easy to use help button that functions anywhere – instantly connecting seniors to their contact list. It is fully capable of tracking activity via an accelerometer and monitoring an individual’s location in case help is needed – supporting both GPS and WiFi without the need for a base station.

“As we age, our desire to maintain independence and freedom never changes. Whether this means continuing to live at homes, or moving into a retirement community; seniors want to be able to live their life on their own terms,” reads an official Amulyte description posted on the company’s website. “The Amulyte system allows them to do this, while providing easy access to help in the event of an emergency. Seniors can continue to enjoy their independence and freedom while knowing that help is always available.”

The Amulyte (software) Portal  allows wearers to add their emergency contacts, with users given the option to configure specific preferences on how each person is notified – phone call, SMS or email. Simply put, the Amulyte provides vital protection 24/7 in the event of any health emergency, including heart attacks, stroke and falls.

Interested in learning more? Check out Amulyte’s official page here.