Get ready for smartwatches everywhere by 2021
You can expect to see even more smartwatches now that they can make phone calls too, experts predict.
The Apple Watch Series 3 is one of many millions of smartwatches that will ship in 2017.
Time is on the smartwatch's side.
You can expect smartwatches to continue booming in popularity over the next four years, analysts from the International Data Corporation predicted. In a forecast published on Thursday, the IDC said that there will be 229.5 million wearables shipped in 2021, with the bulk of those being smartwatches.
That's nearly double the 121.7 million wearables shipped out just this year. Currently, smartwatches make up 55 percent of the wearables market, but forecasters are expecting a jump to 67 percent by 2021. Wearables include any tech that you put on your body, like headphones, fitness trackers, and smart jewelry.
Experts believe that watches will have the strongest presence because of established watch companies getting in on the action, which fashion powerhouses like Louis Vuitton and Fendi have already considered.
The smartwatch's growing capabilities will also add to its potential market, Jitesh Ubrani, a senior research analyst at IDC said.
"Other factors fueling growth in the wearables market will be the inclusion of cellular connectivity along with improved sensors and algorithms," Ubrani said in a statement.
On Tuesday, Apple announced that its Watch Series 3 would have LTE connectivity, which a handful of Android smartwatches also recently introduced.