A projection from market analysts at Deloitte has suggested that smart glasses will account for two thirds of wearable electronics sales in 2014, in what is set to be the burgeoning market's breakthrough year. It is estimated that the smart glasses products, like the high profile Google Glass, will sell 4 million units at an average price of $500 (€360) this year.
It is predicted that the early purchasers in 2014 will be a niche private technology enthusiasts who will use them for non-professional, leisure activities. Professional applications will develop in the second half of the decade and might for example include the displaying of schematics or instruction manuals for workers in high risk industries like petrochemicals.
In its Technology, Media & Telecommunications Predictions 2014 Deloitte identifies several key barriers for smart glasses to overcome. First will be the establishment of a foundational base of apps to promote functionality, and secondly evolving lightweight batteries to permit them to be worn comfortably for prolonged periods. Another grey area is likely to be future regulation of use, with for example road traffic authorities unlikely to be keen on their use.
Other significant products in the wearables sector in 2014 will be smart fitness bands, 4 million of which Deloitte expect to see sold at an average of $140 each, and smart watches which have estimate sales of 2 million at a mean price of $200. Overall it is estimated that the volume of wearable electronic devices sold increase tenfold over the next six years, from 10 million sales in 2014 to 100 million in 2020.
The consultants' report also suggests that 2014 could see a peak in sales of consumer media devices like smartphones, consoles and tablets at $750 billion. Starting in 2015 this is forecast to diminish as users increasingly use existing devices for an array of functions, cutting the need for multiple devices.
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