The COVID-19 pandemic isn’t over and judging by the latest reports, it won’t be over anytime soon. And while the situation is dire and the death toll keeps on rising, there’s one unexpected effect that will supposedly boost the smart accessory market. The latest forecast from technology market analyst firm Canalys expects shipments of smartphone accessories, namely wearable bands and TWS devices, to exceed 200 million units and 350 million units respectively in 2021.
“Consumers' attention to health and wellness has increased significantly during the pandemic, which is a great opportunity for wearable devices, such as those from Xiaomi, Garmin, Fitbit, and Huami, etc. Engagement in indoor activities such as remote learning, working from home and home entertainment, as well as outdoor sports and recreation also continued to rise. This ushers in greater than expected growth, particularly for TWS headphones, such as those from Apple, Samsung, Jlab, and QCY, etc,” Canalys Research Analyst Cynthia Chen comments.
Image courtesy of Canalys
It turns out that people are hesitant to buy new phones during the pandemic and tend to focus on cheaper and health-oriented products. It’s completely understandable, as many manufacturers of wearable devices tried to tweak their products to help with the COVID-19 situation in one way or another. The SpO2 sensors in the latest batch of smartwatches for example can track oxygen saturation and alarm users for potential problems, even when other symptoms are not present.
There’s also a psychology angle to all this. People are scared of the virus and try to stay healthy, exercise more, and be physically active in general. A smart band or a smartwatch can act as an additional motivator for doing this. And since the virus is here to stay (at least until we figure out a vaccine) sales of smart accessories will most likely increase significantly.
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Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.
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