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.
Create a free account and join our vibrant community
Register to enjoy the full PhoneArena experience. Here’s what you get with your PhoneArena account:
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.
Recommended Stories
Loading Comments...
COMMENT
All comments need to comply with our
Community Guidelines
Phonearena comments rules
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: