Oregon-based Canalys expects demand for smart personal audio devices to see dramatic growth in the next few years despite rising economic and geopolitical uncertainties. In its latest press release, the research firm said 726 million units of devices such as Bluetooth headphones, and truly wireless headsets, among others, will be shipped globally in 2023. For 2020 alone, Canalys expects shipment of 490 million units of smart personal audio devices worldwide. The figure would mean a 32.1% climb from last year’s sales than last year. “In terms of opportunities, smart personal audio will be the fastest growing category,” Canalys said. The sales performance of personal audio devices will be second to that of smartphones. Smartphones remain to be the most important category, to account for half of the 3 billion smart units projected to be sold in 2023.
Speakers, Wearable Bands Trail Behind Personal Audio
The second fastest growing category will be smart speakers, according to Canalys. The research firm forecasts worldwide shipments of speakers by end-2020 to jump 21.7% year-on-year to 150 million units. The category is followed by wearable bands, which is expected to grow by 11.8% in 2020.
Why the Rising Demand for New Smart Product-Categories
The expected surge of demand in personal audio, devices, speakers, and wearable bands, can be attributed to their role in being pieces to a broader smart ecosystem that operates better as a whole. Jason Low, senior analyst at Canalys, said: He added:
Apple, Advised to “Think Outside the Box” for Smoother Integration
Canalys VP of mobility Nicole Peng said there is no ‘one size fits all’ for ambient computing, but noted that: She noted that while Apple has showcased its capabilities in keeping its ecosystem close-knit, the tech giant “must think outside the box to provide seamless integration” between smartphones and smart devices in terms of connectivity and software.
