IDC predicted global wearables shipments would grow by more than 70 per cent year-on-year in 2019 fuelled by declines in ASPs and rising sales of so-called hearable devices.

Shipments in 2019 are expected to hit 305.2 million units, an increase of 71.4 per cent, with earwear set to account for 139.4 million units. The company defines the latter as products offering functionality beyond audio, including smart assistants, health and fitness tracking, or audio experience enhancement.

IDC wearables research director Ramon Llamas said: “Wearables started out as a device for early adopters and morphed into multiple devices for the mass market.”

The company predicted overall shipments would continue to grow over the coming years to hit 273.7 million in 2023, again due to beneficial pricing.

Jitesh Urbani, mobile device tracker research manager added the “drastic reduction in” ASPs underpinned the growth in wearables.

“Market leaders like Apple that typically focus on the premium segment are also playing a crucial role in lowering prices. With a starting price of $199 for the [Watch] Series 3, Apple is bound to put pressure on other smartwatch makers to make their devices more wallet-friendly,” he said.

The company last week revealed hearables contributed to a 94.6 per cent rise in overall shipments during Q3, with the devices accounting for 40.7 million of the total 84.5 million units shifted in the period.