Remember when smart glasses were supposed to be the next big thing in wearables? It now seems that title belongs to smartwatches. According to the latest industry data and corresponding projections, smart glasses shipments could disappoint through the end of this decade.
Juniper Research has found that a combination of lengthy time-to-market and lack of a key consumer use case has resulted in low levels of shipments and adoption in the smart glasses space.
Juniper’s report, Smart Glasses: Consumer, Enterprise and Healthcare Strategies and Forecasts 2014-2019, estimates that shipments were “unlikely to exceed 10 million per annum until 2018.”
Juniper Research expects sales to be buoyed slightly by fresh releases by several key players in 2015-2016, including Samsung, Recon Instruments and Osterhout Design Group. At this point, the report argues that greater utility within the enterprise and healthcare segments is likely to spur development until the devices catch on outside these markets.
Juniper’s newest whitepaper, “A Future In View for Smart Glasses?” is available to download now. To check it out, click here.
