Eight in 10 American adults have at east heard of wearables, and more than four in 10 are very familiar with them, details Ipsos in a new study.
The report indicates that some 18% of US adults intend to purchase a wearable device within the next 12 months.
That put wearables ahead of streaming media devices (16%) and e-readers (15%) ion purchase intent, per the survey.
The top consumer electronics device in terms of purchase intent is the smartphone (39%), which has seen its penetration growth slow in recent months.
Laptops (28%) and tablets (27%) are next, followed by smart TVs (20%).
Looking further at wearables purchase intent, the study notes that:
- Among those aware of wearable fitness monitors, 19% intend to purchase one, with men (19%) and women (18%) on par in intent and 18-34 year olds (31%) the most likely by age; and
- Among those aware of wearable computers, 13% intend to purchase one, with intent again highest among 18-34 year olds (26%) but this time higher among men (19%) than women (8%).
The report also finds that among likely buyers, seven in 10 agree that brand trust is kay and also that a seamless connection across devices will influence their brand choice.
Currently, the top 5 considered brands are:
- Apple (62%);
- Google (44%);
- Samsung (43%);
- Fitbit (31%); and
- Sony (28%).
Interestingly, many likely purchasers are likely to bypass existing concerns: 45% believe that wearable technology poses a significant threat to personal privacy; and 42% are concerned about the health risks involved.