“Wearables like smartwatches are now coming equipped with additional health features, which are especially appealing to older Americans,” said eMarketer forecasting analyst Cindy Liu. “The Apple Watch Series 4 is outfitted with some major enhancements, including ECG [electrocardiography] readings and fall-detection features.”
In 2019, 60.5 million people total will use a wearable device in the US, up 9.2% over this year. While wearables are still far from mainstream, usage will reach a milestone next year—more than one in five (21.2%) internet users will use a wearable device.
SMARTWATCHES
Smartwatches are a key driver of wearable usage. Next year, just over half of wearable users age 18 and older will use a smartwatch, translating to 28.7 million adults. Also next year, 11.1% of all US adults will be a smartwatch user.