Research firm IDC said Tuesday that it expected wearables shipments to grow 15.1% this year, led by strong growth in basic trackers as well as continued growth in smartwatches. IDC sees wearables shipments growing at a 13.4% annual rate through 2022, however, as basic trackers grow less popular but watches maintain momentum. “The addition of cellular connectivity is also starting to resonate with early adopters and looking ahead the emergence of new use cases like music streaming or additional health sensors will make cellular connectivity pivotal to the success of the smartwatch,” IDC senior research analyst Jitesh Ubrani said in a release. Apple Inc. came out with a cellular-connected smartwatch last year. Fitbit Inc. , meanwhile, recently announced its new Versa smartwatch, which is priced lower than the company’s Ionic smartwatch and intended to reach more of a mass audience in the midst of declining interest in basic trackers. IDC projects that basic tracker shipments will grow by just 0.3% annually through 2022, while smartwatch shipments could grow by 17.9%. Apple shares are up 24% over the past 12 months, while Fitbit shares have dropped 8.3%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average , of which Apple is a component, is up 18%, compared with a 14% gain for the S&P 500 over 12 months.
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