MIC industry analyst Wang Yan-long pointed out that with increased sales of smart watches and smart bracelets, after numerous Taiwanese OEM manufacturers obtained orders from brand-name companies, they gradually began to invest in new innovations domestically and even cultivate their own brands.

In terms of product applications, Wang Yan-long believes that real-time remote monitoring platforms aimed at elderly people on islands and in rural areas are a potential market for smart watches, and there are vast stretches of countryside towns that will have this demand. In addition, the directional development of watches for young students on campus and B2B enterprise management are both worthy of attention.

Furthermore, MIC stated that in 2017 the amount of smart watch shipments is estimated to surpass that of smart bracelet shipments for the first time. MIC estimates that the number of smart watch shipments will reach 63 million units with yearly growth reaching 50%. Private messaging and mobile payments are the two major important future smart watch functions.

In addition, the number of wrist-mounted device shipments is expected to climb to 120 million units in 2017.

(TR/ Phil Sweeney)