According to IDC the global wearable device market sees an 8th consecutive quarter of "steady" growth in Q1 2015 as shipments grow by 200% Y-o-Y to reach 11.4 million units, up from the 3.8m shipped in Q1 2014.
"Bucking the post-holiday decline normally associated with Q1 is a strong sign for the wearables market," the analyst says. "It demonstrates growing end-user interest and the vendors' ability to deliver a diversity of devices and experiences. In addition, demand from emerging markets is on the rise and vendors are eager to meet these new opportunities."
Such results come before the Apple Watch actually hits the market-- post-launch the Apple take on wearables will probably (if not surely) become the standard all other such devices will be judged against, and as such should force the competition to up their game.