by David Somo, ON Semiconductor

It may seem far-fetched to suggest that “Star Trek fashion” will be in style with people walking around wearing amped-up watches, eyeglasses, rings and bracelets. But then again, years ago it seemed futuristic to think that people would use their smartphone to email, surf the web, play games, watch videos, manage calendars, listen to music and navigate driving directions.

As this trend emerges, wearable devices are generating substantial interest from businesses based on their potential to drive the next wave of growth in consumer electronics. First, it was smart phones, then media tablets that were the most recent consumer electronics innovation to propel industry growth, reaching combined sales of approximately 1.3 billion units annually. Now it looks like the wearable revolution could emerge faster than the mobile revolution that preceded it. Thanks to the technology revolution that shaped today’s smartphones, sensors and chip sets are smaller and cheaper than ever, making it easier for companies to incorporate sophisticated hardware into wearable devices.

Wearable devices hold the potential to eventually sell hundreds of millions of units annually if they can effectively address consumer interests by simplifying and/or improving quality of life.

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