The global market for smart watches and other...

The global market for smart watches and other wearables will surpass $8 billion in 2018, based on an 18 percent compound annual growth rate the next four years, RNR Market Research said in a report. It estimated 130 million wearable devices will ship worldwide in 2018. The U.S. is the “single largest revenue base for this global market, and is expected to maintain its dominance” the next four years, it said. The global “ecosystem” for wearables, including components and materials for smart watches and other wearable devices, worth more than $4 billion, will surpass $14 billion by 2018, when market penetration of wearable devices will reach just under 50 percent, it said. It estimated current market penetration at just over 18 percent globally.