Almost ten percent of Americans will own smartwatch by next year

Apple has created a cult in America. Whatever they do either the public is in line for it, or they are waiting for a similar cheaper item from their competitor so they are still with the times. It's no secret that Apple has managed to own the mindset of many American shoppers.

Thursday, the NPD group released a study that said almost ten percent of Americans will wear a smartwatch next year. The obvious culprit behind this would be Apple, of course. Increased sales of smartwatches are expected to cause a decline in sales of activity trackers, because, surprise, surprise, people want something on their wrist that will do more than count the number of steps they've taken for the day.

As apps are developed for smartwatches that will be capable of tracking your steps, monitoring your heart rate, counting your calories, and supporting GPS sales of activity trackers are expected to decline. Of course, just because smartwatches are becoming fashionable and trendy doesn't mean that they will strike out of the park right away. “There will definitely be a demand for these devices and the use-case will follow, but smartwatch manufacturers and app developers need to make these products become ‘need to haves’ rather than ‘nice to haves,'" Eddie Hold, vice president of NDP's Connected Intelligence unit was quoted saying to fashionista.com.

Smartwatches are well on their way to becoming more than just a tech addicts need, but a fashion need as well. It will be interesting to see how Apple really manages to transform one of the most timeless accessories of all time. The smartwatch is becoming part of the everyday consciousness, and who knows how long before one ends up on your wrist?