The popularity of wearable technology isn’t letting up anytime soon.

Global shipments of wearable devices are seen to reach 101.9 million units by the end of the year, which translates to 29 percent growth over last year, according to a new report released on June 15 by market researcher International Data Corporation (IDC).

This will culminate in 2020 with a whopping 213.6 million units shipped or a steady annual growth of about 20 percent, the IDC report noted.

Jitesh Ubrani, IDC Mobile Device Trackers senior research analyst, highlighted that the wearables industry will benefit from new features such as eyewear and clothing.

“Eyewear has a clear focus on the enterprise as it stands to complement or replace existing computing devices, particularly for workers in the field or on the factory floor,” he smart jacket called Commuter, which allows the wearer to answer calls and perform certain functions that a smartphone can. The team used conductive yarns to transform the clothes into “interactive surfaces,” giving users access to music, maps, and their own incoming phone calls.

Lesser-known wearables like hearables, clip-ons, and helmets, that make up 6.1 percent in 2016, will drop to a 3.3 percent share in 2020.

Photo: Karlis Dambrans | Flickr