The supply of Apple Watch have not kept up with the strong demand since its preorder sale earlier this year. According to the latest projection by Topology, a division of TrendForce, the 2015 shipments of Apple Watch are expected to reach 15 million sets. On the other hand, going above this shipment figure will depend on the performance of the entire supply chain in the second half of 2015. “Apple is widely recognized for its success in selling its smartwatches as hardware,” said Jason Tsai, TrendForce’s wearable device analyst.
The beginning of 2015 was excellent for Apple as the sales of iPhone 6 and iPhone 5S remained strong. The total shipment of iPhones in the first quarter was over 60 million units, exceeding the market expectations. As the second quarter is drawing to a close, the smartphone market shifts its attention to the next-generation iPhone (iPhone 6S or iPhone 7). Interests on the next iPhone's future sales results are growing as more information about its specs have been leaked to the public.
Japan’s rapidly aging population has led to a projected shortage of caregivers, and the country’s industry giants are now scrambling to take part in this booming market of elderly care services. Panasonic and Toyota, for examples, are some of the major players that have entered the emerging sector of nursing care robots for the elderly.
Mobile payment has quickly taken off since the launch of Apple Pay, and many tech companies are vying to establish a dominant role in this emerging industry. Aside from having a sustainable business model, the widespread acceptance of mobile payment is critical for a service provider in generating a steady profit. A report from Topology, a division of TrendForce, states the global shipments of mobile phones with near field communication (NFC) feature reached 400 million units in 2014.
The hottest technology trend of 2015 is the Internet of Things (IoT). According to a projection by Topology, a division of TrendForce, IoT-related technologies will mature within the next five to ten years and become applicable in everyday situations. Connected to the cloud and supported by big data analytics, the number of IoT devices is set to grow by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 35% between 2014 and 2020.