Fitness bands accounted for nearly two thirds ( 63%) of these devices, while smartwatches made up the remaining 37%. In 2014 smartwatches made up just 9% of sales to fitness bands’ 91%, an upward trend that has led to Mintel’s prediction that smartwatch sales will soar in 2016. 

"While fitness bands are, on average, less expensive than other wearables and have been on the market for relatively longer, higher adoption rates are also a reflection of the fact that wrist-worn devices offer a compelling practical benefit to active users," said Mintel analyst Sara Ballaben.

"The expected popularity of smartwatches in the short term is also the result of continued growth of the phablet market, which creates more compelling use cases for wrist-worn watches."