Providing market intelligence for more than 35 years

In The News

Fitbit Buys Smartwatch Pioneer Pebble Amid Wearables Shakeup

The smartwatch market has also slumped. Apple Watch sales are down this year, and Lenovo’s Motorola brand has dropped out of the market. Most people simply aren’t finding reasons to buy them: Smartwatches are expensive, and they generally don’t provide functions other than those already available in a cell phone.

The market slowdown particularly hurt Pebble, which did not have the resources to wait for things to pick up. That might not happen until 2019 or 2020, when other functions touted by smartwatch makers, such as controlling smart home devices and paying without a debit or credit card, become more readily available, said analyst Harry Wang, digital health research director for Parks Associates.

From the article "Fitbit Buys Smartwatch Pioneer Pebble Amid Wearables Shakeup" by Benny Evangelista.

Previously In The News

Smart TVs: The Entertainment Centerpiece of the Home – Industry Voices: Parks

Amid a slowing economy and the threat of inflation, consumer spending slowed over 2022. Despite this, consumers remained invested in streaming video consumption, with a record-high 23% of internet...

Sling TV has a secret weapon to win over cord-cutters–the humble TV antenna

Mitch Weinraub, AirTV’s director of product development, says a majority of Sling TV’s 2.2 million subscribers already use an antenna somewhere in their homes, and a recent Parks Associates study foun...

As ‘Game of Thrones’ Returns, Is Sharing Your HBO Password O.K.?

The effect on the companies’ bottom lines remains unclear, but a study by Parks Associates, a research group, found that sharing cost the streaming video industry $500 million in 2015. One reason t...

Smart thermostats are tough sell, but ComEd hopes rebates boost interest

A study released this month by Parks Associates found only 18 percent of consumers would buy a smart thermostat at $250, but offering a $100 rebate more than doubled the pool of interested buyers....