GPS Eyewear Part of the Future, Says Research Group

Despite the hype around the decline of PNDs and the rise of smartphone applications, there is a long-term future for dedicated GPS devices. Total GPS device revenues are forecast to grow from $6.5 billion in 2011 to over $8 billion in 2017. With the exception of PNDs, all device categories grew in 2011, including cycling computers, golf caddies, and recreational devices. Senior analyst Patrick Connolly said, “We will also see increasing partnerships between device manufacturers and smartphone application developers, which is vital in extending reach and opening up new sales channels. Looking to the future, the GPS-enabled eyewear market is expected to expand beyond skiing into winter sports and fitness, as well opening up new markets such as motorcycling, making it one of the strongest device revenue categories by 2017.”Read more.