Mobile Apps, Watches and Apparel Will Spur Outdoor, Sports and Fitness GPS to $2bn in 2016

In a new study, ABI Research has forecast that a combination of smartphone applications and device shipments will drive the next big trend in the GPS market.

This has always been a niche market, with limited competition. However, Garmin’s Outdoor and Fitness division represented 40% of the firm’s total 2010 operating income, with fitness watches at the forefront of this growth. This is becoming a very important market, and with the PND market in decline, it will become a vital segment to address for many companies.

Senior analyst Patrick Connolly says, “The GPS watch market has yet to hit the mainstream, with form factor, pricing and awareness remaining major barriers to uptake. TomTom and Nike are the forerunners of a wave of new design, marketing and retail channels that will help to bring these devices to a wide public and generate significant revenues.” The forecast influx of watch, apparel and electronics companies into this space over the next three years will remove these barriers significantly. Meanwhile, the GPS cycle computer and golf caddy markets continue to show growth with a huge untouched installed base to address.

On the mobile front, applications from Nike, Runkeeper, Fullpower, Groundspeak and others have been hugely successful. ABI Research believes that this is only the tip of the iceberg for these applications, with downloads set to increase more than tenfold by 2016. Further, they will help to catalyze the hardware market, driving awareness, uptake and cross-selling.

Practice Director Dominique Bonte adds, “The mobile health market is also beginning to take shape, reflected in the recent announcements from Sprint and BodyMedia. This will provide a secondary driver for growth over the next five years.”

“Recreational, Outdoor, and Fitness GPS Solutions” compares the hardware and software revenue for key GPS sports, outdoor and fitness markets, illustrating how these will evolve together. Covering running, cycling, golf, recreational, geocaching and others, the report clearly defines how hardware and electronics manufacturers, sports apparel companies, network operators and application developers can be successful in this space.

It is part of the firm’s Location Platforms and Enablers Research Service which also includes other Research Reports, Surveys, Market Data products, ABI Insights, ABI Vendor Matrices, and analyst inquiry support.

ABI Research provides in-depth analysis and quantitative forecasting of trends in global connectivity and other emerging technologies. From offices in North America, Europe and Asia, ABI Research’s worldwide team of experts advises thousands of decision makers through 30+ research and advisory services. Est. 1990. For more information visit www.abiresearch.com, or call +1.516.624.2500.