Smart glasses such as Google Glass are failing to accelerate to mainstream adoption with sales unlikely to exceed 10 million units per annum until 2018, according to research.
Analyst firm Juniper Research blamed the low level of sales on a combination of ‘lengthy time-to-market’ and a lack of key consumer use cases.
The report revealed that sales of Glass and its alternatives will remain fairly stagnant until 2016 when "fresh releases by several key players" including Samsung, Recon Instruments and Osterhout Design Group, will boost the market.
Android is also predicted to remain as the dominant operating systems, although it should lose some market share once the Samsung Gear Blink lands in 2015, the report said.
Meanwhile, the report compares the current development of smart glasses to that of smartphones in the early 2000’s, highlighting the enterprise sector.
"As workplaces are likely to share devices between users, rather than purchase devices in bulk for all their employees, this will result in high investment but low shipment volumes to the enterprise for the next five years," the report said.
Juniper also predicted that greater utility within the enterprise and healthcare segments is likely to spur development until the devices catch on outside these markets.
The report also found that smart glasses continue to raise privacy and safety concerns from many consumers and government bodies, arguing that legislators will need to address these concerns before the devices become popular.
