We use apps for sports and fitness related activities, and a new report says that many others do as well. “The World Market for Sports & Fitness Monitors — 2013 Edition,” a report released by IHS, forecasts that by 2017 app downloads will grow from 156 million (in 2012) to reach 248 million.
“Sports and fitness apps have become an integral part in the daily lives of millions of mobile users, allowing them to use their smartphones to do everything from tracking running distances, to recording their strength training sessions, to monitoring their heart rates,” said Shane Walker, senior manager for consumer and digital health research at IHS. “An IHS consumer survey revealed that 62 percent of respondents interested in using sports and fitness apps also were prepared to purchase hardware that enhances the functionality of the software. For makers of sports and fitness sensors and monitoring and devices like HRMs, this means a built-in audience exists for products that can work with fitness apps.”
We look forward to seeing more fitness apps and paired activity monitors to keep us moving.