• Cnet, Friday, February 5, 2016 9:05 AM

The Apple Watch may be just what the smartwatch market needed. Smartwatch unit sales will jump from 30 million last year to 50 million this year and 66.7 million in 2017, Gartner said in a research note released on Tuesday. The industry can thank Apple for the anticipated surge, according to Gartner, as the Apple Watch has been "popularizing wearables as a lifestyle trend." Launched last April, the Apple Watch is one of the most high-profile products in wearable tech. It's spurring interest in smartwatches, Gartner says, not so much because of its features but because of its aesthetics. It's a fashion statement.

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