The term hearables refers to a hybrid technology which combines the advantages of wearable technology with the form factor and functionality of a headphone. The term hearables surfaced around April 2014, when Nick Hunn wrote about a new class of wearable devices that are worn as conventional headphones and has a $5 Billion market by 2018. Hearables are more than just smart-headphones that can play music or help consumers have a conversation over Bluetooth. Hearables have additional biometric, movement, or proximity sensors that can help the smart device gather context about the consumer’s behavior. Also, they may have voice-enabled virtual assistants build into them, that can provide real-time insights to consumers.
