IDC: shipments of wearables grows in the middle of a pandemic, hearables is the largest category IDC reports that shipments of wearables grew to 153.5 million in the final quarter of 2020, up 27.2% compared to the same period last year. The full year growth is about the same and shipments totaled 444.7 million. Last year the analysts started tracking a new category, hearables. They define it as an ear-worn audio device that does more than music: they access a digital assistant or provide health and fitness tracking. However, even an “audio experience enhancement” is enough for a headset to be classified as a hearable.