Acer plans to enter the market of wearable gadgets with a new computing device in the form of a fitness band coming in the middle of this year, according to a report from Taiwan. The smartband will be equipped with a small screen to pair with other handsets like a smartphone or a tablet, the source told CNA on condition of anonymity .

The fitness band could be launched in partnership with local hospitals or fitness centers as Acer is seeking to build an ecosystem for its wearable devices rather than just selling hardware products, the report added.

Sony and Samsung have been among others to offer smartwatches or smartbands, while Web search giant Google has championed in the smart glasses field and is also bringing its Android OS to smartwatches.

Global shipments of wearable devices in 2014 are forecast to exceed 19 million units and could continue to grow over the next few years at a compound annual growth rate of 78.4 percent to about 112 million units in 2018, research firm IDC said in a report released on Apr. 10.