Wearable tech has slowly but surely been making its way into the consumer market, but, according to survey results from Forrester Research, next year could be when they truly leave their mark.
With 10 percent of Americans already utilizing some form of sport activity trackers (including the likes of Fitbit Flex and Jawbone UP) and 45 percent of those surveyed indicating that they feel “intrigued by the prospect of getting a wearable device,” wearable tech is certainly getting more popular. At least, in the U.S., as European numbers are a little smaller at 4 percent for fitness trackers and 32 percent for the product overall.
With that, Reuters feels that, when it launches next year, the Apple Watch will play a vital part when it comes to the adoption of wearable tech. The company believes that 10 million buyers will pick up the watch in its first year, and more could be interested as updates add potential features to it. Apple’s already preparing for the heatwave by hiring various employees with fashion and luxury experience, according to Adweek.
Apple isn’t the only player in the game, however. Intel also intends to enter the market with its own tech-based bracelet, one that enables users to look at Facebook, Google and Yelp with a few convenient button presses. These could be sought-after tools for many workers on the go, including customer service representatives and field workers, as well as those in the medical field. Functions such as viewing photos, checking messages, and scanning barcodes could become commonplace practices on your wrist.
But what will really make the wearable market take off like a rocket The author of the report, J.P. Gownder, feels that demand from brands, retailers, health care firms, athletic department and others will create an increase in production. What really matters are the functions that device makers and app creators come up with for wearable devices, as well as the built-in functionality. We have probably not yet seen the app that will be driving wearble device sales.
One thing that’s yet to emegre is the gaming market for wearables. There have been some early efforts, but until we see some large scale adoption of suitably capabale wearable devices, game developers will probably be reluctant to put much effort in to creating wearble device games.
Furthermore, the report also highlights that 52 percent of businesses polled said that they’re already preparing for the technology, indicating it is a “moderate to critical priority.”
The full report can be found here for $499.
