Tag: Apple Watch

Study shows that wearable devices are gaining traction among UK consumers

The United Kingdom may soon become a leading wearable technology market. According to a recent study from YouGov, the number of people with wearable devices is growing. These devices range from smartwatches, fitness bands, and head-mounted systems that offer people a chance to experience the world in a different way. While wearable devices are still somewhat rare in the commercial market, many new devices are expected to be launched within the coming year.

6% of UK population currently owns a wearable device of some kind

According to the study, the approximately 6% of the UK population — nearly 2.8 million people — currently have some sort of wearable device. Most of these devices are smartwatches and physical activity trackers. The study predicts that the number of people with these devices will double in 2015, when new devices are released into the UK market. One device, in particular, may account for much of this growth: The Apple Watch.

Apple Watch may find success in the UK market

Apple unveiled plans for its new wearable device last month. Apple Watch promises to be the next evolution in wearable technology, providing users with all the features of a smartphone in a wearable gadget. The device is slated to be launched next year and its quick adoption is expected among iOS fans. The exact features that the Apple Watch will launch with are not yet known, but there is already a significant degree of hype surrounding the gadget.

AR devices likely to attract many consumers

Augmented reality devices are also likely to become somewhat famous in the UK. These devices, many of which will be worn on the head, promise to change the way people see the world. Google Glass is, perhaps, the most well known and anticipated of these devices. The head-mounted system will leverage augmented reality technology for a variety of purposes, including social media and navigation. A few technology companies have plans to launch AR devices in the coming years, but Google Glass is expected to launch in 2015, ahead of its competition.

The company has confirmed that the wearable technology is headed north of the border, following new e-labeling laws.

Canada has now passed a law that has stated that high-tech devices that have screens that are non-removable – such as in the case of Google Glass – are no longer required to use a physical label for information such as their serial numbers, as they are now permitted to use an e-label, instead.

This change in Canadian law says that smartphones and wearable technology can now use electronic labeling.

That difference is quite important to the ability to bring new types of high tech devices, such as Google Glass, certain smartwatches, and other forms of wearable technology, to Canada, provided that they are capable of showing e-labels on displays that cannot be removed from the device. The labeling laws in the country, which previously required these mobile devices to don physical labels of serial numbers and other information, was making it prohibitively difficult

Industry Canada made this announcement in a recent press release, welcoming Google Glass and Apple Watch.

The news release said that these labeling regulations are “opening Canada’s markets to the latest wireless wearable devices such as Google Glass and Apple Watch.” The old laws stated that all electronic, radio, and terminal equipment devices needed to show serial or model ID numbers, registration numbers, and certification numbers that were printed directly onto the device, itself, or had to be attached with a sticker.

This made it difficult – or impossible – for certain electronic and mobile devices that were manufactured in other parts of the world to be able to enter the Canadian markets. Now, the regulations have been changed and have become effective, immediately. They state that high tech gadgets that have non-removable display screens can provide that information by way of an e-label, instead of a physical printing or sticker.

The types of devices that will now be able to carry an e-label are smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, wearable glucose monitors and – once it arrives – Google Glass, Apple Watch and other forms of wearable technology with a non-removable screen. Industry Canada also pointed out that electronic labels will be able to provide additional information that physical labels cannot include due to space restrictions, such as warranty information. Moreover, remote updates to correct inaccuracies are also possible with these e-labels.