Tag: wearable technology trends

A new kinds of tech for wearables is being developed that feels just like skin and that adheres like a patch.

As companies rush to try to bring new wearable technology to the market, there has been considerable focus on coming up with new and innovative ways to make options small, convenient, and unique from everything else that is out there.

When it comes to the direction that wearables are taking, the industry feels very certain about one thing.

The issue about which the wearable technology industry feels the most confident is that wearables are, indeed, the next era within the computing world. However, along with that certainty comes with a very important uncertainty, which is that the industry has yet to come up with a design and function that will define the way that these mobile devices are worn and used.

At the moment, the majority of major manufacturers are angling wearable technology toward smartwatches.

This has, for example, been the case with Samsung and Apple – with the latter’s entry being only very recent, in a device that will become available for sale early next year – which have chosen smartwatches to be their primary focus in wearables. Google, on the other hand, has created an operating system for smartwatches – Android Wear – but has also chosen augmented reality glasses, that is, a type of headset worn on the face.

Three are also a large number of companies that are starting to think that smart clothing will be the next big thing. That said, there is a tremendous number of startups that are popping up and that are each taking their own unique direction on how wearables will come to be. Among them is a new form that could adhere a chip directly to the skin in the same way as a temporary tattoo or an adhesive bandage currently sticks in place.

This type of wearable technology is already in development and is extremely thin, flexible, stretchable, and can be made to be clear (or close to the color of the wearer’s skin) or could feature a unique design that would stand out. An example of that type of tech is being tested out in Cambridge, Massachusetts, by a company called MC10. Their attachable computers currently look like small, rectangular stickers that include a tiny battery, a wireless antenna, as well as sensors such as for heart rate and temperature.

Demand continues to rise for wearables and it appears to be reaching every corner of the world.

The wearable technology fad has not only been making its way through developed markets, but it is also spreading through developing nations, as well, such as in the largest economy of Africa, Nigeria.

Phone manufacturers in that company are currently pushing a range of different wearables to boost their revenues.

These companies are focusing on their promotions of items that range from smartwatches to smart glasses as well as fitness bands and other electronic accessories. The hope is to increase revenues as well as to take hold of a larger market share. Followers of the market feel that demand is rising as smartphone penetration reaches an uppermost point and as the integration of wearable technology gadgets with those mobile devices boosts their functionality.

The enhanced experience has allowed the demand for wearable technology to experience a considerable growth.

Figures from Technology Distributors (TD) show that more than 10 million smart devices that come to a value of more than $1 billion were sold in Nigeria last year, alone. That said, market followers have feel that the upcoming wave of devices to be sold within the mobile industry is likely to be within the wearables category.

Research firm Deliotte forecasted that fitness bands, smartwatches, and smart glasses would break the $3 billion mark this year, after having sold approximately 10 million units. Some of the giants within this industry, such as Samsung, Google, Sony, Huawei, and Nokia – the top sellers in Nigeria – have already started to reap the benefits of this considerable potential in revenue. Many of these companies have been sending an increasing number of wearable tech devices into Nigeria.

However, they are not alone. Smaller boutique manufacturers have also been hoping to carve out their own little slices of the pie as they step into this space and aim to obtain a healthy portion of the market share, bringing in greater revenues.

The wearable technology category of mobile as a whole has the potential to bring about considerable changes to the global tech industry. It will be an important sector to watch in terms of trends and direction over coming months and years.