Tag: smart watches

Despite the fact that the majority of these mobile devices are ugly and limited, wearers adore them.

It is no mystery that smartwatches are taking off like wildfire, as they were the focus of all of the top headlines from the Mobile World Congress at the end of February, but what is striking to many is that these geeky, limited devices are becoming just as popular among consumers as they are among manufacturers.

This has caused analysts and tech experts to ask themselves where the true appeal of these gadgets lies.

While some more attractive models are now being released, until very recently, smartwatches looked like something straight from a bad made for T.V. sci-fi movie. Still, that hasn’t seemed to stop manufacturers from pumping them out and it hasn’t halted consumers from considering them the newest must-have accessory. These additional mobile screens are being seen a little bit of everywhere, whether they are from Pebble, Sony, Samsung, SPOT, Fossill, or any number of other players (other than Apple, who hasn’t arrived in this market, yet).

What is the secret to the way that smartwatches have won over the public?

These wearable technology devices did receive the first wave of attention from early tech adopters. That said, many of this demographic instantly fell in love with their new accessories. It gave them the chance to experiment with the latest types of products on the market while taking advantage of a whole new line of features and conveniences.

However, over the last handful of months, the interest in this type of wearable smart technology has suddenly taken off, far beyond that limited niche. This is particularly true among devices that offer fitness tracking features and apps. Suddenly, these mobile devices are no longer being lumped into the same category as the taped glasses and pocket protector cliché. Instead, they are being seen as mainstream and quite fashionable.

This shift in attitude toward smartwatches is expected to be a massive driver for the sale of these devices, which will only be expanded as next generations of the devices are launched based on the features and capabilities that consumers show that they value the most. Of course, the anticipated release of the iWatch before the end of the year will also be worth watching.

The handset maker isn’t about to be left behind in this massive wearable technology trend.

Motorola is now planning to leap right back into the wearable tech market, as it plans to launch its own smartwatches later on in 2014, according to an announcement that was made by Rick Osterloh, the company’s senior vice president.

This particular device is being designed to meet the needs that consumers have already expressed that they have.

According to Osterloh, the smartwatches that Motorola will be launching will have taken into account “consumer issues like style and battery life.” So far, those are both areas where companies have been struggling to keep up with the expectations that consumers have regarding these devices and their willingness to pay rather high price tags in order to obtain them. The announcement was made in Barcelona at the Mobile World Congress, during a panel discussion.

These new smartwatches will not be the first time that Motorola has attempted to sell wearable technology.

That said, it is certain that Motorola is hoping that its future attempts with wearables will be far more successful than its previous ones. The MotoACTV was one of the last mobile devices that Motorola had launched that could be worn by the owner. It was an activity tracker that simply never caught on because of its weak battery life and its lack of visual appeal and style. Though the company had previously stepped back from this area, it is clear that it did not fail to closely examine the experience and to attempt to learn from its mistakes.

That said, it won’t be until the actual launch of the devices that the company will actually be able to prove whether or not it has managed to overcome the obstacles that held it back in the first place. Osterloh did not offer any additional details regarding the products themselves, nor anything that the consumer can expect from the release, such as price or the actual date that they will hit the shelves. However, he did point out that the company feels that this will be a very important area for its future.

This does not come as a surprise as wearable technology such as smartwatches is one of the hottest tech segments at the moment. In the middle of the spotlight, right now, are the Galaxy Gear devices from Samsung, as well as Pebble. That said, Apple is expected to come out with an iWatch at some point in the near future – if rumors are to be believed – and it shouldn’t be long before Google releases its own wearable that will have been manufactured by LG.