Tag: smartwatches

Wearable technology may go out as fast as it came in

| May 30, 2014

A research firm is now forecasting that the werarables market could have gone out of fashion by 2016.

According to the predictions that have been produced by a research firm regarding the wearable technology market, those mobile devices may already be edging toward the crest of a wave that could soon come crashing down.

The market is estimated to be made up of as many as 48 million device shipments, at the moment.

These wearable technology devices include everything from smatwatches to head mounted displays to fitness trackers, and even patches that adhere directly to the skin, among others. At the moment, many of them – particularly in the activity tracking category – are flying off the store shelves nearly as quickly as they can be placed there. However, if things go as has been predicted to NPD DisplaySearch, the hype will reach its maximum by the end of 2014, and it will only decline from there.

In fact, the wearable technology predictions are dramatic enough to say that the demand will be all but wiped out.

Is wearable technology a fadThe NPD DisplaySearch report said that the actual hype that these wearables are generating has already started to fade. It stated that unless the prices fall considerably or there is a wearable device that is launched that offers the ability to become an essential tech gadget comparable to the role currently played by the smartphone, then there is a very real risk that smartglasses and smartwatches will be seen as nothing more than a fashion fad and they will be gone as quickly as they arrived.

According to the NPD DisplaySearch director of European TV research, Paul Gray, “We expect that the dynamics of the wearables market will be similar to DVD, LCD TV, smartphones, and other digital consumer markets with commoditised hardware.” He also added that prices and margins will fall when the market begins to include more from Samsung, LGE, “and other large, cost-efficient manufacturers.”

That said, the report also acknowledges that the actual evolution of wearable technology devices remains unknown, and there is still a great potential for one or several styles to be able to find the necessary consumer niche.

Wearable technology will truly shine from individual inventor contributions

| May 23, 2014

This, according to the CEO at Intel who spoke at the Maker’s Faire.

Brian Krzanich, the chief executive officer of Intel Corp, spoke at the Maker’s Faire in San Mateo, California, spoke about wearable technology at the annual event and said that the chipmaker giant is looking to individual inventors for the next big discovery in wearables, particularly in the area of smart clothing.

As smartphone sales start reduce in acceleration, wearables may increase in importance.

Intel feels that wearable technology based computing devices – which is a broad category that takes in a range of different kinds of mobile gadget such as smartwatches, fitness trackers, augmented reality glasses, smart clothing, and other types of tech – may become the next large personal computing trend. However, despite the fact that this year is supposed to be the year of wearables, the products that have already launched, such as fitness bands and smartwatches, have yet to truly take off. This, despite the large brand names attached to them, such as Samsung.

Krzanich feels that the best wearable technology innovations will come from individual inventors.

He stated that it will likely come in the form of smart clothes and that it will be these individual inventors who will be paying attention to their own needs and will, therefore, be more aware of what the consumer is actually seeking. It will be these individuals who will detect the true problem and find the solution for consumers considering the purchase of wearables.Wearable technology - clothing

Krzanich stated that “The trick to making the perfect wearable is going to be when you figure out what problems you’re trying to solve, and I don’t think you’re going to be able to build a wearable that does it all for everyone.” He then added “Who better to design the next athletic wearable than an athlete?”

The San Mateo open air event was attended by thousands of people, giving attendees the opportunity to find out what is happening in wearable technology at the moment and to discover what developments have come about. Everything from flying drone demos to voice activated robots were being shown, that day.