According to recent research, 82 percent of people from India like wearables at work.
As wearable technology such as smartwatches or augmented reality glasses start to edge their way from being a category of electronics that is in its infancy to one that is headed on a path toward mainstream use, it is becoming clear that some markets already find these devices more appealing than others.
A recent study conducted in India have found that a tremendous 82 percent have worn smart technologies in the workplace.
Among the various types of wearable technology that have been worn by adults in India are smart badges, headsets, and barcode scanning wearables. All of those have been worn for work related purposes, according to the “Wearables at Work” survey conducted by Kronos. The survey also revealed that the countries in which this type of device is taking off at the greatest rate are seeing the majority of those numbers from workplace use as opposed to personal use.
The survey predicts that wearable technology will need to be meaningful in the workplace before it is brought home.
According to the Workforce Institude director at Kronos, Joyce Maroney, it is widely believed that wearables will “take off in the workplace before the home because devices such as smart watches, intelligent ID badges, and fitness and health monitors can provide organizations with uncharted data collection points to greatly improve safety, productivity, collaboration, and overall workplace effectiveness.”
Maroney also explained that though there have been a large number of different types of wearable tech devices that have made it to the market shelves, the actual concept of devices that can be worn is not actually a new one. She pointed out that workers have had this type of tech in their safety gear, uniforms, ID badges, and headsets for many years in order to be able to improve their efficiency, productivity, and safety levels.
This survey has underscored the considerable difference in the way that wearable technology devices are perceived by people in different countries around the world. While many feel that the category is nothing new as they are familiar with wearables in older forms, others think that these devices are brand new to the marketplace.
This wearable technology has been designed to be easier to use and more durable than previous versions.
As mobile technology becomes increasingly child friendly and kids become smartphone owners on a rapidly expanding basis, it also makes sense that wearable technology such as the smartwatch would also cater to the youngest demographic.
Though Pebble, Moto 360, and Samsung Gear may not be appropriate, there are several models meant just for kids.
Among them, AT&T has been selling the FiLIP 2, which is an upgraded version of the model that was first released last year. That smartwatch was meant to function as a phone that is worn on the wrist and that also works as a child locator for parents who are worried that their kids will go missing through miscommunication or other circumstance that can cause a child to end up somewhere that he or she should not be. So far, this year’s version has been receiving applause from the first consumers who have had their hands – and wrists – on these devices.
The newest version of this smartwatch is easier for parents to set up and is more practical in the real world.
The FiLIP 2 is meant to be simpler for parents to connect to their own smartphones through mobile apps, and is improved for use in the real world. For example, the screen on this wearable technology is now considerably more durable than the previous version, which is important when worn by children, who are notoriously hard on their belongings – particularly when they are being worn in the playground.
The wristband has also been improved in order to make it more adjustable for a better fit – even after the child has grown – and more comfortable overall. This was a complaint about previous models, as the wristband was not able to change sizes in order to allow for children to get bigger over time.
Though this device isn’t cheap, at a current price of $100 (which will be increasing to $150 after the end of the holiday shopping season), in addition to $10 per month to add this smartwatch to an existing phone plan (meaning that by the end of next year, more will have been spent on connecting it to the phone plan than was paid for the device, itself), it does have a range of features that many parents and kids find highly appealing, if only the peace of mind of always knowing where the child is located.
