If you retain up with the school news lately, you recognize that wearable computing is all the fad. analysis firm Gartner comes that wearable good physical science are a $10 billion business by 2016.
Smartwatches started United States of America down this path however it had been the announcement of Google Glass that actually caught the market’s attention and piqued people’s interest during this new class of wearable computers.
While Google’s Glass project is pretty cool, it’s not getting to be a heavy product for the mass shopper market anytime before long. In fact, most technologies like this get adopted among vertical business markets 1st and over time, because the technology gets formed and prices return down, they eventually get the apps and costs that attractiveness to a additional consumer-centric market.
My guess is that Google Glass can 1st be adopted by vertical business markets like medicine, the medical business, 1st responders, the military and alternative fields before it ever gains serious traction with shoppers. If history is our guide, the evolution from business to shoppers takes a minimum of 5 years — and typically far more — before one thing ever becomes a mass market hit.
However, the utilitarian nature of a smartwatch can presumably be Associate in Nursing exception to the current rule. carpus watches are around for over a hundred years and whereas the main target has principally been to inform time, as early as 1981 once Seiko introduced the primary calculator watch, dozens of firms have tried to feature additional intelligent options and functions to wristwatches.
However, solely within the last 5 years, as watches became additional digital and alternative technologies like screens, processors and radios became miniaturized have we have a tendency to seen additional activity in smartwatches. Clearly, lots of firms see the smartwatch as a brand new battleground and need a bit of what's expected to be a awfully massive market over time.
Last week Samsung introduced its Galaxy Gear smartwatch and Qualcomm, the quantity one mobile processor company within the world, showed off its new TOQ smartwatch for potential licensees. Sony conjointly updated its smartwatch, currently known as SmartWatch a pair of.
By my count, there area unit currently a minimum of eighteen smartwatches to decide on from. As of this writing, I even have tested concerning 5 of them and members of my workers have tested another four. From our viewpoint, all of them area unit just about massive, gaudy and gawky. whereas most have some variety of intelligence inbuilt, none of them are often thought-about trendy by any means that. In fact, all of them just about attractiveness to male geeks at the instant, and given the state of the present technology, which will be the case for a jiffy.
One necessary issue to grasp concerning wristwatches is that whereas individuals do get them for telling time, the bulk area unit bought with an eye fixed on fashion. In fact, fashion and style area unit the highest criteria once getting a watch, whereas functionally in most cases is secondary. after all there area unit some exceptions: different wish one thing that tells time however conjointly permits them to watch the quantity of air that's left in their tanks or the depths of their dives. Pilots need a watch that tells time however conjointly has data associated with flying their planes. i'm a world human and that i usually get a watch as a result of it will provide American state varied time zones for once I am on the road. however whether or not or not it's a Rolex diver’s watch, a Breitling pilot’s watch or perhaps a multi-time-zone watch, the method it's is commonly quite necessary for those that get them.
This is a key reason Apple has not jumped on the smartwatch bandwagon however. Apple is thought for style and is incredibly conscience of fashion problems once coming up with all of its product. Given Apple’s history, I don’t expect it to create a goodwatch unless it conquers the style issue at the side of smart practicality.
But there’s another massive reason Apple has not introduced a smartwatch however. If you follow Apple’s history closely, you recognize that Apple doesn't really produce new classes of devices. Rather, the corporate monitors markets for brand new technologies to ascertain what the options, functions and adoption rates area unit like. If these product show serious market potential, then — and solely then — will Apple enter the market with an eye fixed on redefining the product for that individual class of devices.
Apple didn't invent MP3 players. It watched to ascertain however this market would develop and once it saw it had humour potential, it reinvented the MP3 player with the iPod. Apple didn't invent the smartphone. Once it saw its market potential, it reinvented it with the iPhone. And it didn't invent the pill, however once it saw its potential and — equally significantly — had the technology offered to deliver a sleek, trendy and multifunctional pill beneath the Apple whole, it reinvented the pill.
I expect no less from Apple now around. Given the interest in smartwatches, there's little doubt that Apple is observance the product and advancements in varied wearable devices and has R&D targeted on multiple wearable product within the works. Given Jony Ive‘s predilection for style, I doubt something can return to promote before he has the correct look, feel, style and technology in situ to make a product that's not for male geeks, however rather men and girls WHO worth each fashion and good practicality. Then — and solely then — can Apple enter the smartwatch market and, if history is our guide, reinvent the smartwatch class.
While I even have no clue once this can be, I really believe Apple could have Associate in Nursing interim entrance into the wearable marketplace that would return someday within the 1st of 1/2 2014.
Apple business executive Tim Cook has been victimisation the Nike Fuel Band for a few time and apparently has become terribly keen on its practicality. In fact, Apple recently employed Jay Blahnik, a fitness knowledgeable WHO suggested Nike on the Nike Fuel Band.
Although i'd expect that health and fitness apps would be a part of any ultimate Apple smartwatch, it'd be for Apple to significantly improve on the present batch of wearable health observance devices like Jawbone’s Up, Misfit’s Shine, Nike’s Fuel Band and Fitbit, among several others.
For example, I wear the Nike Fuel Band and would love it to watch my pulse whereas understanding, too. I conjointly would love it to own a GPS in it therefore it may map distances run or walked. and that i would love it to be additional trendy. It conjointly encompasses a borderline read-out, that is nice, however given Apple’s engineering superior skill, i believe the corporate may build that higher similarly.
As a male geek, I even have to admit that I even have been bitten by the lure of even a number of these early smartwatches. My rock watch introduced good alerts to my carpus. The forthcoming Samsung Galaxy Gear are fun to check since it will even additional to create it Associate in Nursing actual extension of my smartphone screen, seeable on my carpus.
While maybe lots of male geeks can get these initially, none of those represent a product which will drive broad acceptance within the thought shopper market anytime before long. i think it'll take far more trendy, modern smartwatches and cheap costs before this a part of the wearable market flies. Given Apple’s record, it'd not surprise American state if it eventually creates the smartwatch that truly drives this class into the thought shopper world. I simply don’t expect it to happen anytime before long.
Bajarin is that the president of inventive ways opposition., a technology business analysis and market-intelligence firm in geographical area. He contributes to massive image, Associate in Nursing opinion column that seems each Mon on TIME school.
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