Despite the fact that there are some really useful smartwatches on the market, they have yet to catch on with most consumers. At this point in time a lot of the smartwatches available are being purchased and used by techies, gadget freaks and plain old geeks. To be perfectly honest, it’s because a lot of watches are not all that different from a smartphone.
The biggest selling point of any smartwatch right now is that they can connect to a smartphone and display notification, messages and alerts in real-time. Of course, there are some standalone devices out there like the Neptune Pine, but they are few and far between.
The Galaxy Gear received negative reviews across the board, yet company officials apparently said that Samsung has shipped about 800,000 units in two months. Could this signal a turning point for the whole of the smartwatch market? Are we going to see more consumers buying into wearable tech in the near future? The answer remains to be seen, but one thing is certain- there’s a reason smartwatches haven’t caught on yet.
Image by Samsung
What’s wrong with the current generation of smartwatches?
It’s not accurate to say that every smartwatch in the current generation has nothing to offer. They do, in fact have a lot to offer. The problem is that they don’t offer anything new, at least not when it comes to mobile technology. Some smartwatches are compatible with apps, others include internal cameras, and many feature a brilliant touchscreen display albeit in a much smaller form factor than smartphones. When you take away all of the common features though, you’re not left with anything unique.
The real-time notification support is remarkable, but it doesn’t have enough staying power to sell a device like a smartwatch to the average consumer. At this point, the real-time notification feature seems almost like a gimmick to most of the population. It is difficult to understand the usefulness of a display that is in an always-accessible location like your wrist, unless you have the opportunity to try out a smartwatch. Even so, only those who are hyper-connected or attached to their smartphones all the time would have significant use for a paired smartwatch.
Originality is the problem. We need innovation.
Did you just bash the entire smartwatch market?
If you ignore the full brevity of what I’ve discussed here then yes it can certainly seem like I stomped all over the current generation of smartwatches. I’m not saying they’re all terrible products, though admittedly some of them are. I’m merely saying that in order for manufacturers to convince the average consumer to run out and purchase a $300 smartwatch they need to offer something fresh in return.
Smartphones have no tethers, and you can connect wirelessly to the internet from anywhere and everywhere. I’m not arguing that smartwatches need to go that route because most consumers already have a smartphone anyway. The point is that smartphones have a kind of limitless potential. Smartwatches on the other hand are very limited, at least in their current state.
The Sony Smartwatch 2 is a perfect example of a device with heavy limitations. You cannot install or download apps directly to the watch itself, they must be installed on a paired smartphone and the content is then streamed to the watch. This means that if you purchase a Smartwatch 2 and don’t have a device to pair it with – let’s just say for arguments sake it can happen- then the watch is pretty much useless to you. This wouldn’t be such an issue if the devices were cheaper, but for a $300 piece of technology it’s unacceptable.
Image by Archos
Innovation, is it on the way?
There’s no way to accurately predict what will happen in the future, or if there is I don’t know about it. However, I do believe that smartwatches will soon evolve into something more. They will come of age, so to speak. My guess is that Apple or Google will take the concept of the smartwatch and produce something truly remarkable. If Google Glass is any indication, then Google is on the right track. As for Apple, we will just have to wait and see what comes out of Cupertino.
Are there other manufacturers that could do something remarkable in the space? Yes, there are tons of new models on the way and the future looks very promising. Smartwatches are starting to gain momentum, and have become something of a press darling as of late. Because of that, many companies are looking to break into the market and try their hand at the latest tech. For instance, Archos has a smartwatch which is on the way, and it’s priced around $85. Budget device or not it looks fantastic.
Does this mean you should wait to buy a smartwatch?
As always, the decision about making a purchase is up to you. If you are more than happy with the current state of smartwatches and one of the models has caught your eye, then go for it. I would definitely recommend doing some research before plopping down the cash though.
If you like the features currentlt on offer or even if you just want a companion device so you’re not always checking out your smartphone then hop on board! I did not write this article to convince you not to make a purchase, nor do I want to scare you away from smartwatches.
The idea is merely to discuss why smartwatches have yet to become the next go-to device on the market.
Are standalone smartwatches innovative and unique?
No, they are not. Before the recent craze to make candy bar style smartphones with large HD displays appeared, we were focused on shrinking cell phones down as much as possible. Do you remember that? Around that time there were several handsets on the market with screens the same size as the average smartwatch display.
Nonetheless, I believe that standalone smartwatches are still pretty awesome and exciting.
You talk about innovation a lot, why don’t you provide some examples?
NFC is a perfect example of innovation. Through Near Field Communication you could essentially turn a smartwatch into a portable wallet, by carrying all of your credit cards and payment information on the device. You could even make use of a bio-scanner as an added layer of security- it wouldn’t be hard to add a small fingerprint reader to the watch. You can already do a lot of stuff like this with your smartphone, but the difference with a watch is that you’re always wearing it and therefore you’re less likely to misplace it. Besides, it would be much easier and faster to slide your wrist along an NFC scanner to make a payment, as opposed to fumbling around in your pocket so you can pull out your smartphone and then turn it on.
That’s just one of many examples. Wearable technology is the future, after all we practically wear our smartphones already. As smartwatches include more practical features, consumers will be more likely to buy one.
What do you think about the current state of smartwatches?
Expanding on that question, what do you think about the future of the smartwatch market? Do you have any new ideas for how to use smartwatches and wearable tech? Do you think the technology is worthless? Please feel free to share your thoughts with the community by leaving a comment below.