From glasses that bring you augmented reality to watches that monitor your heart rate, and jewelry that alerts you to incoming calls and text messages, wearable technology is big business and represents a growing trend that is here to stay. Innovative technology that literally attaches itself to your person has the potential to boost productivity in life and business like you never thought possible. And while Google Glass may be considered something of a flop, Apple has its Watch on the way. Nonetheless, word is that this too could take a while before it’s firing on all cylinders with consumers. Here’s why you might be best advised to take stock before buying.
The battery dwindles all too quickly
Much like your smartphone – perhaps even more so, in fact – if you buy yourself an Apple Watch then it’s likely you will want it to travel with you everywhere. That means it’s going to be on your wrist, in use and burning through its battery charge, for a good portion of the day. It might not be running at full capacity the whole time, but it’s unlikely to be on complete standby either. You might use it to check the time, the weather, your e-mails. It might sound an alarm when you need to leave the office for a client meeting, display your fitness regime progress at a glance, or help you find directions to the convention you’re attending tomorrow morning.
And while Apple claims its Watch will hold out on you for between three and four days when in one of two standby modes, in truth there’s no way those modes are going to get much use when you’re playing with your brand new toy. In fact, experts believe that with moderate to heavy use you could expect it to begin powering down after just two and a half hours. That’s not much help if you are hoping to use it as a more convenient replacement for your smartphone. Though Apple is rumored to be mulling over a more powerful battery, that will likely be released at some point in the future – in the meantime, less than perfect battery life will be off-putting to potential Watch users.
It’s late to the party
Okay, so Apple has demonstrated before that it can show up after everyone else and still do a great job of ruffling feathers – it certainly wasn’t the first smartphone around, and yet it has managed to do an impressive job of market domination. But Apple’s rivals have been in the smartwatch arena for some time and that means companies like LG, using the Android Wear platform to develop their devices, have the benefit of almost a year of customer feedback behind them. Put simply, they already have more of an idea than Apple as to what consumers are looking for in terms of both design and features. With Apple likely to be playing catch-up for some time, it seems probable that it will be a while before the Apple Watch will become a must-have gadget.
It’s just too Apple – and yet not
Apple has carved a reputation out of devices that sell themselves thanks to killer apps that make them essential purchases. When the idea of the Apple Watch was first touted, it was meant to do the same – a comprehensive fitness regime tracking app that revolutionized your exercise routine would have put it well and truly on the map. Yet technological capability and regulatory compliance appear to have got in the way, and what has made it to market seems to be a watered down version of the dream. Without this, the device looks to be scheduled for release with little to really wow its audience aside from incorporation of the Apple Pay service.
And yet Apple Watch appears to have burned itself on two fronts because, while its apps have failed to impress critics, the distinctive Apple design goes against the grain of industry efforts to make wearable tech look less tech-y. With watches especially, the aim has been to produce devices that look like their traditional, analog cousins, in order to make it feel more socially acceptable to wear them. Nonetheless, having the latest iPhone release has undoubtedly become a status symbol, and Apple’s refusal to rein in its branding could prove to be a worthwhile gamble and make the Apple Watch even more attractive to consumers.
Of course, Apple will count on its legions of fans to make the Watch a success in spite of whatever shortcomings it might have. Wearable technology is certainly here to stay, and the Apple Watch release is a development for both consumers and businesses to keep a close eye on. Though you might want to hold back on the Apple Watch being the productivity boosting device your company has been longing for, it could yet win its way into our technological hearts – you’ll have to watch this space (excuse the pun).
To learn more about the benefits to your business of wearable technology and other hardware solutions, give us a call today.