With the Apple Watch now in the wild and the Android Wear and Pebble platforms maturing, the market for wearable technology is getting interesting. The big question is, are these devices ready for prime time?
Killer App
Most of the major mobile apps and services now support some of all of the smart watch platforms to a greater or lesser extent. Music apps provide controls on your wrist, messages can be viewed and replied to and fitness apps can measure your vital statistics.
One of the most useful features though, is navigation. On a phone, directions are great and navigation works well for driving. But on foot, repeatedly pulling your phone out to check that you’re on the right track can get annoying. Being able to quickly check on your wrist and receive feedback when it’s time to get off the bus or train is like having a sat nav on your wrist.
Design
Android Wear, in particular, has a wide variety of hardware styles, from the beautiful Moto 360 and LG Watch Urbane to the downright fugly Sony Smart Watch and Samsung Gear Live. The initial crop of devices seemed to miss the fact that most people who would spend £250 on a watch are looking to buy a piece of jewellery at least equally against functionality. Maybe the balance is a little more on the functionality side than most mechanical watches, but it should at least look a little better than something you could pick up for less than a tenner in Argos.
Why Round?
Most of the smart watches so far have sported a square face and case, but it seems this was a major complaint in the aesthetics of the original Android Wear line up. This only added to the surprise at Apple’s rounded square design. However, here Apple, Samsung and Sony have realised that text and images on a screen are better served when they don’t have all four corners lopped off. I think the practicality will mean smart watches will end up being far more common in square designs, although the designers will have to work harder to get the classic and elegant look of a traditional watch. Round designs are essentially a legacy of the mechanical age.
Longevity
Finally, the big elephant in the room for traditional luxury watch brands entering the smart wearables market is the longevity of the device. Nobody buys a Rolex, a Tag Hueur or a Longiness expecting it to be obsoleted and disposed of 2 years down the line. In fact, they more likely expect to hand it down to their grand kids in 50 years, only to be told that the touch screen doesn’t work as they try and swipe away the watch face!
Some have attempted to address the issue by being able to swap out and upgrade the innards. Once the market settles a little, I think this may be the answer, but in the short term I’d be worried that dropping version one may be tempting once the manufacturer has evolved the product a little.
Future
Looking forward, I’m excited to see what the watch makers, rather than the technology giants bring to the table and how they address the current shortcomings. In particular Fossil are expected to launch something this year, as are Tag Hueur, who will be one of the first traditional luxury watch brands to enter the market.
Ultimately, right now, I’d have to say that the market is so new that consumer who currently enters it is a paying beta tester and it’s not out of fad territory just yet. Designs, interfaces and functionality are all evolving quickly and it’s going to be fascinating to see which direction they take and if the mainstream market can be maintained.