Numbers of Note: Weary Wearables

INDIA: As much as they were thought to just come and storm our world, wearables have been encountering challenges of a new variety altogether.

No they have still not taken over our smartphones, wrists, heads, ankles, and there are ample reasons lurking around to explain that.

For one, wearable devices are becoming more standardized but there is a significant gap between consumer satisfaction with the hardware and the apps. There is a continued need for applications to improve to interpret all the data wearable devices collect

Jawbone Up is particularly well-liked because it makes personal data actionable. Also, companies must integrate all collected personal data in a simple, understandable way and inspire users to take specific actions based on this information. This is what a latest observation from Argus Insights points out.

Earlier this month, in its U.S. mobile accessories analysis survey, ABI Research noted that only 35 per cent of respondents are considering buying a smart watch in the next 12 months and that additionally, more than 80 per cent believed that their smartphones can adequately address all necessary tasks and hence, no need to switch to a watch.

Consumers seemed to display the impression that a smart watch is a smartphone accessory and not an independent device.

The survey further added that potential manufacturers of smart watches should take cognizance of the fashion element as according to the survey, a fashionable appearance ranks of higher importance than voice or audio capabilities.

In another study by by Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness last year, it was seen that women craved for a wellness app dealing with emotional, social and mental aspects and a mere 12 per cent of respondents ranked physical health as their definition of wellness, placing them a significant 64 per cent below emotional benefits.

The agency also showed that 95 per cent of women are aware of wearable technology but only a third of them followed through with purchasing it.

In the fresh analysis of over 136,000 consumer reviews of Wearables devices and applications from November 2015-February 2016, Argus Insights has noted that users report higher delight for devices than brands’ associated apps.

It appears that the app experience is affecting the long term efficacy of the wearables market. Wearable technology is evolving beyond wrist-worn devices to include shirts, tattoos, hats, shoes and more but what makes these devices useful is the actionable collected data, the report underlines.

The report shows that consumers are much happier with their wearable devices than the apps they use to interpret the data they collect. It tells that both Nike and Jawbone apps are earning praise and relatively higher delight scores while Fitbit, Samsung and other apps are consistently seeing low consumer satisfaction. What surfaces as worth addressing is that the major areas of consumer discontent include trouble syncing data, apps crashing and frustration with installation.

According to the data, consumers are reporting higher delight for wearable hardware than the corresponding apps.

IDTechEx too, had pointed some time back that even software companies are saying, "hardware is the new software" and that the huge wearable technology market would be on a growth curve.

It has been predicted that wearable electronics business could move from $20 billion in 2015 to some $70 billion in 2025, with the dominant sector being the healthcare sector merging with medical, fitness and wellness ones.

In a test by Research organisation Open Effect; Apple Watch, Basis Peak, Fitbit Charge HR, Garmin Vivosmart, Jawbone UP2, Mio Fuse, Withings Pulse O2 and the Xiaomi Mi Band, were examined and the security and hacking issue came up.

Some 21 per cent of consumers were shown to already have wearable devices and are using them to track health and wellness, according to Forrester Data when the research firm strongly added that the healthcare industry can incorporate IoT and wearables into care methods, but privacy and quality concerns will need to be addressed.