I have seen such a slide before-at a wearable conference-what are the difficulties of wearable devices, and listed the following points: battery, computing power, data connection, killer application. But the neglected factor is what kind of consumers will want to buy wearable devices and give them a reason to buy you.
Bluetooth headset and heart rate calculation are not wearable devices? If you classify it literally, of course. What about the iPod Shuffle with a strap? This is even more true. But "wearable devices" should not be such a pursuit.
So what is the bottom line of this category and what kind of products are meaningful? Some people have begun to make simple health monitoring tools; Others try to turn science fiction into reality, making Star Trek glasses or XX men's watches.
But truly competitive products should have the following characteristics:
Comfortable, and it is all-weather comfortable.
Do you know whether wearable devices are worn on the wrist, fingers, face or body? Therefore, the touch of wearing is the first. Do you buy uncomfortable shoes? Maybe, but I still wear it after buying it.
Google Glass and similar smart glasses face this problem-glasses are much heavier than ordinary glasses, not to mention Epson Moverio and Vuzix M 100. And health equipment, even when you sleep.
Bluetooth device manufacturers Jawbone and Plantronics have spent a lot of money to study how to make headphones comfortable. Today's Pebble is a good example of wearing comfort.
In addition, waterproof or at least sweat-proof is a plus, especially for health equipment. It would be better if you could swim or take a shower with it-most mobile phones can't do this. Now Pebble and some pedometer products are 5ATM waterproof, but I'm afraid it's not enough as a practical standard.
To be useful, at least in a certain pain point, it is more useful than a mobile phone.
The biggest opponent that wearable devices face is actually a mobile phone. How can I prove myself more useful than a mobile phone? Think of Android and iPhone, which are in your pocket. They do a lot of things, and they all do well; Besides, the mobile phone is always with you. Google glasses, smart watches, pedometers, huh? Why not use a cell phone? How hard it is to get it out. Sometimes it's really not so convenient to take out your mobile phone, but how long can it take?
Nowadays, popular wearable devices can be divided into several categories: headphones transmit voice; Smart watches can be regarded as pagers, with health management and app connection functions; Google glass is like a camera worn on the face, with a networked screen; Now it seems that health devices are the most successful wearable devices-useful and cheap.
Simple and easy to use
A new device, especially a wearable device, should not be like a new project-it needs a plan. We hope that the operation should be barrier-free and trouble-free. After all, you are trying not to take your mobile phone out of your pocket. In addition, wearable devices are different from notebooks or mobile phones, and many potential users are not so familiar with them.
Pebble is a typical example: you can easily think of it as a watch and pager (receiving all kinds of messages), but if you want to install an app-there is no convenient app store, too many apps are in the testing stage. This is why mom and dad users won't buy it, and they won't use it if they buy it.
Fashionable and interesting
Shine, a waterproof pedometer the size of a coin, is very eye-catching at the wearable technology exhibition because it is cool enough. It also has a flashing LED on its surface to indicate the time. It is attached to clothes or bags by magnetism, and the strap can be used as a watch.
It may seem superficial to judge wearable devices by their appearance, but in the field of technology, especially those devices you often use, it is very important to keep fashionable. IPod, iPhone, HTC One, aren't these things more attractive because of fashion? Style is not limited to hardware, and a good interaction style is equally important.
Look back at Vuzix M 100, and occasionally wear something decent at home. If you want me to take it out, I can only say "hehe". Google glass is a little better than this. But the more devices you wear on your face, the more efforts manufacturers have to make in appearance.
Either it is omnipotent or it is simple and cheap.
Take the smart watch Kreyos as an example:
Support Android, iOS, Win 8 platforms; Health monitoring function; You can install the app；; With speaker; Can receive messages; You can connect ants+health equipment, such as heart rate monitoring. It sounds great potential, but if it can do three or four things well, I will be very happy.
Connecting devices is very important. In the future, people may have several devices connected to their mobile phones. If the connected sensors can be embedded in various devices, then we may need a hub as the center.
It is likely that this hub is still a mobile phone.
We must get there before the giant arrives.
Sometimes watching these projects on Kickstarter or similar startups always feels like a prelude to the emergence of giants. As time goes by, Samsung, Apple, Microsoft, Google, LG and … wearable devices are all on the agenda.
What do small companies do for a living? Simple, affordable, easy to use, fashionable and unforgettable. It is not easy to do this, but the problem facing wearable technology now is that no one can leave it. You must convince people that they need such equipment. So far, can we see strong demand except in the health field?
We may need these giants to build killer applications and online services, and even new device interconnection standards. At present, the suggestion for these small devices is: simple, and then not expensive.
Wearable devices are indeed a prosperous scene at present, but when ordinary people start to consume these products, it is already a pattern after big waves.