Digital Wearable tech has been exploding over the past few months. I have posted a couple blogs talking about some of the wearable tech out there, and covering the wearable tech expo earlier this year. Even in the couple months since I last wrote about it, a lot has happened in the market. Sony and pebble better watch out, there are more competitors on the way.
Samsung recently introduced their Galaxy Gear, a smart watch to be paired with their latest phone, the Galaxy Note 3. The Gear has been a relative success for Samsung, however it probably hasn’t done as well as they initially hoped. This is due, in my opinion, to the fact that no one has really perfected the smart watch design yet. There isn’t a standard to compare to, so weight, bulkiness, and thickness play huge roles. At the same time, if the screen is too small, they risk losing out on just as many customers simply because the touch screen is difficult to use or read.
At $300, the Gear is an expensive accessory. With brand loyalty, they may be able to compete with Pebble ($150) and the Sony Smartwatch 2 ($179) but what about when other big companies get involved?
According to GigaOM, Google is working on a wearable (other than Glass) that is already entering the final stages of production. The device is supposedly using Google Now, Google’s competitor to Apple’s Siri. Rumors suggest that the watch would sync with Glass, making the accessories work together, giving extra benefit to those who had both items.
Google may not be Samsung and Sony’s only contender, as an Apple smart watch has been rumored for months now. As usual, Apple has been tight lipped on the situation, but speculation is that a device is in the works and that it will be released sometime in the next 6 months. Apple will need to release something to keep Android from being the only system that offers the smart watch option.