The category, which includes everything from smart glasses that record video to watches that answer phone calls, is generating some of the biggest buzz in the tech industry, and for good reason.
So far, there’s no clear winner running away with the market, though many are trying. Nike, Fitbit, and other fitness bands dominate about 90 percent of wearables sales. Samsung has tried to position itself as a leader in wearables with its smartwatch and a strong marketing campaign, but it’s unclear just how well Gear is selling. Google, meanwhile, is going after smart eyewear with Glass.
What does that mean? Anyone could have a hit, even if it’s not a big name like Samsung. There’s also still plenty of opportunity for someone, like Apple, to come up with something amazing that blows everyone away. It’s clear that no one has really yet come up with the magic combination that attracts the masses.
Health devices make up the vast majority of wearables sales today, and that’s likely to continue. Other devices have to find a way to appeal to a specific consumer need before they really take off. Right now, many are too complicated to be useful. Essentially all wearables need to connect to an even smarter device, like a smartphone, to function. At some point, there will be smartwatches and other devices that will break free of that link.
The vast majority of smartwatches on the market, and to some extent even Google Glass, are bulky and look more like a piece of technology than a fashion item. That’s going to change as companies focus more on design and making devices that are more discrete. “They have to look like something you really want to wear before they get mass adoption,”
Source: c/net