Are Smart Watches The Next Big Thing Or A 2013 Fad?
It all began with the reports of Apple developing a smart, connected wrist-watch that would be a handy companion to your smartphone or tablet. The iWatch was taken up by the tech media to all the front pages. Then there was another buzz that Apple's chief rival Samsung too was developing a <a href="https://www.crazyengineers.com/threads/samsung-smart-watch-galaxy-altius-is-under-development.67247">Samsung Smart Watch 'Galaxy Altius' Is Under Development</a>. Now, the latest rumors are that Google's Android team has began work on producing a wrist-watch port for their Android operating system. If the rumours are correct, we might see a new product category emerging - the tiny smart gadgets that reside on your wrist. 'Wristwatch' then won't be the most appropriate name for these devices.
Do We Need A Smart Watch?
The features that most of the companies are planning for these watches seem to be very similar. All the smart-watches being developed by Apple, Samsung and Google will be connected devices - to your mobile or tablet via Bluetooth and to the 3G / 4G networks. These watches will also read out your text messages, emails, event alerts, reminders, time, accept voice input, give you GPS navigation data etc.
Do we need all of that? Maybe not! But you'll have to agree that it'd be nice to have wristwatch coupled with the smartphone or tablet. One major aspect where these smart-watches can make a difference is that they can help monitoring your health related parameters - something smartphones 'cannot do'. Image sensors embedded on the rear side of the wristwatch that always stay in touch with your skin and record health related parameters. These watches will be able to give you real time data which can be manipulated in several ways through apps. I'm quite sure that the developer community will be able to take the possibilities to a newer heights.
The Real Opportunity
If we look at the history of evolution of the wristwatch market, it's mostly remained a dumb machine throughout - telling us time and nothing more in most of the cases. There were innovations and you'd get some more information. So far, not many really thought of making the wrist-watches adapt the Internet revolution. The smart watch might just address that and create an entire new market for itself.
Do you think smart-watches are the next big thing in consumer electronics or it's just a fad?
