Wearable Tech

Apparently “wearable technology” is the next big thing in the world gizmos and gadgetry. It’s what all the big electronics companies are cooking up in their secret labs. Samsung was the first major player out of the gate with its “Galaxy Gear” smartwatch. Apple has been rumored to be working on one as well. There’s something else called “Pebble” (wasn’t that a failed Motorola phone after the Razr?). Anyway, most of the models released so far all have something in common: they’re ugly.

A lot of people don’t even wear a watch at all anymore, myself included, because we can just check the time on a phone. So why would we want to strap a large, utilitarian rectangle with a screen on our wrist? Especially when it requires a cellphone nearby anyway to really function – oh, and lets not forget that some of these things cost more than the cellphone. Yet people are buying them. A lot of them. In fact, a recent article from the Business Insider says annual sales of smartwatches are expected to top 91 million by 2018.

So what’s the appeal? It’s something new, for one. There will always be people who look for their next toy, and who want to be ahead of the pack when it comes to anything from electronics to accessories. Also, as more app developers catch on the smartwatches will become an extension of the phone itself. Instead of having limited, often redundant features of a phone, the watches will take on a usefulness of their own.

They are already being marketed to women, which is ironic given the rather crude styling that we currently associate with the devices. But beyond that, it does make sense. Instead of having to search through a purse for a phone, you could simply check your wrist for an immediate status update. This could also be highly practical for anyone in business or with a busy job.  Instead of rudely checking your phone in the middle of an important meeting, you could glance at your watch to see who sent that latest email.

Google obviously sees the potential, having recently launched an android offshoot specifically for smartwatches. Of course there are the same concerns as a smartphone…being careful not to get it too wet, privacy concerns with the camera that’s included, etc. But perhaps there will be a place in our lives for this technology after all.

I just hope the people making these things start paying more attention to design. There are early signs that Motorola is on the right track. The Google (soon to be Lenovo) company is advertising the “Moto 360” due out this summer. From the pictures, this looks like something I would actually want to wear. Round, elegant, with a leather or metal band. It looks like a regular watch that happens to have a computer screen for a face. I guess it’s time to face the future.