Applico’s Sam Fankuchen on the Future of Wearables

A CES Conversation about the Future of Wearables

I had the pleasure of joining industry leaders Redg Snodgrass from Wearable World, Phil Easter from American Airlines, Hans Haenlein from Ericsson, and Jake Ward from the Application Developers Alliance for a quick conversation at CES about the future of wearable technology.

While we each bring different perspectives on development to the table, there were several points on which we agreed. Here are a few takeaways from our conversation that every developer interested in wearable technology should keep in mind.

For the most part, we have moved on from the quantifiable self.

When wearable technology was first put to use, it focused on collecting data from small parts of a person’s life. Although some of this data enjoys an inelastic demand, such as devices that measure glucose levels, not every consumer recognizes the potential value the data can provide. As a result, consumers often experience product fatigue and eventually stop using the device altogether – something no developer looks forward to.

Device ecosystems will dominate the future of wearable tech.

The quantified self wasn’t the reason for wearable devices. Instead, wearables presented a solution to a problem. To overcome the product fatigue experienced by consumers, developers are moving toward creating a diverse ecosystem of devices. As the environment becomes more connected, consumers begin to understand that they are occupying a more automated space, and begin to demand a more sensor-driven world. In a word, consumers are looking for a combination of life-improvement and convenience.

Privacy is an issue that some consumers will overlook.

If the value of a wearable device is obvious enough, consumers will overlook degrees of privacy invasion. Although cultural norms and differences will undoubtedly come into play, consumers can recognize the need to shift ideals for the sake of that improvement and convenience they crave. With this shift in mind, developers can curate to use cases and demonstrate strong value to provide something a user chooses to opt into.

Developers: Keep it simple.

The more technically luring a device is, the easier developers forget that the device should be designed around people and experiences. Instead, developers should focus on keeping their device simple. In other words, do one thing really well and beautifully. Developers should also be looking to specific use cases to avoid product fatigue. Ask yourselves what consumers want and need, and find a solution to that problem. Similarly, make sure to strive toward increasing the efficiency and convenience of the wearable device.

The market for wearable tech continues to evolve, and developers should not be afraid to innovate to deliver better products. To view the entirety of our conversation and download the Application Developers Alliance new wearable tech whitepaper, visit their website here.

Filed under: Platform Innovation | Topics: IoT, platforms, Wearables