The wearables market is a fascinating one to observe. The market has become rife with wearable devices that can do everything from tracking a person’s daily schedule or starting a car to monitoring their state of health.
But as with most technologies that take the market by storm, its shortcomings are also beginning to show. In the case of wearables, limitations include functions, data accuracy, and connectivity according to this Computerworld article.
In the Ericsson study cited in the article, 25% of new owners of smart watches and other wearables say their devices failed to meet their expectations. So much so that 10% of all users have abandoned their devices, 33% of them within two weeks of their purchase.
So what exactly were the problems? One-fifth of those studied who abandoned their devices said functionality was limited to fitness and health apps. Almost one-quarter wanted their devices to have standalone connections to wireless networks instead of having to use Bluetooth pairing to a smartphone. The other complaint was inaccurate data and battery drain (9% and 8% respectively)
Of course since our stock in trade is boosting cellular signals, the connectivity piece definitely caught my eye. The upside to this is that manufacturers have taken heed and are now focusing on improving cellular connectivity to eliminate the need for Bluetooth connections to a smartphone.
With these changes afoot, all that’s needed for your wearable to function the way you want it to is a reliable cellular connection – something that we are well versed in providing with our Cel-Fi technology.
If you’re interested in understanding the nuances between Bluetooth and cellular connectivity, and why that matters when it comes to wearables, I would be happy to offer some additional thoughts on the subject