Ask your friends what wearable devices they would like to use and the answers come fast and furious – an invisibility cloak, a calorie counter to deter you as you reach for that luscious pastry, a gizmo that can analyse your blood sugar, hormones, blood pressure and yes, even a poop-weighing gadget for the constipated and so-burdened weight-conscious!

Fantasy apart (or shouldn’t we discount even the invisibility cloak?), this list has possibilities. And two studies released recently point to this, even as they give a mixed picture on the future of wearables. A report by Ericsson Consumer Lab, Wearable Technology and the Internet of Things , across Brazil, China, South Korea, the US and the UK, found that though two in five users feel naked without their wearable device, a sizeable number are disappointed as their expectations have not been met. Largely because the wearables do not have standalone connectivity and are shackled to a smartphone. One-tenth of the users have abandoned them as speedily as within two weeks of purchase, and a substantial number have raised concerns relating to connectivity.

The survey goes on to say abandonment rates are dropping. Six out of 10 smartphone users are confident wearables’ utility will go beyond health and wellness – now the most popular applications – while most believe they will become mainstream only after 2020.

The India picture IDC India predicts that the market will see annual triple digit growth, like it has experienced in the recent past. That’s also because India is still a nascent market for this category. IDC says the wearable market in India recorded just over 400,000 units in the first quarter of 2016. Fitness bands account for 87.7 per cent of this while smart wearables, defined as any wearable that can run third-party applications, contributed 12.3 per cent.

The Ericsson survey polled 5,000 iPhone and Android smartphone users aged 15-65, of whom half also own wearable technology. It also includes the opinion of 10 wearables experts and industry observers. Current research shows that wearables’ ownership among smartphone users in the areas under survey has doubled in the past year. Among 20 wearables ideas and concepts in the safety and security, smart garments and accessories, and non-verbal communication categories, devices related to personal safety were rated highly. Fifty per cent on average expressed much interest in concepts such as panic buttons and wearable location trackers.

Partial to service Vishal Gondal, CEO and Founder of virtual fitness coaching platform GoQii says India is a market that desires service, never mind the DIY nature of many devices. According to IDC, GoQii has the second largest market share by volume at 18.1 per cent (after Xiaomi’s 27.1 per cent), and owes its success to providing every user with a personal coach who interprets the results and gives advice. “India is a very value-conscious market and the service play is important. Wearables need to offer a lot more utility and services. Health and insurance need to be bundled together,” says Gondal. In collaboration with Axis Bank, the firm is poised to launch a payment wearable device that uses NFC technology.

Ericsson’s survey says respondents believe wearable technology will expand with greater impact than smartphones did in the past 10 years, perhaps replacing medical equipment such as blood and glucose monitors or even house/car keys. Some think they may wear more than five wearables after 2020. Thirty-eight per cent of smartphone users across all five markets also believe that wearables can perform most smartphone functions in five years though an equal number think it may take longer. Four of 10 smartwatch users already spend less time on their smartphones because notifications are now available on their smartwatches.

The Internet of Things Users also believe wearables will hasten the spread of the Internet of Things technology. A fourth of smartwatch owners already use them to remotely control digital devices at home. And the devices might not even be mechanical or external applications, they could be ingestible! Sixty per cent of the respondents believe that pills, “internables” and “implantables” will be commonly used in the next five years – not only to track health data, but also to unlock doors and validate transactions and identity.

In the Ericsson study, one-third of those who do not use wearables said the cost of keeping them connected was a reason for not buying them. There are doubts whether today’s wearables cater to peoples’ needs. In India, says IDC, the penetration of wearables is still low because of the high price they sport, and vendors are investing in development of products to provide better value. It says, “The increase in volume is giving more scope to the vendors to come up with better features such as display and NFC.” It predicts swift adoption in all categories of wearables and expects all parameters such as price, product features and target segments to evolve.

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