Smartwatches have exploded onto the market and just kept going.
With innovation year-on-year and multiple uses, which include:
- Time
- Fitness Trackers
- Health Monitors
- Notification Displays, among others.
Also, they are multi-faceted and you pair them up with your smartphone, computer, or any other sync device.
Smartwatches were fairly stagnant at the time due to the rise in the tech competition between Apple and Samsung, where the replica watches hadn’t anywhere near the apps and interface a mobile did.
But as the market got a bit stagnant, the smartwatches just started getting smarter! That is where the market took off, with the introduction of these fearless three:
- the Pebble
- the Samsung Galaxy Gear
- the Apple Watch
Once the manufacturers got a sniff of the fact the demand was rising the market (for its size) became busy, new names, new apps and new platforms were upon us.
$27 billion in 2020 was where the market sat but as Statisa.com suggests –
It’s projected to hit $96 billion by 2027. Plus then add to this that they also predict smartwatch users will grow from 305 million in 2020 to 835 million in 2027 – That’s some serious growth!
However, what are the reasons that this niche market has suddenly become a powerhouse? What are these trends and technologies that define the future of smartwatches?
We will analyse these issues to clarify and make predictions concerning the future of smartwatches.
Smartwatches have come a long way from being basic time and basic information displays to being full-fledged smart devices that are able to process various tasks and activities and even substitute smartphones for many purposes.
Some of the key aspects of smartwatch design and functionality that have changed over time are:
- Display: The most obvious point of interaction with the smartwatch is the watch face, and this area has changed dramatically in terms of its size, shape, resolution, and apps.
First-generation smartwatches had tiny square monochrome or few-colour LCD screens that were very limited in terms of their capabilities and readability.
As time went by, the smartwatches came with bigger colour OLED or AMOLED screens, which were round or rectangular in shape, which proved to offer better display, quality and response. Some models of smartwatches also implemented touchscreens that made the input and navigation more intuitive and convenient.
Looking Ahead: Smart watches will have larger, curled, or bendy displays, using more of the watch’s face or band, thus accommodating more information or features.
In addition, instead of an IPS-LCD or OLED screen, some smart watches might utilise microLED or e-ink displays with increased brightness, contrast, and efficiency at a cheaper cost.
- Battery: The battery serves as the fundamental element of the smartwatch as well as its most challenging component due to its performance and longevity rates.
The initial smart watches had diminutive low-capacity or non-rechargeable batteries that lasted hours and needed regular charging or replacement.
Smart watches released afterwards had bigger, higher capacity, operated for a few days or weeks at a stretch, and could be charged wirelessly or with magnet connections.
Some smart watches also came with power-saving options that minimised either the functionality of the device or its display quality, allowing the battery life to last longer.
Looking Ahead: Smart watches may move into the reams of better-life or chargeable systems that can last for months or even years and be powered by solar, kinetic or temperature energy. Certain smart watches may also employ fuel cells to create power from hydrogen or other fuels involving longer-lasting power.
- Sensors: The sensors alone are what make the smartwatch most diversified and flexible, as they allow the device to measure and monitor the user and the surroundings.
At first, basic smart watches had a small number of basic sensors, such as
- Accelerometers
- Gyroscopes
- Or Compasses…
Which were capable of tracking the device’s movement or orientation.
Afterwards, smart watches featured sophisticated sensors like:
- Pulse Meters
- GPS
- Barometers
- Or Thermometers…
They are now capable of tracking a person’s health, location, current elevation or temperature. Some of the smartwatches even incorporated a camera, microphone or speaker that could function to either record or play the audio or video.
Looking Ahead: Blood pressure monitors, blood oxygen monitors, glucose monitors or ECG monitors that could track the users’ vital signs and diseases; are what’s on the horizon.
There may be other smartwatches that could also have radar, lidar, or ultrasound, which would be able to measure the distance or structure of objects or actions.
Another considerable factor in the future of smartwatches will be smartwatch platforms and features. They have the capacity to offer compatibility, functionality and usability and entail multiple applications, features, and mechanisms on which users can interact with the device.
SUMMARY
In conclusion, in this article, we’ve investigated the way smart watches will advance and design in the next generations, thus pointing out the direction of innovation development of the following aspects: platform, features, and functionality. We have also included a few indications as well as assumptions regarding the future of smart watches based on the developing and impending tendencies in addition to technologies. It’s a wild market right now but also a lot of fun to be and be covering. These are getting bigger and smarter. Good luck.
