When Apple announced the Watch Series 3, it made a significant push, inching a milestone that might just reshape the personal devices universe. Apple achieved what was previously unimaginable: creating a hand-worn device that operates independently from its handheld counterpart. In fact, some regarded 4G in the Watch as Apple’s most significant announcement in 2017, bigger than the iPhone X.
Although smartphones, used by over a billion people globally, may still be considered the most personal device type on the market, the undeniable global surge in the wearables market cannot be ignored. This trend began with fitness as the primary focus for wearable devices, which then evolved into companions for smartphones. However, wearables are poised to replace smartphones as the primary personal devices for consuming and sharing information, functioning independently without needing another device as a connectivity conduit.
This brings up the question: As a developer, designer, content producer, or marketer, are you ready for this change?
As a marketer, I recognize mobile as a focal point in my industry. From the usability of products to avenues of advertising, mobile is leading the trends chart. Short-lived or not, this trend will evolve in itself; just like the screens on these mobiles. Back in 2013, screen fragmentation was the primary concern among the mobile concentrating community. It took four years and a leap of faith from manufacturers to standardize the process and put an end to this concern. Today, the same fragmentation is taking birth for devices in the ‘hands’ category.
To tap well & early, hand-worn devices or the wearables segment is to be taken seriously starting 2018. They should be viewed as independent devices, heralding entirely new consumer behaviors across various processes and cycles. For marketers like me, it even calls to reinvent mobile advertising as we know it, with new communication methods and units. Wearables like the Apple Watch are already fostering an ecosystem of apps and unique options designed exclusively for them. From locating your car in a parking lot or booking an Uber, to making reservations at your favorite restaurant, all these tasks are now possible directly from your wrist-worn device, without the need to unlock your smartphone.
What are your thoughts: Will 2018 be the year when wearables emerge as devices to be taken seriously and considered individually, and not just as companion machines to smartphones?
