Blog Feature

By: Jennifer Devitt on January 4th, 2015

Will 2015 be the year of wearable technology?

Each year there is the promise of the newest thing in technology. Early buzz for 2015 seems to be centered around wearable technology. Now, this is not to say that wearable technology is something new because we know that it is not. But the promise of advancement in the technology is creating a heightened buzz.

History and research say that wearable technology can be tracked back to 1975. In 1975 the "Pulsar" brand released a calculator watch.   In John Hughes 1984 classic, 16 Candles even the "dorks" aka Bryce and Cliff as portrayed by John Cusack and Darren Harris sported some type of wearable tech device on their head as seen in the pic above.  Also, in 1985's "Back to the Future" Marty McFly is sporting a device that looks eerily similar to Google Glass. So, the idea and development of technology you can wear aren't exactly new. Yet it seems as though it may finally have some firm footing.  After all, Apple is entering the arena early this year.

As announced in September of 2014, Apple will be debuting the "Apple Watch" early this year. The buzz around the device is uncertain. Rumor has the price point of the Apple Watch ranging from $500 for stainless steel to $4000+ for 14k gold. Apple is touting varying styles, bands, colors, etc. On their website, Apple shows three different editions currently which can be customized in a variety of ways.  The Apple watch is promising integration with Apple Pay and Health as a just a touch on the surface of its capabilities.

In the health and fitness arena, wearable tech certainly isn't new. There have been heart-rate monitors, calorie counters, pedometers, etc for years. The health industry has had diabetic pumps and nowNeuroMetrix, Inc has announced "Quell", a wearable pain maintenance device. For me, I see the health industry as the key place for wearable technology to take off. From the above-mentioned pain management device to better hearing devices, heart monitors, blood sugar monitors, etc that can communicate in real time with your doctor, the opportunities are endless.

So, will 2015 be the year wearable technology makes its mark? It's too early to determine. But with the advancements made in the fitness arena by brands like Fitbit and Nike and now Apple, the promise is real. Will you buy an Apple Watch? I am not sure it will be on my wish list just yet. But I do get a lot of use out of my Polar FT4 heart rate monitor. I for one, am interested to see what the future holds. I am excited for the new development opportunities available to developers. Apple developers have "WatchKit" to add to their toolbox to develop on the next grand platform. If you have an idea you would like to see on the wearable platform, contact an Apple developer today!

 
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