“Wearable Technology” – Do you want to buy it? (Expert Article - Final)

Apple iWatch was released on April 10, 2015. You might see that there was ridiculously a long line that people wait to buy iWatch as soon as it released at an Apple store. Then, why are people so eager to buy it? Because is it wearable technology or an Apple’s product? It may be both. What I want to elaborate is a topic of “wearable technology”.

Wearable technology is defined as technologies that can be worn by a consumer and often include tracking information related to health and fitness. However, now the range of using the wearable technology has broaden up to getting information from and to a smartphone. Among the wearable devices, iWatch and Google Glass would be famous ones, and I want to discuss more about iWatch. There are so many opinions whether the wearable devices are worth buying or not. I want to examine both sides’ opinions.

Pros

     

•   Immediateness
•   Fashionable
•   Smaller and Convenient

Immediateness

As it likes a smart phone, the wearable device immediately notifies us when something is going on with a phone if connected with the phone. For example, when using the iWatch, you can leave your phone in a pocket or bag and work at an office with no worries because the iWatch immediately let you know whenever any call or messages comes into your smartphone. Thus, you don’t have to get distracted from taking out the phone when working: simply look at your watch as you always do. If messages or calls are important, just answer it, or ignore it without taking out the phone from your pocket or bags if there is no hurry.

Fashionable

Although we have lived in the smart world with smart devices, the wearable devices like the Google Glass and iWatch still intrigue people around you. From my experience, when I was at the bar in LA, a person next to me wore the iWatch a week ago. I asked to him how long it lasts without charging and how he feels wearing iWatch. I asked these questions because it looked a fancy watch. I think the wearable devices have progressed in the area of aesthetics and catch people’s eyes now.

Smaller and Convenient

Nowadays, the trend is being smaller and smaller. Then why are we obsessed with smaller things? The answer would be for our conveniences because smaller devices we have, easier to carry it. As I mentioned above, one of functions of the wearable devices is to track information about health and fitness. Let’s say you use iPhone you track how many miles you walk today. If you forget to bring your phone for a walk, the iPhone cannot track your steps without the phone. However, iWatch that is much smaller than iPhone can track wherever you go with it. I know there would be oppositions by people who carry smartphones more frequently than a watch. But, the size definitely matters in terms of convenience.  

Cons

•    Smaller
•    Not Widely Use
•    Less Versatile

Smaller

It is interesting and obvious that people complain about the size. It could be my biased view, but for the elder, it is hard to use smaller smart devices due to the size. For example, my mother used to have iPhone4 that has a 3.5-inch size of the screen and she always said it was hard to click right buttons due to the size of the screen. Like this, for people who prefer using a big size screen device, it is hard to adapt the screen size of iWatch. I know it is a watch, but iWatch is sometimes useless without Siri, a voice command function of Apple devices if you need more functions other than looking at the clock.

Not Widely Use

This fact will be changed, but I personally want to mention this fact. iWatch runs based on Bluetooth tech with iPhone, and I was trying to buy iWatch especially for running because I am using iPhone now. I found a problem of the iWatch when I go for a walk or jogging. I wanted to buy it in order to use it more conveniently without carrying my phone when jogging. However, it is based on using Bluetooth, which means that I should carry my phone with it when I go out for jogging, which means if you don’t want to carry the phone while jogging, iWatch cannot be the best answer. My point is that iWatch is nothing but just a watch without iPhone nearby.

Less Versatile

iWatch has several of functions on it like getting and sending messages, calls, and emails. When you get an email or message, you normally might not use iWatch to answer it and I’d rather not do so. Why? It is not as convenient as I use the phone to answer. Apple definitely puts those functions on iWatch, so I can say using iWatch is less versatile than a smartphone. I know that some people might say how I can compare iWatch with iPhone. But, like I said, it may take times to completely adapt us to use it.

Regardless of these pros and cons, the wearable technology is definitely a huge market to be growing up, and the market value will be worth some 12.6 billion U.S dollars by 2018. Someday, it could be normal and not a fashionable item to use the wearable devices as we feel with smartphones now. The wearable technology has too much potential. So, my last word is we should keep our eyes on the wearable technology and see what happens in future.