Several of my blogs lately have been about the upcoming technological phenom called the smartwatch. All the tech giants, Apple, Samsung, Google and others are getting involved. But is anybody buying it?
But according to some surveys and reports, the smart watch may not be the next big thing. One survey by Accenture said fewer than half would purchase this device. At best, 20 million smart watches will be sold in 2014. That may sound like a lot, but compared to phones, tablets and other devices, it’s really not. Last year, some watches sold so little that they had to be pulled off of shelves.
But wait: isn’t this supposed to be the next technological revolution? Some argue that anything you can do on these watches you can do with a cell phone device. Some say they’re too bulky and ugly and since you need a computer device to go along with them anyway, why bother? You know, I remember when mobile and smartphones got extremely popular, digital watches decreased. Is this a way to bring back watch revenue? If so, watches will have to go above and beyond, like accept and process payments wherever you go. That’s right…smartphones do that already. They’re doing well in the Silicon Valley area, but what will it take for the smart watch to cross into mainstream? Will it take cooler apps? Will it take lower prices? Will it take a slick marketing campaign? Who wants a smartwatch at all?