Why Are Hybrid Smartwatches the Next Wearable Boom?
Hybrid smartwatches are watches that appear to be traditionally analog, while support the connected features of a smartwatch. A hybrid smartwatch allows users to enjoy a few connected features of a smartwatch without making the jump to that segment. The next wearable buzz will be hybrid smartwatches, which is a fusion of analogue time-keeping with behind the scenes smartwatches
Hybrid smartwatches are watches that appear to be traditionally analog, while support the connected features of a smartwatch. A hybrid smartwatch allows users to enjoy a few connected features of a smartwatch without making the jump to that segment. The next wearable buzz will be hybrid smartwatches, which is a fusion of analogue time-keeping with behind the scenes smartwatches!
Hybrid smartwatches look and function like analogue watches, but include smart features like step tracking, heart rate monitor, notifications and NFC enabled payments. They connect to smartphones through dedicated apps available on iOS and Android stores allowing users to use the watch with traditional look and feel with smart functionalities.
The benefit of these hybrid smartwatches is that users get smart tracking, notifications and more, as well as self-expression, with their favorite brands and styles. Manufacturers are changing the way they build wearable, with design taking more of a front seat and focusing more on developing what people like and want to wear.
Consumers are now looking to include connectivity in their daily lives without a show-off! Smartwatch manufacturers are now coming up with hybrid wearable where the smartwatches have the design of a traditional watch, packed with smart features that include technology in a discreet way. Titan and Fossil group are concentrating on this market, which is expected to reach $1 billion in global revenues in 2017.
Studies and surveys on customers’ use of smartwatches show that a considerable amount of the usage comes from quick glances for time and notifications, with fitness and health tracking also being used frequently. But with low battery life (roughly a day or so for most of them) and unfashionable looks, the smartwatch market leaves potential buyers wondering if spending anywhere from $270 to $1,050 is actually worth it!
Tech giants created the smartwatch, for the high-tech buyers and early adopters; for those who want the newest functionality and features to match their devices. Smartwatches are for those customers who recognize that they aren’t purchasing a smartwatch to hold onto them forever. This technology bypasses the analog watch. But what about those consumers who don’t quite understand the smartwatch, the ones who would like to have some connectivity in their devices but still value their existing valuables? This made the analog watch companies combine tech into their timepieces.
The importance of status symbol and brand appeal still remain with the analogue watch. With the style and function feature favorable for analogue watches, need for connectivity has also become imperative. The result has been that consumers are now demanding hybrid smartwatches.
Manufacturers are now looking to provide additional features, enhanced tracking and improved notifications in the early hybrid smartwatches. They are considering developing aesthetics that doesn’t stand out or blends in with the clothes you wear. They are even considering the physical comfort factor, where users don’t have to wear something thick and bulky because they won’t wear it for a long time!