In the world of mobility it has long been said that the next step in user convenience is wearable tech. Over the past year in particular, thanks to a high profile push from the world’s biggest OEMs, wearable technology seems to be on the verge of mass adoption.
Here at Mobile ID World, we’re big fans of wearable tech. What follows is a look at the most recent news in this area and how smartwatches are poised to change identity.
The Market
The concept of wearable tech, a subset of the over arching mobility label, has a great deal of room for innovation and diversity. According to research firm Tractica, which launched a wearable tech advisory service earlier this year, highlighted the diversity aspect in a white paper examining ten trends in the market. Similarly, the market is also ripe for a diverse range of applications. Tractica also released a report, Enterprise Wearable Technology Case Studies, which underlined the wide range of companies exploring wearable tech. Applications in enterprise, hospitality, healthcare and automotive are just some of the vertical where wearables are headed.
Browse the links below to gain a better understanding of the current wearable technology market.
Wearable Tech Market Rapidly Diversifying
Wide Range of Companies Exploring Wearable Tech: Report
Health and Fitness Applications to Propel Wearables Market
Apple Watch
The Apple Watch, in true Apple fashion, was not the first example of a smartwatch. That having been said, the Apple Watch has at least acted as a good watermark for consumer wearables. Sporting vital biometrics, mCommerce options and a great deal of third party support, Apple’s wrist mounted luxury item stood as a good litmus test for the market. While its Android Wear contemporaries like the Moto 360 or Samsung Gear are remarkable in their own regard, the Apple Watch is an excellent starting point for anyone wanting to understand the capabilities and challenges of first generation smartwatches.
Apple Watch Coming to Best Buy
New App Makes Apple Watch a Remote Control for Volvo Cars
Hulu App Makes Apple Watch a TV Remote
Apple Watch OS Delay Echoes Troubled Rollout
Analysts Divided Over Apple Watch Sales Performance
Apple Watch Users Eager for Playmates
Generation 2
Mobile technology advances quickly, and wearable tech is no exception to this rule. While an Apple Watch sequel is not immediately visible in our future, the newest Android Wear devices competing with Cupertino’s clock, as well as patents filed by Apple, have made it clear what the next step is in wearable tech: cellular connectivity.
One of the more prescient criticisms of smartwatches in particular is that until very recently they have required a bluetooth pairing with a compatible handset. While Android Wear has found a way to cooperate with iPhones, the club-house nature of iLife has limited Apple Watch adoption to iPhone owners. The next generation of smartwatches rely much less on device tethering, featuring 4G and LTE connectivity of their own and making them much more appealing.
the following links help illustrate this trend:
New LG Smartwatch Offers Cellular Connectivity
Apple Watch 2 Aims To Go Tether-Less
Samsung Gear S2 Hits US Market
Vitals
In terms of biometrics technology, wearable devices sport a diverse range of modalities. That said, vital biometrics are the dominant form of biological measurement. From the Nymi Band’s ECG authentication, to technologies that enable remote health monitoring and healthy living, wearbale tech is all about your vital signs.
It is through vital biometrics that we can see a greater swath of modern wearble tech types. Shirts, headphones, medical patches – these might not help you check your email but they might be able to save your life.
Wearable Wristband Can Alter User’s Mood
New CEO Says Nymi Band ‘Will Change Security Forever’
Measuring Brain Trauma With Wearable Tech
Nymi Enables First mPayment Via Cardiac Authentication
New Partnership to Develop Wearables with Sweat Biometrics
UNICEF to Explore How Wearables Can Help Mothers, Children in Need
Hexoskin Shirt Takes Wearable Biometrics Into the Cold
Access Control
One of the coolest applications of wearable tech that has emerged recently is its ability to bring an increased level of convenience to access control. Smartwatches can be issued credentials that leverage the NFC features inside them to open door locks in hotels, at work or at home. Just this week, this application converged with vital biometric technology: Nymi (mentioned above) partnered with Entertech Systems to pioneer a physical access control system that combined wearables, biometrics and physical security.
Read on to learn more about this incredibly useful application of wearable tech.
Nymi Band Integrated Into BioConnect
HID Global and ASSA ABLOY on Mobile Keys In Hospitality
What’s Next?
Part of what makes wearable tech so interesting is the sheer possibility of what’s to come. New user interface options, new biometric modalities, new applications and most excitingly: new smart accessories to wear. The following links will give you a glimpse at what’s to come and where you’ll be wearing it.
Samsung Edges Out Crowd in Wearable Patent Filings
Samsung Patents Virtual 3D Keyboard for SmartGlasses
New Patent Application Details the Apple Ring
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