Wearable devices have advanced so quickly and have turned into the most lucrative market in IT industry creating a new buzz in the app market. It is exciting to see how wearable technology has opened up new opportunities for app development companies. From smartwatches to smart glasses, the wearables devices are breaking new ground for tech giants.
The statistics of CSS insight suggests that the market associated with the wearable devices is expected to reach at a value about $34 billion by the year 2020. Further, it has also been estimated that that around 111.9 million units will be made available for sale within the next couple of years.
Wearable devices have undoubtedly become the top choice for gadget lovers as well as established a position among the audience. This is one of the primary reasons why companies like Apple, Google and Samsung are investing heavily on developing wearables. Wearables devices are portable devices that one can carry everywhere.
A lot is dependent on how the applications will function on these devices and the experience of the users. It i’s crucial to analyze the factors that one should take into consideration while developing the applications for the wearable devices.
Size is Key for Portable Devices
Wearable devices vary in sizes and style with a much smaller display screen which is lavish and easily accessible. An app developer can make as many apps for a smartphone but the same thought process cannot be applied to a wearable device because of certain limitations like computing power.
Platform
Wearable devices are limited to applications unlike handled device applications that can be operation on various platforms like smartphones and tablets. Wearable devices are compatible with multiple operating systems like Android wear, Google Fit, iOS and many more.
User Experience Design
Wearable devices comes cutting edge features like gesture controls, voice assistants and biometrics. Due to the small screen size, you need to take care of the design approach to provide world class user experience.
Keeping in mind the end goal is to provide the best UX design, you need to keep the users engaged throughout the design process and consider all their needs.
Functionality
Wearable technology is changing the way we live and work. Due to the small screen size, they are developed with limited functionality and usage. However, they are more interactive due to automatic functionality.
Limitations Regarding Features
Wearable apps are not as powerful as the smartphone apps as they offer limited features and the developers are confined to it. It is recommended that one should not add too many features and always leave room for improvement as technology is ever changing.
Because wearable devices are new, designers and developers are still working to establish best practices and trends for the user experience. However, a few main points that have come to light while developing apps for wearable devices are:
Offer Faster Assess
Even though wearable devices offer lesser features and functionalities, they are faster and provide better user interaction which is also one of its strengths.
Simplified design
It is important to keep things simple. A UX that is too detail-oriented or complex can distract from the purpose and functionality of the app. For this reason, it’s best to maintain a limited focus and leverage a streamlined design. Less is more 😉
User centric
It’s critical that the UX being created is considerably user centric. Designers and developers should keep the user in mind throughout the process, and ensure that the app provides an experience that will be valuable in daily life.
Conclusion
Wearable devices have been received well by the healthcare and fitness industry. There are smartwatches that track fitness activities during the day and also provide health tips like level of cholesterol, heart rate and much more.
The wearable device market is still new. There is huge scope for the app development companies to venture into this. The User Experience as well as the functionality of the app should always top the priority list. For wearable app development, get in touch with Copper Mobile for world class applications.
