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According to Statistics, the number of wearables used today is projected to grow to 1110 million in 2023. According to a study, the industry of wearable devices worth $70 billion in 2020 is predicted to reach $81.5 billion.
Wearable apps are quickly replacing mobile apps. Suppose you're contemplating developing your custom wearable application or launching your own business in this field.
In that case, you should read these tips from wearable app developers to ensure that your initial and subsequent apps will be a hit.
From tracking activity in the fitness tracker to improve the gaming experience - wearables are likely to become a significant component of the technology used by consumers soon.
In this article, we'll take a comprehensive look into the details of wearable technology, starting with what is wearable and why it is needed to the advantages and drawbacks of developing wearable apps in different fields.
What is Wearable Technology?
Wearables, also known as wearable technology, are devices that can, as their name implies, wearables around the body to serve as an accessory, inserted directly into the user's body, or embedded into their clothing as part of the fusion of technology and textiles.
The most well-known wearables of today include smart watches, wearable trackers, or smart glasses (one of the categories of head-mounted displays.)
According to a study, between 2016 and 2019, the number of connected wearable devices increased by more than a third, going from 722 to 325 million.
Furthermore, it is predicted to increase to over the one-billion mark. This is in no way due to the worldwide 4G-5G change that is taking place in the telecom sector.
Types of Wearable Devices
Wearable devices come in various shapes and sizes. Every item you wear will have a wearable counterpart in technology.
Let's look at the most well-known kinds of wearable technology and then at examples of wearable devices.
Eyewear
Eyewear technology has gained popularity steadily in recent years and is among the most popular trends in wearable technology.
Companies like Meta, Microsoft, and Google are all developing their eyewear equipment. The eyewear gadgets include:
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Smart glasses
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Light emits glasses
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VR headsets
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AR headsets
Gaming, entertainment, and other industries aren't the only fields that use technology for eyewear. AR headsets that provide remote assistance have great potential for professional use, such as in construction sites, warehouses, or factories.
Industry's AR headsets are robust and are suitable to help human workers and make internal processes more efficient.
Smart Rings
The wearable technology may be integrated into a compact device that appears to be an elegant accessory. Still, it can track health, unlock vehicles and let users see notifications without looking at their mobile.
Smart rings are typically employed by business professionals who dislike wearing bracelets, smartwatches, and wristbands.
Healthcare wearables
Personal health wearables come in various shapes, from wristbands that look like fitness trackers to smart skin patches.
Healthcare devices can monitor:
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Blood pressure.
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Sugar level
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Sleep and activities.
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ECG
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Posture
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Fall detection
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The temperature of the body.
These devices also remind patients to take medication and stay active to speed up recovery and improve overall health.
Smart Clothes
Smart clothing lets people track their performance and health and is particularly popular with professional athletes.
Smart clothing can be described as:
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Smart shoes
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Stylish workwear
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Smart sleepwear
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Smart activewear
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Casual and smart
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Smart socks
Based on Markets, the business solutions of bright clothing is projected to expand by $1.6 billion and reach 5.3 billion by 2024.
There are other kinds of wearable devices, such as intelligent earpieces, which allow users to enjoy music while tracking their health, and implants, which users of minor devices can insert inside their bodies and receive important information regarding their health.
Top Trends for Wearable Application Development
According to studies, 25 percent of the population within the U.S.A. will likely use wearable technology by the year 2022.
This highlights the business requirement for multi-platform compatibility and several user-friendly, valuable features. To make this happen, the following patterns companies working on enterprise wearable app development are taking note of:
Pay on the Go via e-Payments
Smartwatches are expected to provide users with this feature soon. This is a significant move for the eCommerce industry since the processing of online purchases will be more efficient.
Banks are launching mobile and payment devices to allow users to pay for their purchases in the field. To do this, they're using NFC, Near Field Communication Technology that connects intelligent devices to financial assets like credit cards and prepaid debit cards.
Integrating IoT
IoT, also known as the Internet of Things, offers a digital network of interconnected devices that allows smooth data sharing.
While the primary purpose behind this is to simplify the process of computing logically for a better life, it provides various project requirements for the user.
Incorporating IoT in the future development process of wearable technology can provide the most innovative solutions, specifically in healthcare.
Here is a list of IoT wearable IoT devices that are suitable for healthcare institutions:
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Wearable defibrillators to treat heart patients.
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Glucose trackers.
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Monitors for asthma remotely.
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Apps for tracking cancer patients using Bluetooth.
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Sports utility equipment is used to prevent concussion.
Artificial Intelligence in Wearable Technology
Over time, artificial intelligence has made an impression in various sectors, including corporate and Wearables app development.
In ensuring automation, interactivity, and customized options, AI has influenced how users interact with smartphones, run businesses, and complete various tasks.
In the same way, AI in wearable technology will provide fast-paced and automated solutions. To eliminate the possibility of bugs and errors and ensure timely and efficient service delivery, AI in wearable applications will improve the quality of the services.
Data Security
As cyber-related threats and cyberbullying have been increasing recently, the development of wearable apps could also include security measures.
Any suspicious data that might produce unlikely results can be assessed and restricted to avoid ambiguous circumstances.
GPS Technology
The wearable technology of GPS tracking is bound to benefit various industries in the coming years, such as logistics, travel retail, logistics, and other industries.
Furthermore, with only one tracker installed, this system allows for security surveillance. In the coming years, GPS technology will further help the development of wearable apps, leading to technological advancements such as self-driving automobiles.
Common Challenges with Wearable Application Developments
Wearable app development has been a massive trend in the world. Mobile application development companies face many issues in developing and delivering modern IoT applications.
As the competition among app developers grows, the app's efficiency is a significant factor. Users are looking for applications that provide the highest speed and fast crash-free functionality.
Tethered Devices
Wearable devices put on the human body can be known as wearables. They are connected and depend on larger devices to best use the program.
If the device they use for their primaries, like a mobile phone or tablet, shuts off or has a low battery and is not functioning, they're useless.
Bluetooth connects the two devices, so they should be near each other since they will join if they don't recognize each other.
In developing these applications, there are some things that could be improved.
Speed
As the market competition grows, wearable applications' efficacy is vital. People will only buy slow smart watches or watches that require 5 seconds to obey their orders.
That's why wearable tech developers should ensure that their apps can meet the speed requirements of the consumer.
UX/UI
Smart devices do not just have to function. They must be visually appealing as well. As a UX/UI designer, it's an issue as it's crucial to design a straightforward user interface while making sure every element is included.
From choosing the right background colors to being in line with the brand's image and displaying sizes and icons that convey the correct message, wearable application developers must be aware of the choices they make. In addition, the design must be compatible with different platforms.
Building the Use Case
Start by making your list of questions relevant to the wearable device set. This will assist you in discovering the finest solutions and available wearable hardware, such as APIs/SDKs, development frameworks/platforms, and other successful mobile app development trends and methods.
Every developer has three significant problems: what, when, and how. The design and concept process is easy to begin once the three W's have been solved.
Fragmentation
Fragmentation is one of the major obstacles when it comes to the development of wearable applications. A majority of wearable services do not support cross-platform compatibility.
This results in fragmentation. This can increase the cost of creating an app that can be worn. Software developers can reach more users if their application is cross-platform.
Tethering
Because of their limited capabilities and small screens, most wearables are connected devices, not standalone ones.
They depend on other, more significant devices to use all the functions of an application. If the phones or tablets to which they're connected are not fully charged or stop functioning and cease to work, they are practically useless.
Read More: Wearable App Development Guide in 2022
How are Wearable App Development Services Benefiting Various Industries?
Wearable app development could help a range of industries. Let's take a look at some of the fields:
Fitness Industry
The principal reason behind creating an app that wears on the body is to enhance one's fitness and health. They keep a constant and precise record of one's fitness activities.
It will track the number of steps users have taken, the number of stairs they've climbed, the rate of their heartbeat, the number of calories they've burned and how many, the number of hours they've slept, and more.
Healthcare Industry
In the medical field, wearable devices could be highly beneficial. It assists healthcare health professionals in keeping track of patients and diagnosing ailments.
Gather complete patient information using wearables and artificial intelligence with extensive data methods. Researchers can also use this data to identify the disease of the patient. Wearable medical devices are available in various sizes and shapes, such as smart bands, glucose monitors, heart monitors, diagnostic chips, and many more.
Gaming Industry
The gaming industry is embracing and incorporating the latest technologies, including virtual reality, augmented reality, and even the internet of everything.
It includes wearables on its priority list. Numerous apps that can work with gaming devices have been developed.
Education Industry
Other electronic devices are carried. Applications for virtual and augmented reality glasses, like Google Glass, can be created and used in the field of education.
Students can use AR and VR to discover the universe and study and analyze the components more deeply.
Fashion Industry
Fashion is fast adopting wearable technology. Many major companies are creating garment accessories, such as suits, pants, and more.
The fashion industry is accepting this through its product offerings.
Top Wearable Applications in The Market
Wearable technology has become integral to our daily lives. Wearable devices serve various reasons, including helping users plan their schedules and tracking physical activity, sleep, etc.
Here, you can see the most notable examples of wearable apps with millions of users worldwide.
Calm
This app is made to assist users in relaxing and getting a better night's sleep. To help, the application provides relaxing images, music, and breathing exercises to help with the purpose of meditation.
7-Minute Workout
This app is an absolute lifesaver for users who do not want to work out hours. 7 Minute Workout is a workout app that provides 12 intense exercises with calculated workout and rest intervals.
Users can exercise at home and choose the right workout plan specific to their requirements and capabilities.
Uber
Uber also offers a separate application designed for wearable devices. With the help of a smartwatch, customer satisfaction can reserve a taxi or check the status of their ride, share their ride details, and call emergency services.
Wearable app development isn't only limited to developing exercise applications. The app examples and the list above demonstrate how wearable apps can be used in various industries and serve different applications.
Calculator
The thought of removing a smartphone from your pocket to make use of it as a calculator can be difficult. However, there's an application for wearables that owners of smartwatches that run Android Wear can use for the purpose.
Apart from the simple calculations, the application can perform math-related calculations (trigonometric and square root).
Cost of Developing a Wearable Application
The cost of developing wearable applications is determined by the features included in the app. We've already discussed the various sections of a well-designed wearable application, the associated development time, and the different sections.
The cost of iOS or Android wearable app development per hour determines the total development cost. It is, therefore, crucial to decide on the full development time for each segment.
The main section requires 200 hours to create. For the Tracking segment, this could take up to 120 hours. The Nutrition section could take as long as 180 hours.
Since the Workout section can be pervasive, it could take up to 200 hours. Health app developers may include a social and entertainment section that takes close to 100 hours or omit it to lower the development costs.
With development costs ranging from $40 per hour to 50 dollars per hour. an app that wears could range from $24,000 to $30,000 without entertainment or social sections or between $28,000 and $35,000, including this section.
How can you Reduce the Cost of Developing Wearable Apps?
Don't rely upon Unintelligent Sensor
Most wearables today are driven by dumb, sensor-filled devices (SLDs). Bright clothing must be more than just distant sensors; it must independently process data.
Ensure your wearable app is constructed on an intelligent node that can evolve into a complete computing system.
Be ready to Expand and Update
As a Wearable app development company trying to build a name for itself in the market for wearable apps, it is crucial to be prepared for any changes.
Technology is constantly changing. Spending money on wearable technology that will eventually be integrated or replaced would be silly.
Idea first, Device second
Try the opposite approach instead of picking the newest gadget and formulating a business plan. Find an idea first, then think about the best tool to support it.
The Key Takeaway
Wearable app growth is anticipated to grow soon. It's an obvious benefit to stay ahead of new technologies and gain market share using a successful product.
Wearable apps are an ideal alternative to mobile apps to enhance user experience or as an independent solution with unique features.
Wearable technology is robust and expanding. Today, it is equipped to be successful in the future. Let those who develop wearable devices and the software that supports these devices finally reach the big leagues.
The advantages of wearable technology are many. However, the issues are equally important. According to most reports, it is anticipated that the former will surpass the latter since companies see the potential for wearables as bright and are eager to assist others in recognizing that the future is here.
Suppose you can find the right mix of software and hardware. Wearables will undoubtedly be able to achieve their goal of improving the quality of life of individuals.
