Our modern culture is smartphone addicted, we constantly check notifications on our smartphones and most of us feel anxious when we are disconnected; out of reach from our community including family, friends, colleagues and the World itself.
The smart watches 1.0 as we know them do not bring a life-changing experience as they only work when connected to our smartphones as a Bluetooth companion accessory, slave of your smartphone.
They simply can’t work as a standalone device and become 'dumb' as soon as they are disconnected from their ‘Master’.
Analyst Ben Arnold, Director at NPD recently explained it on CNBC – Figuring out wearable technology: “liberating the smartwatch from the smartphone, consumers want something similar to their device; they don’t want to depend on a device to use a device".
In this regard, GFK released a study based on 1,628 consumers (UK and US) and despite low current ownership, the majority of consumers find the concept of smartwatch appealing but a standalone solution with integrated SIM is the most preferred.
People actually want to be connected anytime, anywhere using the same features and applications as they use every day on their smartphones. People want to be connected in an unobtrusive way during the time they cannot have access to their smartphones. Therefore the devices are aimed to become more independent.
Smartwatch 2.0: full smartphone ecosystem on your wrist
More than a watch, more than just a Bluetooth accessory, the smartwatch 2.0 is a genuine standalone device that can also work independently from your smartphone.
This is the 'missing link' in the M2M chain for the global mobile network operators as it allows subscribers to stay connected anytime and anywhere through the 2G / 3G capabilities of the device.
What new designers are creating is first and foremost a watch, a watch you can wear and feel comfortable with, wearing it wherever you go and whatever you do - jogging, swimming, surfing, hiking… Designers will have to consider using telecom technology expertise to make it smart, truly smart.
This new generation of smartwatches 2.0 will boost the whole M2M ecosystem by connecting multiple wearable devices through wireless technology but also to the network. This evolution in the M2M field will allow to extend the connection to a broader range of devices as more and more products are becoming ‘smart’ such as smart glasses, music router, cars and connected homes (windows, doors, thermostats, etc…)
Every successful hardware relies on a strong software ecosystem. Smartwatch 2.0 will be able to carry out a plethora of applications right from our wrist to enable call, reply messages, run best-in-class applications, enable tasks to manage your connected home, share photos and videos anytime and anywhere especially in places you would not have been able to carry your smartphone.
I predict that smartwatch 2.0 will step by step replace current smartwatch 1.0 as well as health and fitness trackers and revolutionize the M2M industry… from our wrist.