Cisco estimates the number of wearable devices in use will jump to almost 177 million by 2018. These numbers will be reinforced with increasing mobile users and high-speed internet connections.
Image Courtesy: Cisco
The Wearable devices app development is now taking personalization to a new level. It is something that you are now going to wear-right from clothing, glasses, helmets to watches. All the possibilities will be driven by the Internet of Everything (IoE), aimed at providing context-based and valuable connections.
In spite of all the favorable statistics, wearable app development is not an easy task. The app developers for wearable technology face challenges that have a direct impact on the efficiency of the wearable apps.
Wearable Technology App Development: Before you Begin
Here is the list of things that you need to keep in mind in order to develop the best wearable app:
- Develop an app for wearables. Don’t make a replica of iPhone or Android apps.
- Avoid problems associated with fragmentation
- Keep heavy design and complex animations to a minimum and provide easy access to users
- Your app should tell users what to do next
- Design for a small screen and make it look trendy
Here are challenges and roadblocks in Wearable App Development
Ensuring Cross-Platform Capability
With a wide range of wearable devices proliferating across the market, it is important to ensure that apps work well across multiple devices. An app needs to reach out to a greater number of consumers. It is important not to be platform-centric, rather build apps for smart wearables that come in various shapes and sizes and use different technologies.
If the app developed is cross-platform, it would help app developers to reach multiple user bases. As companies are working to expand their wearable sections by enticing more users to buy wearable products, developers will stay ahead of the competition if they offer an application that is available to download from any platform.
Battery Friendly
Battery usage continues to be one of the biggest woes for wearable app development. Always ensure that the app is optimized for performance and devoid of unwarranted features that increase battery consumption. If users have to select between the app and phone life, most certainly users will select phone life. Keep your wearable app simple and don’t add complex features to increase battery life.
Staying ahead with Updates
Wearables apps should let you stay ahead of the competition to ensure success. Technology is changing at a rapid pace and apps that can be easily updated and adapted for different languages and devices will stay ahead.
Partial Devices
In most cases, wearable apps are not standalone devices, rather tethered devices. What happens if the tethered device stops working? Wearables with very small screens and limited functionality depend on larger devices such as smartphones to access all the features of the application. Until advances advancements in technology enable wearable apps to function on their own developers must consider the effects of draining smart phone’s battery, the wearable leaving Bluetooth range.
Quick Time-to-Market & Application Development
New wearables are hitting the market while others are discontinuing production. This is a fast-paced field with high growth but also increasing needs and demands. Developers need to work quickly and efficiently to accomplish rapid development and launch with a quick turnaround on consumer critiques to keep their products successful.
Data Security
App developers need to make security a focal point of the app development process and ensure that apps only access required data in a secured fashion. While developing apps for wearable devices is a challenge, it can prove to be rewarding and lucrative. With changing platforms and tools, developers should meet the changing demands of users with an intuitive interface.
Classic Case of HoloLens and Business Implementation
Image Courtesy: Microsoft
HoloLens introduces “holographic” overlay technology that could provide workers the opportunity to engage with the environment in collaborative ways. This technology will facilitate communication with remote teams across the globe. It would be easy to share and bring your ideas to life in the form of a holographic image to your workspace. Training sessions on complex topics could become easy by projecting instructions over real-life projects.
Some companies are already embracing the power of this technology and integrating wearables in their overall operations. However, businesses have just scratched the surface. There are plenty of opportunities yet to be discovered.
Conclusion
According to PWC’s The Wearable Future report: Wearables will be “the next big thing,” with some 130 million wearable devices expected to ship by 2018. Wearables can dramatically reshape the way we do business. However, it is important to include wearables in the mobile-first strategy to deliver value to end-user.