With the popularity of wearable technology, we see great possibilities in the mobile application development industry. The examples that readily come to mind when talking about wearable technology might include Apple smartwatches, healthcare wearables Google Glass, and lots more.

Wearable technology is advancing rapidly and has shown great potential for businesses from varied sectors. However, these businesses have trouble finding a firm that develops high-quality wearable apps at affordable pricing.

If you are looking for the best wearable application development company, especially in New York, then this article is for you. We have included some of the best companies and other tips and tricks that can help you in your wearable app development journey.

• What Are The Best Wearable App Development Companies
• What Are The Challenges For Developers of Wearable Apps?
• What is Wearable App Integration?
• What Are Some Limitations of Wearable Apps?
• How Much Does Wearable App Development Cost?
• What is Wearable Manager Installer?
• What is the Samsung Wearable App?
• How Much Does it Cost to Develop a Smartwatch?
• What Are The Pros and Cons of Wearable Technology?
• Does Galaxy Need Wearable App?
• What Are Three Popular Wearable Devices?
• What Are 5 Benefits of Wearable Technology?

What Are The Best Wearable App Development Companies

1. Appinventiv

One of the pathfinders when it comes to wearables app development, Appinventiv develops engaging and functional wearable apps for clients around the world. The company has a diligent unit of skilled developers and designers working towards a clear goal.

Read Also: How Much Does it Cost to Develop a Wearable Device?

Over the years, Appinventiv has gained special expertise in developing wearable apps for multiple industries like fitness, medical, lifestyle, gaming or utilities. The experience of the company today exceeds all expectations.

2. Digital Brand Group (DBG)

Since its inception in the year 2006, Digital Brand Group (DBG) has successfully provided many award-winning and top downloads web as well as mobile applications across a vast range of industry verticals. As a top wearable app development company in delivering wearable application design and development services, DBG supports entrepreneurs by transforming complex business challenges into innovative digital solutions.

Healthcare, Financial Services, Retail, E-Commerce, Marketing, Training, Manufacturing, Consumer Goods & Services, and Distribution are some of the many sectors in which the team of DBG has provided its expertise.

3. Polidea

Polidea is a leading wearable app development company that believes in the fact that human stories matter the most. As part of a huge community, professionals at Polidea are committed to contributing their 100 percent to innovative initiatives and open source projects.

Apart from this, the company is also known for organizing MCE which is one of the leading tech events that takes place in Poland. The primary objective of organizing this tech event is to inspire an exchange of knowledge and ideas in the field of mobile and web application development.

4. 3 SIDED CUBE

3 SIDED CUBE is a wearable app development company that had previously delivered some of the coolest wearable technology in recent years. They work with a highly-skilled team of app designers and developers who had won awards like ‘App Agency of the Year’ at the UK App Awards and ‘Most Innovative App Developer’ at the UK Agency Awards 2018.

Over the last decade, 3 SIDED CUBE has helped numerous brands and large-scale enterprises including well-known names like JustGiving, LUSH, The Red Cross, Nordstrom, RNLI and many more by focusing on the social impact that led them to change the lives of hundreds and thousands of people.

5. Brainbean Apps

Are you looking for the answer to questions like ‘what is a wearable application’? Then Brainbean Apps is the right company for you as they will basically guide you the way right from the beginning to the final stages of delivering you a high-end wearable app. In just a span of four years, the company has developed a significant client base consisting of both emerging startups and established companies.

From mobile applications for cloud platforms to highly sophisticated IoT (Internet of Things) solutions, Brainbean Apps have earned their specialization in agile software development for web and mobile which further includes UX/UI design and quality assurance as well.

6. Zignuts Technolab

Zignuts Technolab is another name on our wearable app development company list that strives to excel in the invention and development industry. Their team offers some of the most advanced technical solutions for Commerce, Digital Transformation, Blockchain, Smart Solutions, Wearable Apps, Cloud Integration, Cross-platform Apps, On-Demand Services and Enterprise Mobility.

The company’s main aim is to help budding startups by turning their innovative ideas into their very own app-reality in a cost-efficient way. Laravel, CodeIgniter, Bootstrap, Amazon AWS, WooCommerce, and Material UI are some of the additional services they have expertise in.

7. Molfar.io

The team of Molfar.io strives to help their clients in testing the best digital business ideas possible. According to the company, it’s not just about creating a mobile app and then launching it in the app stores but something much bigger than this. For some, it may come as a surprise that an app idea can be tested without even a single line of code.

This can be done with the help of various images, fake landing pages, prototypes, and of course, MVPs thus eliminating the need to build large systems to validate customer demand for a particular product.

8. Inovatica

The principles on which Inovatica, the wearable app development company, are transparency, flexibility, and quality with respect to all the latest technologies that are available in the mobile app industry. Their team of top wearable application developers adapts as per client requirements in case of both building applications from scratch and working on existing products.

With more than 10 years of experience, Inovatica makes sure to maintain regular and effective communication between app developers and clients as one of its top priorities. They also specialize in offshoring software services, including everything, from design to development onward to maintenance services.

9. Makeen Technologies

Makeen Technologies is a top-notch team of wearable app developers who are known to support some of the world’s most innovative tech organizations in exploring new ideas by creatively transforming their ideas into innovative digital products that their target audience loves.

From improving business intelligence and modernizing the IT systems to building high-end consumer apps and IoT (Internet of Things) solutions, Makeen Technologies offers end-to-end software design and development solutions that deliver the best possible outcome.

10. Somo

Somo is one of the most popular wearable app development companies that provide mobile transformation programs for leading global brands as well as organizations. And in response to rapid changes happening in consumer and employee behavior, the company takes advantage of the latest technologies.

Some of these emerging and trending technologies are mobile, wearables, mixed reality and the Internet of Things that are further used to create actionable innovation for their clients. With over a decade of rich experience, Somo has now worked with leading brands including Audi, Moët Hennessy, BP, De Beers, Shop Direct, The New York Times and many more.

11. Waracle

Waracle is one of the UK’s largest mobile application development and wearable app development company, that specializes in mobile app innovation as well as app designing strategy. Unlike other wearable technology companies, Waracle not only focuses on just one industry vertical, but it covers the majority of them.

With highly experienced teams in prime locations like Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and London, Waracle opts for the no-nonsense approach when it comes to designing and developing a Web-based or mobile application. Tourism, Digital Health, and FinTech are some of the sectors they offered their services.

12. FS Studio

The team of FS Studio calls themselves as the enablers whose mission is to bring their clients’ ambitions to their respective markets by using emerging technology and advanced software design as their specialty. At FS Studio, the professionals have unique experience and skills that cover the web to native client-side development along with low-level firmware & driver support to high-level application development and optimization.

Along with this they also have years of experience with the toy and children’s technology markets from working with some of the biggest toy makers in the industry like LeapFrog, Spinmaster, Hasbro, etc.

13. Apptunix

Apptunix ranks among the rated Web-based and mobile app development companies that were founded by a young and energetic entrepreneur a couple of years back. Apptunix can be summarized as a perfect blend of knowledge and innovation. For instance, be it a Startup app or an enterprise application, their team proves to be the ideal technology partner to turn clients’ ideas into a reality.

The company was founded back in the year 2013 and since then they have continuously elevated the client’s interests & satisfaction through innovative Web and mobility solutions. Today, it holds the powerful strength of in-house 50+ highly-skilled professionals who work closely and dedicatedly with clients to curate fully customized Web sites as well as mobile solutions.

14. Lanars

LANARS is another great wearable technology app development company that was created by people with incredible experience in IT, StartUps, and even digital services. It all started by gathering top talents in Ukraine in the field of the mobile app industry, they offer sophisticated services not only as coding but also as a trusted IT partner when it comes to digital solutions for web, mobile, and enterprise.

The team of Lanars can become your guide if you want to move ahead on the path of success, it doesn’t matter if you are a startup or a small/mid-scale business that is looking to digitize its inside processes into an online platform.

15. Vinsol

Vinsol is a global and agile team of the Web, Ruby on Rails, iOS, and Android experts who are also known as pioneers in the Ruby on Rails platform, and they are one of the very few companies worldwide that adopted Ruby on Rails in its very initial stage back in the year 2005. Ruby on Rails is one of their core areas of expertise that currently captures more than 60 percent of their portfolio.

The company is also a Premier SpreeCommerce development partner, and along with that, it specializes in building robust and scalable e-commerce sites in Spree. Here, Spree is an open-source platform that was built on Ruby on Rails.

What Are The Challenges For Developers of Wearable Apps?

Even though some great features come with these small devices, developers face certain challenges while developing wearable apps. In this article, we’re going to discuss some of these challenges, such as-

1. The constant demand for wearable apps

The wearable market is constantly blossoming and there are new devices being introduced in the market constantly. Due to this, there is a huge demand for wearable apps as well from the businesses and they’re looking for wearable app development. This is why developers are required to pace up things so as to present users with innovative and efficient wearable apps.

2. Fragmentation

The issue of fragmentation also poses a hindrance in the way of wearable app development. Most wearable apps don’t have cross-platform compatibility; this lack leads to embedding with the problem of fragmentation. It increases the cost of wearable app development, thus it’s better to stay away from fragmentation.

3. Tethered devices

With smaller screens and limited functionality, most wearables are tethered devices relying on the other larger devices to access all features of the app. Hence, they become pretty useless if the smartphones/tablets they are connected with, stop working or have low batteries. Also, the wearable that is connected via Bluetooth needs to remain in range and often this results in a tether-breaking situation.

4. App Updations

Wearable app development is a trending topic right now and the experts are constantly coming up with the rapid and effective changes in this arena. Therefore, it becomes necessary for your application to always be updated with the latest trends and technologies. And this is why it is a challenge for developers to stay in the market & ensure lasting success.

5. Privacy and Data Security

Data Security is one of the biggest concerns in today’s scenario. A study conducted by Rackspace stated that 51% of technology users’ are hesitant toward wearable apps due to fear of privacy breaches and other data security problems.

In this sense, it is required for app development companies to give extensive attention to the security of confidential and sensitive data. Effective security measures are taken into consideration by wearable app developers in order to increase users’ confidence.

6. User interface

As compared to phones and tablets, wearables have smaller screen sizes and thus the user interface also differs in their case. And here comes the challenges for the developers. In order to face this challenge, wearable app developers are advised to emphasize rapid and simple user interaction, passive data collection, and voice commands. Flashy icons and detailed navigation should be avoided as there is not enough space in these devices.

7. Battery life 

Most wearable devices out there have shorter battery life. And hence in case, your application consumes a high battery, then the wearable device would drain earlier. This has a tendency to affect app usage and it also enhances the chances of app installation as no one prefers changing their device’s time all the time.

8. Speed

With the rise in market competition, it has become essential that app development for all these devices is done effectively and quickly. According to app developers, the sooner the app is introduced in the market, the higher is going to be the response.

What is Wearable App Integration?

In simple terms, it’s a technology that you wear on your body parts or clothing, connected to the internet (through smartphones, computers, tablets, etc.), The data is exchanged from the wearable apps to the device/network in order to perform tasks, monitoring, and analysis of bodily functions, and enhance physical performance as per desired output. 

Common examples of wearable apps are smartwatches and rings, fitness trackers like FitBit, body sensors, and Google Glass, among others.

From GPS shoes to wristbands, medical wearables have the potential to detect, monitor, and analyze heart rates, blood pressure, and even sleep cycles in addition to measuring fitness goals. 

Key features of wearable apps

• Customized notifications, alerts and updates
• Easy to use and navigate
• Location tracking
• Sensors with Bluetooth connectivity
• Lightweight and easy to load
• Data and privacy security

Benefits of wearable apps

• They help you get actual, tangible data on your physical activities.
• Users can understand the areas in which they need improvement and create necessary action plans to meet their health/performance goals. 
• They come equipped with computational and data transmission capacity. 
• Their ergonomic design and simple interface are highly useful. 
• They can be used across sectors, e.g. as wearable prosthetics in manufacturing, as gaming accessories, virtual and augmented reality applications, and medical wearables to monitor general health as well as complex conditions like cancer, or Alzheimer’s. 
• They can be developed to provide enhanced user interactions through voice assistance, biometrics integration, and AI-powered algorithms to predict user behavior.
• New wearable innovations are creating fabric/clothing that can combine touch and gestures to control devices. 

Difference between wearable apps and smartphone apps

Wearable apps are more or less an extension of smartphone apps. Mobile apps are on your phone while wearables can be placed anywhere for unique functionality, for instance on your skin, ankle, or clothes. Wearable apps screen size differs from mobile apps, it’s smaller and the hardware is powerful and specially designed. A smartphone app can work on mobile, tablet, and PC while a wearable app needs a mobile app for functioning as well a smartphone/device.

However, according to a study by MDPI.com, “The average number of steps recorded daily by the phone-based apps was on average 34% lower than that recorded by the fitness wristbands”.

Wearable apps remain on the body at all times, unlike the smartphone apps that are only on the phone, which means that there can be a lag/break in collecting data if the user doesn’t carry the cellphone at all times, which most people don’t. 

What Are Some Limitations of Wearable Apps?

Interoperability between various smart wearables and platforms is critical for the assimilation of data sources and continuity of performance, for which robust IoT infrastructure is necessary. Developers need to create wearable apps that are seamlessly connected and compatible with a multitude of larger devices so that information can easily pass through cross-platform compatibility.

Data privacy

Users may be hesitant to adopt wearable apps readily due to fear of data breaches. Inadequate and weak measures to develop two-way user authentication is one of the factors behind the general lack of trust in wearable app safety. Heightened privacy settings and keeping smart tech on guest networks and having a group of clients connect to a particular SSID, and the rest to another may create more protection. 

Update

While putting a wearable app in the market is one thing, updating them to keep them relevant is a whole different challenge because of increasing customer expectations especially because the development of wearable apps itself is more complex and specialized than normal smartphone apps. Another main challenge is to create wearable apps with longer battery life. 

Differentiation

If your wearable app doesn’t offer solid USP to the user and doesn’t provide value and features superior to existing wearable apps, it’s not likely to appeal to the users. 

Developers looking to make breakthroughs in wearable apps are at the precipice of a great revolutionary stride in the next decade. 

How Much Does Wearable App Development Cost?

Here are some Major Aspects That Decide the Cost for Wearable App Development

The Research

Being a wearable app development agency, we give the research period an admissible amount of time just to provide our clients with the best possible results they can expect in the end product. We don’t necessarily charge for user profile designing and research but we do include user research and product design in the price estimation of the project.

App Design

The next major aspect that determines the cost for wearable app development is its design. You need to know for the fact that designing an app for a wearable device is way different than designing for mobile. Like any other mobile app development company we design a wearable app interface with four prime interaction points; notifications, voice commands, watch faces, and native apps.

App Development

When developing an android based wearable device, the app development process goes the same way. However, they vary in terms of design functionality. What determines the cost for wearable app development is its difference from the usual app development process.

1. Watch based APIs make a real difference
2. These devices contain functionalities that are appropriate for a smartwatch

App Testing

In order to provide our clients with the best possible end product, we run a handful of tests just to ensure the quality they expected. We always test out data syncing between the smartphone and the wearable. More concisely we test out app performance. We run multiple tests on different screen sizes while developing wearable apps.

The cost for app development also depends upon the region you are choosing for outsourcing:

South American app developers charge $25 to $120 per hour for Android/iOS mobile app development.

Companies in the UK charge $35 to $175 an hour for Android/iOS mobile app development.

Eastern European hire mobile app developers charge $20 up to $110 per hour.

Developers in India charge $10-75

North America is considered to be the most costly region for Android/iOS mobile app development. The average companies’ charge $20 to $250 per hour.

Australian companies develop mobile applications at a rate of $35-150 per hour.

Following are average cost breakdown of the most popular mobile apps which worth checking out, as you might get a rough idea on how much you are likely to spend.

An app like Starbucks will cost you around $70, 000-$100,000.

An app like Airbnb will cost around $140,000-$200,000.

Photo sharing apps like Instagram will cost you $120,000-$150,000.

An e-commerce application is proven to be quiet expensive as it cost around $200,000-$250,000.

What is Wearable Manager Installer?

With Wearable Manager Installer, you can manage all your Samsung wearables from a streamlined interface.

To take advantage of the countless tools included on Wearable Manager Installer, all you have to do is connect each device via Bluetooth. Then, in just a few seconds, you can access all kinds of options to make the most of each device.

With Wearable Manager Installer, you can easily link each Samsung device to your smartphone, plus manage notifications, search for devices, and download relevant software updates.

With Wearable Manager Installer, you can manage various wearables like Galaxy Watch, Gear S3, Gear S2, Gear Fit2, Gear Fit2 Pro, and Gear IconX. This is an incredibly practical management tool to save you time when it comes to smartwatches and other wearables.

What is the Samsung Wearable App?

Galaxy Wearable is a free app that connects your wearable Samsung gear with your mobile device. Using it, you can control your Galaxy Watch and Bud features, manage apps, and always locate your gadgets. It promotes an integrated experience from the perks you get from using Samsung products.

Versatile usage

Galaxy Wearable gives you comprehensive control over your wearable devices from the moment they connect to your smartphone. 

While it can’t entirely replace the VeryFitPro or MyFitnessPal, this app provides much of your Watch’s same basic functionalities. Galaxy Bud management is also straightforward and easy to use from the phone.

Unfortunately, though, it doesn’t work with Gear VR. It doesn’t run on tablets, either, and the available options might vary based on your device model. The app updates its list of supported devices often for easy reference though.

Easy setup

Once you install Galaxy Wearable on your smartphone, you can easily pair it with your Buds or Watch via Bluetooth. As soon as you establish the connection, all gear data and settings become accessible from the mobile device. Be sure to enable the necessary permissions to make the app run as smoothly as possible. Note that it crashes here and there if the connection falters, though.

Multiple settings options

The app comes with a full toolset for managing your gear. It lets you connect and disconnect from different devices, update the software, and monitor your devices’ data and conditions. All settings sit on a slick black interface, making it easy to find and access the options you need. 

One convenient functionality goes under the name of ‘Find My Watch,’ using location data to ensure you never lose your gear. You can also play around with the notification types you receive and alter settings to match your preferences.

Overall, although it can drain your battery rather quickly and crash if your connectivity is poor, Galaxy Wearable is a handy tool for your wearable usage. It’s slick, smooth, and highly functional.

How Much Does it Cost to Develop a Smartwatch?

It costs about $83.70  to make an Apple smartwatch. For different brands, there are different estimates. If you happen to be techy, you can make a smartwatch on your own at home. From $20, you can buy the materials needed for making a smartwatch. You would need quite a few materials and equipment.

There are many choices if you want to buy smartwatches, either as a wholesaler or end-user. There is a general guideline for smartwatch manufacturing. Nonetheless, there are a few variations based on brand. 

Smartwatches play an important role in the lives of users. This is why as a manufacturer, you want to ensure the best is done to satisfy the interest of your consumers. Doing the right thing as a smartwatch manufacturer doesn’t only help your consumers to have better experiences.

It also helps you to build trust in them. As such, you can build a reliable brand they’d always go for and, in the long run, make more money.

What Are The Pros and Cons of Wearable Technology?

Pro: Wearable Tech is Convenient

Fitbit and similar products took off because they offer the user a convenient way to monitor their progress during exercise or even just throughout the day. It allows the user to keep track of stats like their heart rate, the number of calories they’ve burned, and the number of steps they’ve taken. The Apple Watch is being marked largely as a quick source of information.

Businesses adopting the watch are already using it to track customer data or view analytics on the fly. The watch allows users to learn important news stories, check messages and keep themselves informed all with a quick glance down at their wrist. That is a huge part of its appeal and a big reason why its already sold so many units.

Con: Wearable Tech is Limited

Before the Apple Watch, most of the wearable tech sold had a very specific purpose. Activity trackers are meant to monitor the health and vitals of the user, and while they may have limited functionality beyond that they do not possess the range of abilities that, say, a smartphone would.

The Apple Watch is a much less limited item, but it’s still confined by its size and its design. Based upon the smallness of its screen and its location on the body the Apple Watch still isn’t ideal for some applications, like extended web browsing sessions or making phone calls.

As cell phone screens continue to get larger the limited size of the Apple Watch seems more and more problematic, though it hasn’t seemed to bother users so far. However, that may be because said users acknowledge and rationalize its more limited functionality.

This may not be a problem in the present, but in terms of the longevity of such devices in comparison to smartphones or tablets, it may be an issue in the long run.

Pro: Most Wearable Tech is Discreet

Fitbit and the Apple Watch succeeded whereas Google Glass failed largely because they are less attention-grabbing. Lots of people have watches or bracelets. Not a lot of people have cameras attached to their faces.

Overall, it seems that people are much more likely to adopt wearable tech if it can be seamlessly integrated into their outfits, and Fitbit and the Apple Watch are great options for those who want the features they offer without radically changing their look.

Discreet wearable tech is becoming more and more common every year, and thanks to Apple it’s becoming more fashionable as well. That’s great for adopters who care not just about their experience with wearable tech but also about the way the world views them.

Con: Some Wearable Tech is Not Discreet

Of course, as discreet wearable tech becomes more and more popular items like Google Glass will become more and more stigmatized. Google has an uphill battle here, one which they’re honestly not likely to win any time soon.

Early it was said that early adopters of Google Glass would be seen as outsiders and might even be feared or be the subject of prejudice. Two years later that situation has not changed. Many people are still worried about the privacy implications of Glass. Many are still nervous when they see it. As such, some view those wearing Glass with suspicion.

This is, of course, not fair, as Glass has infinite applications which are totally above board and even beneficial to society, but the failure of Glass as a commercial product shows that the opinions of the average person have not changed in a significant way since my original article.

Pro: Wearable Tech is Useful

A 2014 survey by Rackspace and Goldsmiths found that wearable tech increased the productivity of employees by 8.5% and their overall level of job satisfaction by 3.5%. The potential is certainly there. Wearable tech outfitted with certain applications could streamline a wide range of business processes.

In fact, Salesforce predicted that the use of wearables in business applications would triple by the end of 2016. Currently, there aren’t many companies using wearable tech as a part of their business plan, but it seems that there will soon be a great many more doing so.

Whether this will improve performance significantly and change the landscape of the business world in some way remains to be seen. Regardless, it’s hard to ignore the idea that wearable tech could be used to streamline and/or simplify the duties of many employees across the world.

Con: Wearable Tech is Expensive

Currently, the cheapest version of the Apple Watch, the Sport, costs around $350. If you want a more fashionable version, like one with a stainless steel or leather strap, that price could be doubled. The Fitbit costs anywhere from $100-250, depending on what features you want. Before it was taken off the market Google Glass cost a fairly insane $1500.

Whether these prices are reasonable or steep for you likely depends upon your level of economic success and love (or lack thereof) of tech gadgetry. Regardless, we’ve already established that wearable tech has limited functionality compared to smartphones and tablets.

The rate at which it becomes more widely adopted will depend upon the attitudes of users.

Does Galaxy Need Wearable App?

In the past, Samsung locked its wearables to the Samsung experience. You needed to have a fairly new Samsung phone to use its watches and fitness bands. The biggest reason for this was integration. Samsung had special software on its phones that only works when you have a Samsung account. It’s a lot of work to guarantee every phone would have the ability to run the additional Samsung apps without running into other problems.

Instead of supporting the entire Android ecosystem, it was easier for Samsung to support only its own products. Since Samsung is the top Android manufacturer in the world, there was a good chance most of the people buying these wearables already had a Samsung phone.

The Galaxy Watch, however, is a continuation of some forward progress in Samsung’s support of more than just itself. During the watch’s announcement, Samsung made it clear there was support for more than just Samsung phones. On its website, a terribly incomplete list of supported devices (opens in a new tab) exists to show you it works with more than just Samsung phones but it’s definitely lacking.

For example, Samsung lists the Moto G4 Play and Moto G5 Plus, but none of the more capable Moto Z phones, which all work just fine with the Watch during testing. The devices on this list are also compatible with the Galaxy Watch Active.

How can you be totally sure your phone works with the Galaxy Watch or Watch Active if it’s not on this list? As a general rule, if your phone was released within the last two years you have nothing to worry about. If your phone is a little bit older, it may be worth checking out Forums to see if someone else has tried using that combination before making a purchase.

What Are Three Popular Wearable Devices?

The benefit of wearable devices, worn directly on or loosely attached to a person in the form of eyeglasses, wristwatches, wristbands, a ring, a badge, jewelry, shoe, or clothing, is obvious. They are small, worn discreetly in any environment, personalized, and capable of being integrated into any communication network, facilitating remote monitoring.

Wearable devices can be classified by function, appearance, body closeness, and other parameters.

1. Smartwatch

Smartwatches are computerized devices or small computers designed to be worn on your wrist with improved communications functionality. Most smartwatch models are mobile-based. Some operate as smartphone-paired devices and offer an additional screen to inform the wearer of new notifications such as messages received, calling, or calendar records.

Manufacturers continue to develop their products, adding features such as waterproof frames, global navigation (GPS), and fitness/health tracking capabilities. Smartwatches can now be used to capture and analyze hand gestures like smoking or other operations, adding reliable, sensitive inertial sensors.

2. Smart Eyewear

The optical head-mounted displays (OHMDs), head-up displays (HUDs), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and smart lenses also use a range of wearable devices, smart glasses or smart glasses.

Despite differences in functionality and design, all smart glasses can be divided into two groups: those paired by a smartphone needed to view smartphone images or separate images requiring a wired connection to the source device. Smart glass displays can be monocular if both pictures are displayed for one eye or binocular.

3. Fitness Tracker

Fitness trackers are commonly used on the wrist, chest, and ear and have been designed to monitor and track outdoor sports activities and measure gym-related metrics such as running speed and running distance, exhalation, pulse rate, and sleeping habits. Some studies in several activity trackers examined and measured their accuracy and reliability during counting.

The conclusion was that some trackers perform well indoors, providing valid results, while others are better suited for outdoor activities. Researchers suggest trackers provide health empowerment to users and may encourage kids to exercise more. Professional soccer teams in Europe and the U.S. used the activity tracker miCoach produced by Adidas to quantify players physical performance.

4. Smart Clothing

Although smart clothing is similar to other types of wearables, it includes a wide range of wearables, from sports and sportswear (smart sharks and sportswear) to chest straps, medical clothing, wear monitoring, military clothing, and e-textiles. Intelligent clothes include a variety of items, although typically shirts, socks, yoga pants, shoes, secret cameras bow ties, helmets and caps with different sensors and features.

Wearable smart biometric devices have attracted the attention of golf, soccer, athletics, racing, basketball and baseball sports leaders and are already using wearables to monitor players ‘ physical conditions during training and improve team performance to reduce injuries. Smart clothing has enormous potential for firefighters, building sites, and transportation.

5. Wearable Camera

Unlike conventional cameras, the user-friendly design, mobility, and flexibility of wearable cameras attracted consumer interest. These cameras are excited by being suitable for creating first-person videos and photos in real-time.

Two types of wearable cameras are used: small cameras that can be fitted or even worn in the ear or fitted with caps or helmets, and larger cameras with fitting attachments. Some researchers showed the importance of wearable cameras for fall detection and ecological surveillance.

6. Wearable Medical Device

A wearable medical device usually consists of one or more biosensors to monitor various physiological data for disease prevention and early diagnosis. Digital health-wearable equipment is generally grouped with other wearable equipment such as activity monitors, smart clothes, and patches to help collect relevant patient health data using non-invasive device sensors.

What Are 5 Benefits of Wearable Technology?

Did you ever think that you would be able to use your watch to track how many calories you’re burning or how well you’re sleeping? What about having your watch measure your heart rate or remind you to get up once in a while and get active? With wearable technology, these once futuristic-sounding features are now a reality, and they come with considerable health benefits.‍

Encourages Proactive Healthcare

The way that most people deal with potential health issues is reactive. When they start to feel sick, in pain, or anything out of the ordinary, they react by going to see a doctor to get it checked out. With wearable tech, there is potential for a more proactive approach to healthcare.

People can use wearables to take action in the early stages of health issues instead of reacting after they begin causing problems.  This proactive approach to healthcare can catch problems early before they develop into larger issues that could have dangerous health consequences.

People with known health issues also benefit from detecting irregularities early. When wearables are used to monitor health, emergencies can be recognized as soon as they occur. The system can also be set up to notify others like family members or healthcare professionals to ensure that emergencies are responded to quickly.‍

Keeps Patients Engaged

People become much more engaged with their health when they use wearable tech to monitor themselves. By accessing the real-time data collected by their device, users stay informed about their health conditions. Patients feel like they’re in control of their health when they can monitor themselves with wearables instead of relying only on doctors’ tests. 

Most fitness trackers monitor aspects of health like activity levels, heart rate, and sleep quality The device collects data over time so users can view their metrics to detect issues and irregularities in their health. This can motivate people to improve their metrics by engaging in healthy behaviors like getting more sleep and exercise.

Many trackers include features that track weight and calorie intake to promote a healthy diet. Having the ability to track progress adds a whole new dimension to health and fitness that is unique to wearable devices.

Performs Many Functions

There are many types of wearable devices already on the market, and they have various uses. While consumer-focused devices are the most common, others are designed for use in the medical field. One example is wearable bio-sensors which are used to monitor things like heart rate and respiratory rate. Electronic smart hearing aids are also becoming more popular.

There are devices for diabetic patients that continuously monitor glucose levels using a sensor placed under the skin, which then connects to a smartphone. As wearables become more common, more medical uses for these devices will be developed.

New, experimental wearable tech is hitting the market on a regular basis. For example, a variety of new devices claim to help improve posture. Other unique wearables include devices that monitor UV exposure, fix circadian rhythm, and help regulate body temperature. These unique wearables each target specific problems that may not already have solutions using other types of technology.‍

Benefits Healthcare Providers and Employers

Wearable tech can provide enormous benefits to healthcare providers. By using wearable devices to monitor patient data over a long period, medical professionals can better understand the issues that are affecting the patient. They can use this data to make a more accurate diagnosis than they would have been able to without using the device.

Using wearable tech can also save money in the healthcare system. It’s estimated that 20% of all healthcare costs result from lack of consistent exercise, lack of adequate sleep, and addictions to alcohol, drugs, and tobacco. By encouraging exercise and better sleep patterns, wearable tech can help patients become healthier and reduce strain on the healthcare system. 

In addition, some insurance companies suggest reducing premiums for people who use wearables to encourage wider usage. Employers also benefit when their employees use wearables – one three-year study of employees who used wearables showed a 44% decrease in sick days.‍

Monitors Vulnerable Patients

One unique application of wearable tech is that it can monitor vulnerable patients from a distance. While many people already use wearables to look after their health, they would also like a way to monitor the health of vulnerable family members.

Researchers at PwC’s Health Research Institute say that there’s a demand for devices and services that can be used to look after family members like children or aging parents. Using wearable tech is a great way for caregivers to monitor at-risk seniors in the family.

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Healthcare providers can also use wearable tech to monitor vulnerable patients.  Patients can use wearables when they return home after surgery or an operation to keep doctors informed on their recovery and ensure no complications occur.

This helps ease the burden on healthcare systems by letting patients leave the hospital and return home, while still keeping an eye on their conditions using wearables.‍

Bottomline

Wearable tech is a new industry with great potential for innovation in the future. The industry is growing rapidly as wearables become more popular within the medical industry and with consumers, and the worldwide market for wearables is predicted to nearly double in size from 2017 to 2022. 

As the wearable tech industry experiences an influx of innovation, there’s no telling the future benefits these devices will provide.