Wearable solutions are presently a $700 million market for physical fitness trackers alone, a product subset that presently dominates the marketplace at 61 % of all wearable options. Development and growth opportunities for all wearable devices are positioned to increase to over $12.6 billion with over 111 million devices shipped by 2018. This forecasted growth for wearable devices supplies chances for wearable app development. Customers desire movement and companies require efficiency.
The wearables market is positioned to deliver but engineering these apps is not as easy as it might seem. From various interface to security concerns the challenges develop however can be overcome by understanding the distinct viewpoint and benefit of wearables options.
Wearable technology will control the market in the near future. Unlike smartphones and laptops, wearables are small, constantly within reach and provide immediate feedback. Nevertheless, their performance and customer experience depend upon the apps you pick.
Continue reading to find out more about the issues and challenges of development for wearable devices.
Uncertainty
Quick interaction is the essential reason for creating wearable apps. Having bought a wrist tracker, you can determine your heart beat and check sensor readings immediately. However no appropriate research study on wearable app development has been conducted yet. Hence, a lot of vendors do not understand how consumers will communicate with their applications and such devices.
In order to discover the ideal solution, you have to explore app design and functionality. Attempt to comprehend what kinds of problems your application can resolve and who your potential customer is. Research study all the readily available use cases. Think about usability standards.
User Interfaces
Users interact with wearable devices in a different way from cellular phones, tablets, and other comparable devices. With wearables, smaller screen sizes require rethinking development techniques. Focus should be positioned on including as much passive data collection and speech-focused commands as possible for a structured end-user experience.
Wearable apps have to keep user interactions basic and fast; concentrated on micro minutes. They do not have the screen space for fancy icons and in-depth navigation. Through brief looks and easy navigability, users remain more linked with minimal interruption to daily routines.
Limited platform capability
Apple, Android, Tizen and other platforms provide really few tools for developers. Hence, your project might be reasonable on paper, however you are probably to face challenges while implementing animations or sensing unit technologies.
If you wish to use animations or the so-called “taptic” alternatives, the “wearable device + smartphone” scheme is vital. Think about cloud solutions; the data exchange process ought to not take long (there’s absolutely nothing even worse than waiting).
Data Privacy and Security
Data privacy and security issues are the primary deterrent from wearable purchases. According to Rackspace, 51 % of people reported these issues as the main reason they had not yet invested in wearable technology.
Clear communication and opt-in privacy settings can abate fears and build long-term relationships through enhanced user experiences based upon trust. Data sharing “must be discretionary,” said Eve Maler, VP of Innovation and Emerging Technology at ForgeRock. Although advantages exist for data sharing correct security steps need to be proven to protect delicate information and increase user confidence.
Desirable Functionality
The benefit of wearables is their mobility and convenience of use. Apps have to add value that is convenient and affordable– in both money and time. Simply duplicating what other mobile options offer will not suffice, developers need to anticipate customer’s intended needs and make the options functionally efficient.
“If you want to create the killer app for wearables it has to materially benefit my life.”– Eve Maler
Cost and toughness of devices impact customer purchase routines. Google Glass, at $1500 per pair, ended production in January since the unit cost was simply too expensive to reach its full capacity. Therefore, developers also need to think about the platform their app will be utilized with.
Small size
When it concerns applications for wearables, size really matters. Suppliers naturally want to offer as lots of app functions as possible, and that’s where things fail. Rather, you ought to start with a few standard functions that will certainly work and add extra features gradually. Do not forget about small screens and limited computing power.
Fragmentation
Wearable technologies are meant for faster interaction. At specific phases (for example, when devices exchange data by means of cloud platform) software and hardware might fail to work simultaneously. It definitely impacts performance and overall user experience. Once more, attempt to deploy fundamental app functions. You need to also use reputable software and hardware combinations, although their number is restricted.
Wearables as Partial Devices
What will happen to the wearable app if the connected device, like a smartphone, stops working?
Presently, wearables are primarily tethered devices– small screens with minimal functionality that rely on another, bigger device to access all the features of the application. Until advances make it possible for these devices to operate by themselves developers must consider the impacts of a mobile phone’s battery passing away, the wearable leaving Bluetooth range, or other variety of tether-breaking situations.
As Principal Designer of booking.com, Stuart Frisby says, “You now have to consider ways to fail gracefully.”.
Platform Specificity
The more cross-platform capability a wearable app has, the much better. The fate of Google Glass is a terrific example why apps designed for a certain device are less successful than those that can operate throughout platforms.
As companies work to expand their wearables choice and users buy different items, developers will remain ahead of the competition by providing applications that aren’t limiting.
Rapid Application Development
New wearables are striking the marketplace while others are discontinuing production. This is a fast-paced field with high growth but also increasing requirements and needs. Developers require to work quickly and effectively to accomplish quick development and launch with quick turn-around on customer critiques to keep their products effective.
Absence of API requirements
Application development for wearable devices is a reasonably new IT dimension. Whenever a new device is crafted, the coding process is brought out separately. As a result, some apps might cannot operate on a specific device. Numerous IT companies are presently dealing with specialized software development kits (SDK) to enhance app synchronization and performance. Pick the best SDK and development environment initially. When the API method is specified, consider the app functions and unique features.
End up being Updated or Outdated
For better or even worse, technology is changing at an ever-increasing rate. With new wearable options come new programming languages.
As apps push into new platforms and different devices, the Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) readily available grow. Some wearables– particularly those created such big names as Google– are creating particular API platforms that must be made use of for app compatibility with their device. This requires developers discovering new APIs; however, keeping up with the challenges makes it possible for long-lasting success.
Conclusion
Wearable application development is challenging but rewarding. As devices and platforms change, developers have to prepare to fulfill the needs.
Versatility will be the key element in this field with the projected growth that is anticipated to be seen in the next couple of years. Business success relies on keeping up with these patterns and by keeping in mind the unique obstacles of wearable app development.
These are the challenges that our specialists identified throughout wearable app building, weigh in on it. If you come across more, do share your views in the comments provided listed below.
