Google Glass was arguably the first piece of wearable tech to come to the market that really made waves in the tech world. Not necessarily for good reason. In theory, they’re amazing and a true testament to the future that we currently live in, with the ability to answer calls, virtual reality, real-time translations and a whole host of other great features. In practice though, they’re inconvenient and still with major bugs and fixes needed. Not to say they flopped but they’ve still go a long way to go.
However, instead of head-mounted wearable tech becoming the go to for technology enthusiasts, wrist-worn technology seems to have become a staple in a lot of people’s day to day lives. FitBits and Apple Watches, in particular, have proved massively popular. I’m going to leave it to you to research those products (or maybe keep an eye on the blogs for a review…), for now, here are the major pros and cons of wearable tech.
Pros
It’s convenient
Wrist-worn technology can attribute a lot of its massive popularity to the fact that it offers an easy way for users to track and monitor their steps, heart rate and calories burnt. Smartwatches, in particular, are great for checking messages and news quickly throughout the day, without having to look at their phone.
Most of it is discreet to wear
It’s really easy to blend a wrist-mounted smartwatch or fitness tracker into an outfit and it can be treated as an accessory thanks to the often stylish design. Having wearable tech can even be fashionable and a sign of status. As an added bonus, those that choose various smartwatches or wearable tech can customize them as they wish. If you were to look over to an online store such as Mobile Mob or one similar, you’d be able to find many different customization options to really add a personal touch to your tech!
It’s useful
Whether it’s tracking your exercise or alerting you to calendar reminders, there’s no denying that wearable tech can provide concise and useful features that can be used in everyday life. There’s also a market for them in the business world, helping employees to be more productive and organised and simplifying some of their day to day tasks.
Cons
It has its limitations
With the technology being so small, it limits its functions with regards to some of its features. The Apple Watch, for example, has such a small screen, that it makes in hard for users to browse the web or text. Fitness trackers are less limited as their function is basic and does not require the complications of a smartwatch.
It can be expensive
When Google Glass was released, it cost nearly 1500. And that was just the first, widely untested model! It’s off the market now but Snapchat has recently released ‘goggles’ that have some similar features (mainly just for the camera), and these are hefty in price too. Apple Watches can creep up in price and aren’t that much cheaper than the phone itself (but you’ll need an iPhone to use it.) Fitness trackers are better and usually come in at around 50- 200.
Do you have some wearable tech? What do you think of it? Is it worth investing? Leave a comment below and let me know.
