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2Myth 1: Wearables Are Just Another Smartphone Form Factor
The wearables market extends well beyond smartphones and even smartwatches. There are health trackers embedded in running shoes and smart clothing. One vendor has even exhibited a device, to be embedded in a user’s tooth, that could monitor what a person has eaten. “The market spans multiple industries, applications and devices,” says Stuermer.
3Myth 2: Consumers Will Quickly Embrace Wearables
4A Matter of Aesthetics
“The industry is still seeking its first big consumer use case and contending with aesthetic issues about whether consumers find the looks of the devices appealing,” Accenture said in its report on the myths. Apple CEO Tim Cook has said he thinks smart glasses are a harder sell than watches. “I don’t know a lot of people that wear [glasses] that don’t have to,” he said at the AllThingsD conference in May
5Myth 3: Wearable Devices Are Stand-alone Products
Accenture believes vendors need to build ecosystems of services and applications around wearables. “These services in themselves will be disruptive forces, enabling users to achieve new things in new ways,” Stuermer told eWEEK. “It’s all coming together in different packaging. … It’ll be the value proposition [of the whole] that’ll make it happen.”
6Myth 4: This Is Something New
7Myth 5: Wearables Will Remain a Niche Market
Quite the opposite will be true. Accenture expects broad sets of products to be offered across various industries. While consumer devices will need to be beautifully designed and unobtrusive, “Enterprises will be less concerned about aesthetics,” says Stuermer, “and able to offer things like safety glasses and other tools that can help workers collect data and share it quickly. There’s also a need for rapid response” that wearables could answer. (Image: From Google Enterprise)
8Myth 6: Being First to Market Is a Can’t-Miss Formula
9Myth 7: Power Consumption, Battery Life Won’t Be Big Deals
Chip makers are going to have to rise to the occasion, delivering “the right balance of lower power and value-added functions,” says Accenture. Wireless charging could also help, with users becoming more accustomed to setting devices on a charging pad on their desk or coffee table, letting them charge during downtown. (Image: Qi Wireless)
10Early Nudges for the Wireless Charging Market
11Myth 8: Wearable Devices Are Secure
“This is the furthest thing from the truth. Security is going to continue to be a challenge,” says Stuermer, adding that software updates will be a way to keep devices appropriately secured. Additionally, from users recording video to driving to advertisers pushing highly targeted ads, “Feature regulation is going to be very complex and likely vary by country.”