Why Smart Watches Will Time Out

There are a huge variety of reasons why Smart Watches won’t work in the mass market. While gimmicky enough to excite the gadget collector, getting the mainstream consumer to buy into them will prove far more difficult. Especially, when they are put in context with better options out there.

Today’s Smart Phones are reaching the maturity of product lifecycle and coming into their own. Smart Phone cameras are actually competing with standalone cameras and not failing. Smart Phone apps are changing our lives in terms of how productive we as a society have become, how we track our movements, where we visit and how we socialise online.

Smart Watches are bad value for money. Comparing the Samsung Galaxy Gear Smart Watch to the iPhone 5S Smart Phone shows the real lack of quality features across the board. What’s worse is the lack of an USP or killer feature.

When developing Smart Watches, someone, somewhere, forget about one major target audience. Women won’t buy a Smart Watch. Why? There simply too ugly, too clunky and not an aspirational enough fashion accessory to justify the price point. And, traditionally far more women than men wear a watch, not just to tell time, but as an adornment. Many women see watches as akin to jewellery.

No one size fits all. Rules to live by in the rag trade, but what the Smart Watch developers haven’t noticed yet. Wrist size varies and so does eyesight. The screens in most Smart Watches are tiny.

In a world where people are always connected, taking the next step and seemingly talking to your wrist out loud might seem logical, but how crazy will you look? A lot of people find it hard to talk to hands-free-kits in the car. Do we honestly think Smart Watches will be the gadget to normalise what is perceived by many to be talking to oneself?

There are numerous early adopters out there. Time will tell how successful they will be but for the most part, don’t expect a stampede, after all, there not iPhones.