The recent announcement of the Apple Watch is just one example of a new trend of wearable devices hitting the market. Two main directions developers are going in with these devices are fitness and fashion.
Fitness
Apple Watch
While this wearable device is an all-encompassing smartwatch, Apple added two specific features to make it a major competitor in the fitness industry:
The Activity app: This built-in app provides a simple graphic of your daily activity with three rings that show how many calories you’ve burned, how many minutes of “brisk activity” you’ve done and how often you stood up to take a break from sitting. Each category is shown in a separate ring with specific daily goals.
The Workout app: Another built-in app on the Apple Watch that tracks time, distance, calories and pace of specific physical activity.The app encourages you to meet or beat personalized goals along the way, and gives you a daily summary of what you’ve achieved.
Misfit Flash
This device from Misfit is your traditional fitness-tracking device, but with a much lower price tag. Most fitness devices are upwards of $100 and catered toward those who are regular gym goers. Misfit plans on breaking into a larger market with their device costing $50, catering to those people who are just trying to live a more active and healthy lifestyle.
Fashion
A big criticism of early wearable devices was their bulk and unflattering design. Many devices were awkward-looking and could only be worn in an active setting or with casual attire, but a new trend in more versatile fashionable devices has emerged.
Charger bracelet by Rebecca Minkoff
Don’t worry about carrying your iPhone charger in your purse and desperately looking for the nearest outlet. This bracelet from Minkoff charges and syncs your iPhone so you can text and tweet all day long without missing a beat!
Google Glass by Diane von Furstenberg
Google Glass falls into the category of awkward and obvious wearable devices. Google realized this and teamed up with designer Diane von Furstenberg to develop a new chic and fashionable design.
The shift toward more affordable and more fashion-forward wearables shows that this movement is just the beginning. Consumers love convenience and accessibility and developers are continuing to advance their products in that direction.