Exploring the Advantages & Disadvantages of Wearable Tech

August 11th, 2016

What are the pros & cons of different types of wearables? We’ve got them here:

Wearables are slowly becoming more and more mainstream, but they’re not quite there yet. While the wearable technology sector is predicted to hit $100 billion by 2023, for most of us, our experience with wearables up until now has been trying out a fitness tracker or a smartwatch. Over time these devices will evolve into their own sub-categories, each with a different and exciting purpose. In the meantime, let’s take a look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of wearable tech!

 

Advantages of Wearable Tech:

Staying Connected

Wearables can alert you of messages, incoming calls, emails, and much more without having to constantly be checking your phone. It can help you locate your phone when it is lost, or even connect to IoT enables devices in your home (such as switching on the lights or controlling the a/c temperature). The possibilities for increased convenience and connectivity with wearables are endless.

Wireless Charging & Wearables - advantages and disadvantages

Data Accuracy

Wearables enable convenient tracking of your data, health, and exercise habits for your overall well-being. This is bound to result in a healthier you, but many health insurance companies are also starting to offer added benefits for those who wear fitness trackers and health monitors. Moreover, employees with higher-risk roles, such as firefighters, mining, oil & gas employees, and others are now able to wear devices that can detect oncoming dangers, such as heart attacks or falls, and immediately send this data to an outside manager or technical specialist for assistance.

Fitbit Wearable Tech - pros and cons

Fitbit tracks your activity and exercise with amazing accuracy

Efficiency

Wearable are set to make our lives safer and more efficient. For example – staff in packaging warehouses can now wear wearables that will assist in streamlining their packaging duties and tracking goods that are being transported, or wear GPS tags that can automatically tell them the most efficient route. Or, imagine that pacemakers, detectors, and other medical wearable devices can simply be connected through the internet to alter proper response teams when an accident or something dangerous has occurred.

Wearable Tech Advantages

The Wearable Advanced Sensor Platform (WASP) shirt by Globe Manufacturing uses physiological and location monitoring for real-time data collection to measure stress on firefighters.

 

Disadvantages of Wearable Tech:

Price

Wearables may seem cool to most, but the majority of studies are showing that consumers, for the most part, still find wearable technology to be too expensive. From $349 for the Apple Watch, $249 for a pair of wireless earbuds, $300 for a connected shirt, bracelet…and so on, indeed the cost of purchasing wearable technology seems to be more of a luxury rather than a necessity (for now).

 

Battery

Wearable Tech Advantages & Disadvantages

Nothing is more frustrating than heading out for your jog and…oops! You forgot to charge your smartwatch or your earbuds. Battery life is a critical issue when it comes to wearables hitting the mass markets because the majority of wearable batteries do not last a sufficient amount of time, and still need to be charged on an almost near-daily basis. It is also one of the most frustrating aspects for wearable developers because battery life does not develop at the same rate as other technologies. Remembering to charge your smartphone every day is a hassle as it is….now try remember to charge everything else as well!

 

Charging Mechanism

Wearable tech is getting smaller and more complex…and so are the charging mechanisms. As such, consumers simply cannot be expected to fiddle with tiny gadgets and multiple cords if they are to wholly integrate wearables into their everyday lives. Think about how complicated it is for an elderly person to fiddle with a hearing aid on a daily basis, or for a professional runner to plug in multiple pieces of tiny wearable sensors – each into its own charger.

Luckily, Humavox’s NEST wireless charging station eliminates the hassles of constantly having to plug in your wearables by enabling a simple drop and charge experience!

Wearable Tech Advantages & Disadvantages

 

At Humavox, we have created a new way for RF wireless charging that allows designers to customize, adjust, and incorporate wireless charging into nearly any wearable of any shape and size. By letting users simply drop their device into a charging station, we are blending wireless power into each and every type of different wearable for any type of environment.