Beyond smartphones and tablets, the era of wearables has arrived, but it hasn’t yet caught on with the masses. The wearable revolution will only begin when a compelling leader who combines fashion and technology emerges to drive the true value of wearable devices.
It’s been a few years since we’ve seen a lot of articles in the media proclaiming that the age of wearable devices is just around the corner, and we’ve seen a lot of wearable devices like glasses, necklaces, and wristwatches. However, it’s hard to look around and see people actually using them. Even smartwatches, which are thought to be the most popular of the bunch, are still reserved for early adopters. As portable digital devices emphasize portability, it’s no surprise that wearables will continue to evolve in the direction of more portable devices, and the industry has been investing and releasing new products, but why has the response been so lukewarm?
It could be that wearable devices don’t do much. It’s not enough to tell you how much you’ve walked or run today, or what your heart rate is right now. However, there are many wearable devices that can make phone calls, take photos, and do a lot more. Is it because wearable devices are so expensive that it is difficult for them to enter our lives? Of course, we already have a smartphone and a tablet PC, so it’s a bit overwhelming to spend hundreds of thousands of won on another device. However, it seems that price is not a decisive factor in the slump of wearable devices, as smartphones are so popular that almost everyone has one, even though they are not cheap. If you look around, it’s hard to find people who want to buy a wearable device but can’t because it’s too expensive, and most of them are simply not interested in wearable devices themselves.
The only convincing reason is that wearable devices are literally worn, which is directly related to fashion. Fashion accessories like glasses and watches are very much a matter of personal preference, and having a few handy features doesn’t appeal to many people. However, if you look at the latest smartwatches on the market today, they’re often considered to have a design flair that rivals that of most fashion industry products. In the end, the design factor is not a fatal flaw of wearable devices.
However, the true value of wearable devices is not limited to fashion or a few functions. They have the potential to fundamentally change our daily lives and suggest new lifestyles. In healthcare, for example, advances in wearables could revolutionize the way we manage our health. They can monitor our physical condition in real-time and provide critical data for disease prevention and management, enabling personalized healthcare. In addition, wearables with augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies can provide new experiences and efficiencies in education, entertainment, work, and more. Wearables are more than just a convenience, they can be revolutionary tools that change the way we live.
If we look at the evolution of smartphones and tablet PCs, which are now at their peak, we can find some answers by examining what drove their development and transformation. Apple wasn’t the first to create smartphones, but it was the iPhone that led to the explosive popularization of smartphones. Tablet PCs also entered their golden age with the release of the iPad. Apple’s success is largely attributed to its leader, Steve Jobs. The success of Apple’s products is not only due to the excellence of the products themselves, but also to the charisma of Steve Jobs. His trademark keynotes, where he wore jeans instead of a suit, thrilled people around the world. Many were busy analyzing and emulating his presentations and speaking style. Even as they worked to create products like the Apple iPhone, they were more eager to catch up to Steve Jobs.
As you can hear from behind-the-scenes stories and interviews with friends and acquaintances, Steve Jobs was very convinced and stubborn about certain product features and policies, and that was a big factor in the success of the product. For example, he embraced multi-touch, which was technically very difficult at the time, and the QWERTY keyboard, which many competitors avoided. Steve Jobs was the one who made this possible. If you listen to interviews with Apple employees, you’ll hear many stories of things that they thought were ridiculous at the time, but were realized because of his strong will. In other words, Apple and Steve Jobs became synonymous. People bought Apple’s products, but they also bought Steve Jobs.
In order for a product to be loved by a large number of people, the product itself is of course important, but it also needs a leading figure to stand beside it. Have you ever been a kid and imitated a friend who was cooler and smarter than you? Maybe it was because the clothes looked good, but more likely it was because you liked the person. In the same way, the fashion market needs stars to lead the way in the industry, just as famous designers conceptualize a look, and then celebrities wear it, and it naturally becomes a trend. Advertising itself often reflects this, as it is designed to promote and sell products. The public is more likely to be impressed by an ad featuring a popular model who is beloved by the masses than an ad that explains the features and benefits of a product without them even realizing it. Funnily enough, when it comes to technology, especially smart devices, this is not enough. People want to see progressive, leading models who can show them a better future, even technologically. Of course, when they buy a product, they don’t realize exactly what made them choose it.
If you think about whether there’s anything like this in the wearables market since smartphones and tablets, there’s unfortunately no clear-cut pioneer in this space that the public is familiar with like Steve Jobs. There are a lot of wearables hitting people’s pockets, armed with great features and pretty designs, but there’s no one leader to create a wave of interest and help people decide what they want the future to look like.
I don’t think we’ve seen anyone step up to the plate to replace the late Steve Jobs yet. But there are a number of candidates being talked about, and someone will step up to the plate and lead the way. That person will emerge with not only a powerful product, but also a compelling story that will capture our eyes, ears, and hearts. Let’s wait for the new hero to emerge and show us the true age of wearables.
