Wearable devices...the next big frontier for apps

A new wave of wearable devices is set to hit the market, creating a new frontier for app companies to make our lives easier.

The devices will make accessing information such as text messages and email as seamless as glancing at your watch.

Essentially, major technology companies are developing new wearable devices to give consumers what they want, which is largely to be able to access information without having to take their phones out of their pockets.

Director of Kiwi app development company Sush Mobile, Sulabh Sharma, believes new devices will hit the market by the end of the year with the release of Google Glass and smart watches from major companies such as Apple and Samsung.

Speaking to TechDay, Sharma says the level of connectivity and processing power in existing smart devices has created a “pretty solid platform” for wearable devices to take off.

“The market for wearable devices is about to explode," she says. "With these new devices come significant opportunities for app development. The sky is the limit.

“Wearable devices have been in the conceptual stage for the best part of a decade. This was the future of computing and now it’s actually happening.

“Soon your watch will just be an extension of your device - the two will connect wirelessly and you won’t need to take your phone out of your pocket to check messages. It will add a new layer of comfort for users.”

Citing the example of a venture capital drive last year, through website kickstarter.com, the push to help further develop the Pebble smart-watch prototype shows the incredible untapped demand for wearable devices according to Sharma.

The developers of Pebble had a target of $100,000 but attracted more than $10million from nearly 70,000 investors in little over a month.

“This hints at the incredible demand for these types of wearable devices,” Sharma says.

“These devices will create that seamless experience. The first thing that people want to do is the simplest such as checking messages.

"From there the devices will quickly host more complex and sophisticated applications.”

The potential uses for these devices are endless Sharma says, from communications, social media and navigation, to paying for groceries and checking your house is secure when you’re out.

“When the devices hit the market, people will get used to them, and the comfort of use they offer, and they will become part of the mainstream – an essential part of modern living," she says.

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