It is easy for anyone to have anticipated that werables would dominate CES this year. It is quite predictable that we can expect a sea of health and fitness gadgets in all sizes and shapes to be introduced, but the value of these gadgets are diminishing even their level of accuracy and designs are improved, the hype is simply not sustainable.
Companies that are joining the bandwagon include Garmin (the GPS maker) who just introduced its Vivofit bracelets and the unique selling proposition is the battery can last for a year for a single charge. Something is not right here if the key selling point is the battery life. It would be if it is for my smartphone.
And there is a new product which is a toothbrush that tells you on your smartphone how well you're brushing, as well as a watch that keeps an eye on your health when you put it on. And Pebble introduced Pebble Steel, which is a sophisticated version of previous product but using a stainless steel body and Gorilla Glass. It is working for them as 300,000 Pebble smartwatches have been sold worldwide today.
The watch form factor is still a novelty and the idea that the small screen is being used to support the smartphone is a weak one. Taking photos and talking on your smartphone will not become a mainstream behavior. If someone who can have a better chance to pull this off, it would be Apple. I bet their chance of success is still 50/50. They have yet solved the display problem which is the biggest hurdle and then the battery life problem. I think there is a good chance that they will launch one later this year (they have to), but it won’t be a killer product. But it is an Apple product, so it is cool and will sell. It will start with a metallic silver one and then launch 3 more colors subsequently. They will price it around $350-390. You need to wait 10 months.