In recent years the wearables industry has crossed major leaps and became a mainstream sector. Businesses are investing in wearable technology more than ever.
Let’s admit that we never imagined that something like wearables could coexist with us. Now looking at its potential, we question our past.
It all started with Apple and Fitbit, and now almost every major tech giant is trying to cash the opportunities. It has become a billion-dollar industry that is growing at a rapid rate.
As per market research and reports, by the end of 2021, there will be more than 800 million wearable devices active in the global market. Now that is something we cannot ignore.
Because of its niche capabilities and easy adaptability, more and more brands are making appearances, and people are going gaga over it. However, most people still think that wearable technology is only limited to smartwatches, and it is costly to build, which is far from the truth!
This article is intended to answer all your questions, including, is wearable technology useful? What are its benefits? And how much does wearable app development cost?
So, without further ado, let’s begin.
Types of Wearables Devices
Smartwatches
Smartwatch is probably the first thing that comes to our minds when we talk about wearable technology. Some perfect examples for such devices are Android Wear, Apple Watch, Samsung Gear series, and more.
Smartwatches started the league for wearable technology. Back then, smartwatches were smartphone companions, but nowadays, brands launch these watches as standalone in the market. Nowadays, users don’t think about how much a smartwatch costs because they know it is useful.
If you want to kick start your smartwatch app development project, choose the best Android and iOS app development company in the market as they specialize in iOS and Android wearable technology.
Fitness Trackers
Fitness Trackers have changed the course of wearable technology. It has become more of a style statement along with an effective tool for a healthy lifestyle. Every fitness enthusiast prefers to buy a fitness tracker rather than a smartwatch, which has the same features.
A fitness tracker gives away real-time health status updates to the end-users. Some of the examples for this are Fitbit, Samsung Gear Fit, Garmin, and more.
Smart Glasses
Smart glasses are the perfect blend of wearable technology and virtual reality. Though they are not very accessible to every person, smart glasses have their niche popularity. Businesses involved in AR and VR app development capitalize on the popularity of these glasses.
Some of the examples of smart glasses are Epson Moverio, Daqri, and Sony SmartEyeglass.
Benefits of Wearable App Development
We all know that wearable technology is on the rise, and for good reasons. These intelligent devices that we mentioned above are efficient in making our lives easy.
Apart from being an innovation, wearables have many benefits to offer. That’s why many companies invest in wearables irrespective of the cost of wearable technology.
Health & Fitness: This is the primary reason behind the inception of wearable apps. In order to promote a healthy lifestyle, more and more brands are emerging in the wearable app development industry.
These devices and applications connect efficiently and give real-time health data, including the heart rate, pulse rate, calorie burnt, hours of sleep, and more. With our fast-moving lifestyle, fitness trackers are essential.
Fashion: Not to forget that these devices are a significant fashion statement among millennials, apart from being practical. In the coming days, we will see the advent of wearable accessories, like unique fabric clothes designed to enhance blood flow.
Entertainment: Smartwatch app development incorporates the most significant benefit of all: entertainment. Most of the wearable devices are compatible with media apps like Spotify. So you can get entertained on your go.
Hearables: These are wearable gadgets that are designed to listen to music. These small wireless in-ear accessories are one of the most popular and best-selling gadgets right now—for example, Apple’s AirPod and Samsung Galaxy Earbuds.
Activity Tracker: The market is full of activity trackers. These trackers can easily connect with activity tracking wearable apps and give out helpful information. Activity trackers can perform many tasks, like counting steps, estimated calories consumption, hours of sleep, and more.
Wearable apps development requires extra attention because they are responsible for the coordination of various devices simultaneously. Despite many challenges faced by the wearable technology industry, developers are coming up with excellent, cost-effective and scalable ideas.
What are the Factors That Affect the Cost of Wearable App Development
Although wearable technology has become mainstream, many businesses are still unsure of investing to build a smartwatch or a wearable app. The reason is that there are many misconceptions around the cost of wearable technology.
If you’re planning to invest in wearable app development, you should know the factors that affect the cost of wearable technology.
The Research
Researching and understanding a project takes up a significant amount of time. It is essential to have extensive research about the market and the user base to develop an error-free app.
Most companies do not charge for researching, but it does take up a lot of their time, which affects the price estimation of the project.
App Design
Being a mobile app design agency, we know that designing an app for a wearable device is different from designing for mobile. You should keep four prime interaction points in mind while developing a wearable application: notifications, voice commands, watch faces, and native apps. These factors determine the cost of wearable technology.
App Development
In Android wearable technology, apps are developed almost the same way as other apps that use Android SDK. However, they vary in terms of design and functionality.
Some factors affect the cost of developing Android wearable apps, such as watch-based APIs, appropriate smartwatch features, access to a few standard Android APIs, etc.
On the other hand, the Apple Watch app development process is slightly intricate, which affects the cost of developing applications. Recently Apple came up with a new watchOS 6 version and a slew of APIs to help developers build robust app experiences.
App Testing
App testing is essential to create the best possible end product. Running vigorous tests ensures the quality of the product and data syncing between the smartphone and the wearable. The more tests conducted, the more incredible performance you will get.
Conclusion
We know that pricing is the trickiest part when it comes to wearable app development. The cost of wearable technology is what keeps many businesses from investing in it. Many different, intricate processes determine the product functionality, and the cost hikes up from personalized to advanced apps.
But investing in iOS and Android wearable technology will prove profitable in the future. It is evident from the rising popularity of wearable app development.
If you are a brand trying to create a name in the wearable app market, you must be prepared for the changes and challenges. The technology is constantly improving, and it is wisest to invest by hiring the best smartwatch app development company in the market.
Contact AppStudio’s wearable application development team to kickstart your project today and develop Android wear apps.
