Commentary
Fitness Trackers Vs. Smartwatches: King Of The Wearables
- by Chuck Martin , Staff Writer, December 21, 2015
If nothing else, the consumer-related gadgetry of The Internet of
Things continues to tilt toward the practical.
In yet another study looking at what smart objects consumers either own or plan to purchase, things that make their homes work better or more efficiently are front and center.
While the majority (51%) of smartphone owners already have interacted with home electronic IoT devices, the most common item owned is the smart smoke detector, according to the Adobe Digital Index.
The report is based on 225 billion branded Web site visits, 20 million social engagements across various platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, and 400 U.S. smartphone owner surveys.
The top three devices already owned are smart smoke detectors (29%), smart thermostats (15%) and smart home systems (11%).
In terms of plans to purchase within the next six months, smart home detectors (30%) also lead the way, followed by smart thermostats (23%) and smart home systems (13%).
And based on the latest tracking of online conversations around holiday shopping by IBM’s Watson Trend, none of those items will be under the tree this year.
Other than smartphones, the only smart items on the Watson Trend tech list are the Apple Watch and Pebble Time, although Apple’s watch remains the very top of the list of all tech objects.
And based on Adobe and Watson Trend tracking information, the Apple Watch leads the conversation of which one will be purchased in the future.
Consistent with Watson Trend, the Adobe tracker shows 37% of consumers planning to purchase a smartwatch. In addition, 25% already own a fitness tracker and 38% plan to purchase one within the next six months.
Other research has projected that in the long term, smartwatches will assume some fitness tracking chores, aside from simply being a hub for separate fitness trackers today. More than a third (35%) of smartwatch owners already use their watch most frequently for fitness tracking.
Adobe also predicts that smartwatches will overtake fitness trackers in the wearables category.
But at least for now, the fitness tracker, with its lower price and mass appeal, is the king of the wearables hill.
Chuck Martin is Editor of the AI & IoT Daily at MediaPost and writes the daily Connected Thinking column. He is a NY Times Business bestselling author and his latest book is “Digital Transformation 3.0” (The New Business-to-Consumer Connections of The Internet of Things.) He is CEO of Net Future Institute and a frequent keynote speaker internationally. Follow him on Twitter @chuckmartin and contact him at Chuck@MediaPost.com.
I've been putting off a flitfit or whatever they call it because I can't find a store employee to discuss it adequately with me, but I'm probably poised to pounce before Xmas eve, anyway. I'm a little worried that I prefer the maroon pink but am worried it might generate talk about me I won't appreciate. I like to brag I don't embrace most of the current gadgetry in its entirety, but even us naysayers have our weaknesses. There'll probably be a period when I'll have to explain myself, but like all things, that will pass. Well OK here goes, once more into the Breach!
Well good luck with diving in, Ida. Fitbit leads in market share and Jawbone is the other major player (I wear a Fitbit Charge HR and a Jawbone Up3, if that helps). Dependng on which model you choose, some of the bands are interchangable (generally, those that don't real-time track heart rate) so initial color selection cam matter less.