Some
segments in the Internet of Things are not experiencing the success they may have wanted.
Following issues with overheating, which caused burns on some users’ wrists, Intel recently
announced a full recall of all of its Basis Peak smartwatches.
Along with refunding all of the smartwatches and accessories, Intel will be shutting down the software side, Peak service, which
holds users’ fitness tracking data. After the Peak service is discontinued, any smartwatches still in the hands of consumers will be unusable, according to Intel.
Another player in the
space, Jawbone, was also recently reported by The Information to have attempted to sell off the wearables side of its business. Jawbone has denied the claim, but speculation remains within the
industry.
These actions may be driven by lower than expected demand for wearables in general.
A recent report conducted in Germany shows that almost all (89%) consumers in the country
say they are not interested in purchasing a fitness tracker.
That study found that only 6% of Germans say they have a fitness tracker and almost a third (30%) of those owners no longer use
them.
The ‘How Healthy is Germany’ report was conducted by DKV and comprised a survey of 2,800 German consumers.
Here is the breakdown of reasons for not using
wearables:
- 19% -- They are difficult to use
- 18% -- Annoying to use
- 15% -- The devices don’t provide motivation
- 15% -- The devices are
unnecessary
- 12% -- Bored of the devices
The study also found a difference between men and women’s main reasons for not using wearables. Most men cited difficulty of use
and lack of motivation as the reason for not using wearables, while women cited lack of time they have to use the device or losing the devices.
Brands like Fitbit enable consumers to track
food consumption and other health metrics such as steps taken and miles walked, but don’t provide the context to those data points to recommend paths forward for consumers.
However, a
shift toward recommending next-steps for users to take in bettering their health is already underway with pushes from other major brands like Philips’ HealthSuite and Under Armour’s Connected Fitness platform.