Should a Wearable Device Be More Jewelry Or Consumer Electronic?
As we move towards a future of wearable devices, will they be something more closely related to the jewelry and accessories we already wear or will they be closer to consumer electronics. Up to this point, every wearable piece of technology has quite decidedly been a consumer electronic. They are made from the same materials as our cell phones and are priced to be replaceable and upgradable. But that is not how people are trained to think about jewelry and accessories. We have grown accustomed to craftsmanship and materials that make them unique. If you watched last week’s Apple Watch announcement, one word you did not hear was “smart watch.” That calculated move was reinforced by no mention of competing products already in that space (something Apple has not hesitated to do during other tentpole announcements such as the iPod and iPhone). It is quite possible that Apple thinks the way to succeed in the wearable market is to create something that is closer to jewelry.
