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We love comfort and anything that makes life easier. It's no surprise that the wearables market has significantly increased in recent years. Future growth is expected for smartwatches, wristbands, health monitors, and other solutions.
Technological advancements have made it possible to make wearable devices beyond wristwatches. The IoT wearable development, a form of wearable technology that includes smartwatches, has brought a new era of wearable technology. Wearable products can be mass-produced in both the healthcare and apparel industries. Two devices can communicate via the internet using wearable technology. Most of these gadgets can be used with smartphones. A majority of wearable tech devices require a mobile application to keep track. These devices are still very young and have a long way to go. The popularity of wearable technology has increased exponentially over the past two decades.
Smartwatches, fitness trackers, and hearing aids are now indispensable to our daily lives. This is evident in the amount of money invested in wearable technology. There is massive potential in the wearable device market. With a revenue of almost $28 billion in 2016 and an estimated $34 trillion by 2020, it offers a great opportunity for companies and entrepreneurs. Wearable tech is driven by the applications that power them. Wearable apps are designed to do more creative and unique tasks than traditional smartphone apps.
This year, connected wearable devices have already exceeded one billion.
These wearables have exciting technologies. It is time to learn more about incorporating wearables into your current application. This manual provides all the information you need to develop wearable applications.
This is what you will learn in this article:
- The difference between mobile apps and wearable apps
- Key wearable platforms
- The most popular wearable applications
- Why it's worth developing a wearable app and the business benefits
- Wearable apps are a boon for industries.
- Architecture study and step-by-step guidance for developing wearable applications
- App development: Avoid the pitfalls
What Is Wearable?
Before we get into how to make a wearable app let's answer a crucial question: What exactly are wearables?
Wearables can be worn as accessories or as part of clothing. These devices connect to smartphones to exchange data.
Wearable apps are those that can receive data from wearable devices. These apps have access to the operating system and hardware of the device. These sensors gather data and then transfer it to the App that is programmed to achieve the desired result.
There are many options on the market for wearables today. Smartwatches and activity trackers, fitness bands, smart glasses, and even smart glasses have all played a significant role in our daily lives. They are expected to continue growing in popularity over the next few years.
What Is the Difference About Wearable and Mobile Apps
Although wearable apps may look similar to mobile apps, some differences exist.
- Mobile applications offer more functionality than mobile apps but limited functionality.
- Users will interact and input less frequently.
- Many processes take place in the background.
- Wearable apps cannot be cross-platform because they use device-specific APIs
Key Wearable Platforms Examples
Let's take an instant look at the most in-demand types of wearable devices:
- Smartwatches are one of the most loved wearable devices. Smartwatches remove the need to carry a smartphone around. These devices can perform many tasks, such as reading and sending messages, setting alarms, showing notifications, tracking physical activity, etc.
- Fitness trackers are devices that monitor your physical activity. They can be used to track steps, calories burned, and sleep. Fitness trackers can display notifications and offer some of the other features' smartphones support today.
- Head-mounted displays and VR glasses are the best examples of these devices. They can monitor or provide information about AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality).
- Smart jewelry the most well-known example of smart jewelry is smart rings. These tiny devices monitor your physical activity and transmit it to smartphones for further interaction.
Other types of wearables are also available, including smart clothing and implantable.
Healthcare professionals are increasingly relying on wearables. Patients can monitor their glucose levels with glucose monitors. Different diagnostic trackers can detect muscle activity, body temperature, and chronic diseases.
TOP-10 WEARABLE APPLICATIONS
Wearable technology is already a part of our daily lives. There are numerous uses for wearable technology. They can help users plan their day, monitor sleep, and track their physical activity.
These are the ten most famous examples of wearable apps with millions of users worldwide.
Let's talk about your future applications.
1. Calm
This App is intended to aid users in relaxing and getting better sleep. The solution offers calming music, images, breathing exercises, and meditation tips.
Supported Platforms: Android Wear OS and watchOS.
2. Spotify
The popular music app has a wearable version. You can take your smartphone with you on a walk, jog or run and listen to your favorite music. You can create playlists, share them, find new music, and control it from your wrist or smartwatch.
Supported Platforms: Android Wear OS and watchOS.
3. 7-Minute Workout
Users who don't have the time or desire to work out for hours can find this app a lifesaver. The 7 Minute Workout app provides 12 high-intensity workouts with a calculated workout and rest period. Users can exercise at home and choose a workout plan that suits their physical capabilities and needs.
Supported Platforms: Android Wear OS and watchOS.
4. Google Keep
Google Keep is available for different platforms, even wearables. Using this solution, you can create notes on your smartwatch without taking your smartphone out of your pocket. Users can create shopping lists and set reminders. They can also organize their notes by type.
Supported Platforms: Android Wear and watchOS.
5. Uber
Uber has also developed a unique app for wearable devices. A smartwatch can book a taxi, check the ride's status, share details, and even call emergency services.
Supported Platforms: Android Wear OS and watchOS.
Creating a wearable app is not limited to making a workout app. These examples and other apps show that wearable apps can be used in many industries and serve different purposes.
6. Calculator
It is annoying to take your smartphone out of your pocket to use it as a calculator. Android Wear smartwatch owners have an app that can be used to perform this task. It can also perform scientific calculations (trigonometric and square root).
Platforms supported: Android Wear OS.
7. Cardiogram
The wearable app Cardiogram can be used to monitor your health. The solution is available for Android Wear or watchOS. It tracks sleep, stress, fitness activities, and your minute-to-minute heartbeat. The App also displays possible causes for irregularities in heart rate.
Supported Platforms: Android Wear OS and watchOS.
8. Telegram
A wearable version of the free messaging service is also available. You can see your chat history and respond to messages with stickers and emojis, as well as preset phrases and locations. Users can even voice-dictate answers, although it has limited functionality.
Supported Platforms: Android Wear OS and watchOS.
9. Strava
This is one of the most used fitness apps on mobile and wearables. This App tracks your running and biking sessions. This App tracks the route using GPS and LTE, so users don't have to leave their phones at home. You can track your riding speed, distance covered, elevation, and calories burned during activities.
Supported Platforms: Android Wear Os and watchOS.
10. Google Maps
You can also access the famous maps service on your wearable device. It can help users navigate to their desired destinations, calculate distances, provide alternative routes, and more.
Supported Platforms: Android Wear OS and watchOS.
These are just a few apps available for wearables that you can find on Play Market or App Store.
The Most Promising Industries to Create Wearable Apps
Wearable apps are fashionable and beneficial to a brand in targeting customers who use wearables regularly and want their functionality to be available on them. Let's look at some industries that already use wearable apps.
Healthcare
The healthcare industry has a lot to gain from wearable devices. They allow doctors to diagnose and monitor patients' health. These devices can collect data from various sensors, such as heart rate and glucose levels. These applications are designed to improve healthcare services and diagnose rare diseases quickly.
Many wearable devices, such as smart bands, glucose monitors, and diagnostic chips, can be used for healthcare.
Examples: VeriSense, Aira Tech, Qardio, Hexoskin.
Fitness
The most popular wearable applications on the market are fitness apps. Apps for tracking your health and body can be used to monitor it. iWatch wearable development or fitness trackers can keep track of your daily activities, such as jogging and exercise, and calculate calories and distance covered.
Examples: Nike+, Runkeeper, Google Fit, and Strava.
Outdoor Nav
Google Maps, a leader in mobile technology, is compatible with all platforms. These solutions have a lot to offer, as more smartwatches are equipped with GPS, Gyroscopes, or other technology. You can create outdoor navigation apps that are entirely independent of smartphones.
Examples: Google Maps.
Messaging
Smartwatches make it possible to leave your house without a smartphone. Because they can function entirely without being connected to your phone, messaging apps make them even more helpful.
Examples: Telegrams, Coffee, Skype.
Education
Wearable devices don't just have to be for smartphones. These applications can be used to create augmented or virtual reality glasses, such as Google Glass, and for education. AR and VR enable students to explore the world and examine molecules in detail. They can also study diseases and the human body.
Examples: ImmerseMe, Ocean Rift, Mondly.
Read More:-How Much Does It Cost to Developing a Wearable Application?
Entertainment
Wearable devices can be used for many reasons. One reason is to listen to music or podcasts while you commute, run, or exercise. There are many ways to approach creating the next Spotify for your smartwatch.
Examples: Spotify, Apple Music, and Shazam.
Insurance
Fraudulence is a significant problem in the insurance industry. Wearable devices could be a boon for insurance companies if they could access data from smartwatches or fitness trackers. These solutions exist already, as shown by the collaboration between UnitedHealthcare and Fitbit, an insurance company that makes fitness trackers.
Examples: Attain.
Fintech
Wearable technology can also be a benefit to the banking system. Smartwatches and fitness trackers today have NFC sensors, which enable contactless payments.
Examples: Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Exhaustive Guide
You need to complete a few tasks before you start developing wearable apps. This isn't just about coding. Knowing what kind of app you are trying to build, the different architectures available, and how to find a reliable app development company is essential.
Learn how to make a wearable application step by step.
Come Up with an App Idea
It's one thing to create an app, but it's quite another to come up with an innovative idea for an app. It is much more difficult to imagine a value proposition different from the one already in place. This stage involves extensive market research, the development of buyer personas, competitor analysis, and many other steps. This stage's results will have a massive impact on your business.
You can start by identifying the needs of your users. Wearable apps are intended to simplify the lives of users. It is important to understand the benefits of wearing a wearable version of an app.
Tip: Don't lose heart if you have trouble finding an idea for an app. You can find many apps in the app marketplaces that could be your inspiration.
Review The Market and Competitors
Once you have identified your niche, you can do a deeper market analysis. Start by looking at the most popular applications in your region. Then analyze their strengths and weaknesses. This will help you to learn more about your competition and provide better solutions that users will love.
Once you have all the data you need, you can start to plan your business model.
Find A Wearable Development Vendor
Professionals with expertise and deep knowledge in the relevant fields are required for smart technologies. You can create your dream team by accessing a worldwide talent pool. Depending on your requirements, budget, culture, and other criteria, you can find the right offshore outsourcing company for your project requirements.
Here are some tips to help you find the right vendor for your project.
- Start looking for a company that can develop wearable technology. Directory sites such as Clutch and firms can help you find vendors. These directories provide information about thousands of companies worldwide and allow you to filter by price tag, relevant experience, region, and more. These platforms can be used to shortlist companies for the future quickly.
- Find the best prospects - You have likely found hundreds of companies that could be great for your project. Not all companies will be able to do the job. Find companies with experience, customer reviews, and a reasonable price tag.
- Interview prospects - After you have identified at least ten vendors, do more profound research on the shortlisted candidates. Check out reviews and previous collaborations, and then, finally, interview them in person.
- Choose based on communication methods, location, pricing tag, and previous experience.
Wearable App Type
You have a few options for designing a wearable device. They are different in their operation, independence from mobile devices, and functionality. Let's take a look at some of them.
- A standalone App is a wearable app that runs on a device and connects to the internet via Wi-Fi. Standalone apps can be used independently of mobile devices.
- Companion App - These wearable apps are designed to complement mobile applications. They are limited in functionality and require constant or regular data exchange with a smartphone application.
- Faces is a lock screen that's custom-made for smartwatches. It's not an app.
- Glances - these cards show the most recent updates from mobile apps and are easily accessible to users.
- Notifications - These solutions limit the display of push notifications from smartphones to wearable apps.
Businesses create companion and standalone apps for wearables in most cases. These apps can be independent of mobile devices and perform many tasks.
When it comes to installing wearable apps, there are many options.
- These can be downloaded from an app store for wearables
- You can install them on your smartphone
- An app not installed means the phone does not send information to the wearable.
Before you begin development, you need to know what application you want to create. This will save you time and money and avoid costly re-work.
Consider the List of Features
Let's look at some of the most popular features in wearable app development.
- Smartphone module
In most cases, when we talk of wearable app development, we refer to the development of two apps: one for a phone and one for a watch. A container app is required if you want to create a standalone app. This App handles the installation and setup. Most smartwatches have Wi-Fi connectivity so that you can get apps from stores.
A companion app can be created for an existing mobile application or both.
- UX and UI controls
The key difference between mobile app development and wearable app design is screen size. Wearables require micro-layouts because of their small screens. A great user experience can be created if you only provide the required information, limit the number of buttons per screen and use concise text.
The rotating bezel on some devices, like the Samsung Gear series, can navigate the menu. Apple Watch has a similar digital crown. To make the most of these platforms, you need to know what they are. You will avoid unnecessary elements on the screen.
- Navigation
You can also use the navigation built into wearables to create a fantastic user experience. Many smartwatches come with gestures to move between screens, select an item, and so on. There are many ways to do the same thing.
- Push notifications
Wearables are something that users keep with them at all times. These devices can remind users of upcoming events, scheduled calls, and workout sessions. Wearable applications should have push notifications. You can now show entire text messages or preview an upcoming event through push notifications.
- Voice commands
You can integrate your App into some wearable devices that have voice assistants. Android Wear devices, for example, have an assistant from Google, and watchOS devices have Siri.
Integrating with their API allows you to add voice command support to your wearable app. This is an excellent feature for workout apps. These features enable users to control other applications and set timers as they exercise.
An app can offer many other features depending on your specific solution.
Development, Launch & Maintenance
Once you have determined the platform type, you can proceed to the development stage. This is the most complex and time-consuming phase, with constant involvement by QA engineers, testing, and fixing bugs.
Once the App is ready to go, it is submitted to the app marketplaces along with a marketing campaign that promotes it to the target audience.
The work continues when you release your App. You must maintain your App to add new features and fix bugs.
How to Avoid Things That Impact Wearable App Development
You may encounter many difficulties when creating a wearable application.
Working with a team of experienced wearable app developers will ensure they can resolve any problem with an actionable plan. Below is a list of potential problems that could arise while creating an app.
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- Privacy & data security - You will need to address data security and privacy whether you're developing a wearable device or a mobile application. Every wearable platform has its requirements. If you want your App to be placed in the App Store by Apple, you must meet these requirements.
- High performance and high battery efficiency - Users won't use a wearable device if it drains its battery in less than an hour. Wearable solutions are limited in battery capacity.
- Ergonomic User Interface - It is challenging to design a wearable app because of its small screen size. The user interface must be small-sized and easy to use.
- Customized notifications - Small screens are not able to display long messages. This is why notifications for wearable platforms must be designed specifically. One of the options is to use one- or two words messages.
Wearable Development: Is it Worth Developing an App for Wearables?
Wearable Software development will continue to increase in the future. It's a clear advantage to keep up with modern technology and gain market share by offering a quality product.
Wearable apps can be a great addition to your mobile App.
Conclusion
The wearable app market remains in its infancy. There is plenty of room for innovation, as well as a multitude of lucrative opportunities for entrepreneurs and business people. Samsung, Apple, Google, and Apple continue to invest large amounts of capital in this sector. Implementing wearables in the Internet of Things will be difficult because they need to connect these islands with data.
Correlation is key to unlocking new insights about ourselves and our world.
The future of wearable technology is bright. It will continue to grow. Make a wearable app to promote your business, regardless of an industry niche. You will reap huge profits.
It is a challenging task to develop a wearable application device. It is important to hire a company that specializes in wearable app development.
