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From mobile device to wearable device

A sub–category of mobile devices is the growing number of wearable devices – also known as ‘wearables’. Wearable devices range from glasses, such as the Google Glass, to smartwatches, such as the Apple Watch. Such devices have brought with them a great deal of interest from researchers convinced that they provide the potential for even richer and more detailed data than can be gathered from smartphone-based mobile devices. Crucially, wearable devices broaden the range of passive data that can be required. Wearable glasses could automatically take photos or video, while a smartwatch could monitor health information. Stephen Mellor, managing director of Clicked Research Agency, cautions against some of this early enthusiasm for wearable devices.³³ Consumers remain confused about why they need to use the devices, and a focus on passive data collection is likely to create increased concerns over privacy and use of personal data. Nevertheless, this is a fastemerging market and with major companies such as Google and Apple continuing to invest in wearable technology, this is an area on which researchers should keep an eye for the future.