Wearables are one of the most talked-about technology categories of the last couple of years and yet for all the hype the devices on sale are still pretty primitive. That is about to change in 2016.
At CES 2016, we will see the leader in fitness trackers, Fitbit, hold its first press conference at what is the world’s biggest technology showcase. Fitbit CEO James Park will kick off press day at CES Tuesday where he is expected to unveil Fitbit’s latest activity trackers.
The company already sells six types of devices and is the No. 1 wearables company globally with 24 percent market share, according to IDC. But in 2016 the company — like the rest of the industry — is looking to move beyond simply counting steps and the number of hours slept to offer much more detailed and insightful analysis of your activity and your health.
“We’re definitely going to be releasing devices with advanced sensors that help people track not only more accurate metrics on what we’re doing today, but additional metrics as well,” told Park.
“I can’t talk specifically, but things people are going to be interested in in the future are blood pressure, or stress, or more stats about their athletic performance. Those are all things that we’re working on and we’ll continue to release over time.”
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2016 will be the year of the fitness band with Fitbit continuing its reign
Tom Emrich, founder of We Are Wearables, wrotes, “If there is one wearable I’d bet will be on the bodies of the mainstream in 2016, it will be a fitness band, and I expect that Fitbit will continue its dominance in this space.”
“But with increased competition from the likes of Xiaomi and Misfit (now Fossil), which have dramatically cheaper price points, I expect we will see some big changes from Fitbit next year, including devices with new or improved sensors, a potential payment partnership and a keen focus on meaningful use of the data it is collecting,” he said.
As fitness band adoption continues in 2016, we will see a growing amount of insurers, HR departments, and marketers leverage these devices as a way to connect with users. This means fitness bands will be used for more than just tracking fitness goals, as a brand new ecosystem is created where fitness data can be traded as a form of currency for deals, rebates, and access. In order for this to happen, however, issues with privacy and security will need to be tackled.
See also: HR Tech Innovations Forecast in 2016