It is no surprise that smartwatches are the new up-and-coming product on the market. It started with small manufacturers like Pebble and Megawatch and now even big companies like Sony, Samsung and LG have produced smartwatches.
Some, however, are skeptical as to how useful these watches can be.
An article by the Business Insider about the “classic wrist watch” stated that,
“Brands like A. Lange & Söhne, Piaget, Harry Winston and Rolex all continue to excel and are showing no signs of slowing down despite the potential added competition of the tech giants.”
Much of the popularity of wristwatches comes with the nostalgia of passing on a wristwatch and also as a habit of wearing them frequently. Most smartwatches can receive phone calls, send text messages and use apps.
Some can even take pictures. They are also used as an “activity tracker” and most obviously, they can tell time.
Some, however, find all those uses unnecessary. “I think they’re kind of ridiculous.” said sophomore, Elissa Branum.
She is worried that this phenomenon could become another burden for those who are already addicted to technology. She says that it’s not good for someone to be constantly connected to technology.
However, there are those who would appreciate the convenience of a smartphone, a watch and an activity tracker.
Alyssa Bowerman, sophomore, enthusiastically expressed her support for the smartwatch and laments only that they tend to be too expensive for college students.
She says that yes, she would get a smartwatch.
“Because, I’m on the go constantly. And I run out my phone battery because I have to use it for everything.”
She says it would be convenient for having to communicate with multiple people and keeping up with them because a watch is always on a person.
“I would find it very practical for me,” Bowerman said.
“According to a Parks Associates survey released in June of this year, just four percent of U.S. broadband households say they are very likely to purchase a smartwatch in the next 12 months,” said consumerreport.org.
It is predicted that as the availability of smartwatches becomes more widespread and as they become less expensive, there is a possibility for an increase in sales.
Eventually the status of the smartwatch will become something less like a commodity and more like the common wristwatch.