A recent study from Ipsos MediaCT found that wearables are on the minds of Americans with many ready to purchase a device this coming year. 80% of Americans surveyed were familiar with the term "wearable computer" and 1 in 5 said they intended to purchase a device within the next 12 months. Wearables may not be as desired as smartphones, tablets and smart TVs but Americans are more interested in buying a connected device for their body than eReader, media streaming devices and 4K TVs.
In looking deeper at the wearable tech category, Ipsos found that fitness trackers, smartwatches and smart jewellery were the most desired wearable tech. With consumers most interested in buying wearables from the likes of Apple, Google and Samsung.
When making the choice to buy, Ipsos found that Americans look to how well the wearable device plays with other devices they own. Seven in ten (70%) say having a wearable device that seamlessly connects with other devices is important. While how it looks (color, shape and size) was just as important.
Privacy and health risks were confirmed concerns with consumers but not so great that they impeded purchase. 45% of likely purchasers believe that wearable technology is a significant threat to personal privacy, and 42% of likely purchasers have concerns about health risks of wearing technology on their body.
Ipos also found that non-device owners have a hard time understanding how wearable technology will impact their lives with 21% non-device owners clearly seeing a life benefit compared to 68% of device owners. This last fact illustrates how new this technology is to the average consumer and stresses the importance of being able to use a device before judging how effective it can add value to one's life.
