People might be buying wearables just out of curiosity

Apr 3, 2014 08:53 GMT  ·  By

Recent studies show that albeit buying wearables, customers end up ditching them after just six months of use.

Wearables are tech’s next big thing and many brand vendors are willing to venture into the space, in hopes of maximizing their profits. We’re seeing the trend everywhere, as we’re bombarded with smartwatches, fitness trackers, head-mounted gear and Google Glass.

Sony and Samsung seem to be ahead of the game, as the companies have rolled out second-generation smartwatches already and LG and Motorola are prepping their first intelligent time-keepers. We have also seen some start-ups come out of nowhere and take the world of wearables by surprise, like Pebble has done.

But are wearables ready to go mainstream? A recent article in The Guardian points out that wearables are selling at a decent rate, but those purchasing them appear to do so mostly out of curiosity and end up abandoning the devices after taking them out for a spin a couple of times.

Research firm Endeavour Partners conducted some research revolving around one particular wearable category, fitness and activity trackers, like the Fitbit Force, Withings Pulse, Jawbone UP24 or Nike FuelBand.

What they found out was that 10% of Americans over the age of 18 own an activity tracker, but more than half these people don’t use the gadget anymore.

Out of those who purchased an activity tracker, a third have stopped using the wearable after just 6 months since they acquired it.

While fitness trackers might not be considered an all-purpose device like the smartwatch, it is still interesting to note the particular trend building around this type of wearable.

After just a few months since the original Samsung Galaxy Gear launched, it was reported the smartwatch was receiving return rates as high as 30%.

Even more, there have been a lot of smartwatch models popping up on discount online retail locations like eBay.

Anyway, the data found by Endeavour Partners, posted this January is in accord with what was found by CCS Insight last year that stated 40% of wearable owners end up abandoning their device.

We’re not given any particular reason why people stop using their wearables and, of course, the study should not be applied on all products available on the market. For example, Pebble has managed to attract a lot of supporters, by being a platform that’s always expanding and integrating new features.

On the other hand, Samsung’s new Gear watches and Gear Fit activity tracker are quite expensive and this might keep consumers away from trying them out.

Even if wearables haven’t found their place in customers’ preferences yet, we’re curious to see how the potential of Android Wear will be harnessed in future devices. This is where the key to unlocking consumers’ hearts toward wearables might lie.