Wearable Tech Could Someday Be as Common as Smartphones
The vast majority of Americans say they are super excited about wearable technologies, according to a recent study.
By Emily Price •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
If you think wearable tech like Google Glass and Samsung's Galaxy Gear is just a fad, think again.
A whopping 91 percent of Americans are excited about wearable tech, according to a recent study conducted by Wakefield Research for Santa Clara, Calif.-based cloud and networking technologies firm Citrix. The study showed that not only are most Americans excited about wearable technology, they think it's on the rise, with 60 percent of respondents indicating they think wearable tech will be as common as smartphones in just six years.
That's roughly when today's 6th graders will be headed off to college.
Related: 10 Reasons Why Google Glass Is Doomed
When it comes to wearing their tech, 73 percent of people want a gadget that blends into the everyday clothing rather than something like Google Glass that draws attention to itself. Only 19 percent of respondents were excited about the prospect of smart glasses. In contrast, the biggest winner of the bunch was smart watches, with 30 percent of respondents excited about the technology.
So what do people plan on doing with all that wearable tech? The majority of respondents think that wearable technology will be used primarily for fun in their life, while 41 percent think that the tech will make them more productive.
All that excitement for wearable technology doesn't point to one specific type of technology that's going to be a clear winner over time.
When asked what fictional wearable technology they would most like to own, top answers included X-ray glasses from James Bond and Tony's Stark's armor suit from Iron Man. Neither technology has been developed and released to the public. Not yet, anyway.
Related: Wearable Tech, Marissa Mayer, Entrepreneurs and Innovation: A CES 2014 Preview
