47% of wearable tech owners want more from their devices
Lacklustre battery life, highly reflective and shatter-prone screens hinder the user experience
17, April 2018 – Despite nearly fifty million adults using a wearable device each month, E-Paper Innovation research reveals that almost half are dissatisfied with the overall user experience of their device. The survey suggests that while the display and battery life of a device are considered the most important features for consumers, their needs and expectations are not being fully met by the wearable products that are currently on the market.
This research, conducted with 1,986 consumers, shows that 72% would find it more compelling if their device had a longer battery life, while over half admitted to having experienced difficulty reading their screen due to the glare from the sunlight, and a further 40% claiming to be frustrated with the vulnerability of their device’s screen.
The dissatisfaction that consumers are expressing with their wearable devices has been echoed in a number of recent studies, with research firm eMarketer even predicting that the use of wearables will only grow by 11.9% this year and will decline to single digits in 2019.
“There is a clear disconnect between what consumers want from their wearable devices and the products that are being made available to them,” says Tim Burne, CEO, E-Paper Innovation. “Brands must ensure that they are meeting the needs of the customer and always delivering value or else the demand for these devices will plummet.”
“From sports to fashion to health, the market for wearables is huge, so there is a great opportunity here for companies to listen to the demands of consumers and shape their products accordingly, which will also enable the devices to stand out in this incredibly competitive marketplace.”
One approach is the greater use of flexible, plastic e-paper displays. This technology boasts a wide-range of benefits over the traditional glass displays that are commonly integrated within wearable devices, with their robust, sunlight readable and low power consumption qualities known to combat the common user frustrations and enhance the overall consumer experience. According to IHS, the flexible display market is expected to grow to $15.5 billion in 2022 as the popularity of wearables with flexible displays increase.
ENDS
About E-Paper Innovation
E-Paper Innovation is the leader in the development and manufacture of innovative flexible, plastic electronics based and glass-free electrophoretic displays (EPD). The company is world renowned for its leadership in the field of flexible electronics manufacturing and runs a full-scale, automated factory in Dresden, Germany, with over a decade of experience.
Using a fully industrialised process, E-Paper Innovation manufactures the most flexible and robust EPDs on the market. Its displays are available in a wide range of sizes, including custom display solutions for high volumes orders. E-Paper Innovation’s EPDs offer a range of advantages over conventional EPDs from being truly flexible and shatterproof to their daylight readability, lightweight and low power consumption.
E-Paper Innovation’s glass-free, flexible displays have been integrated in a wide range of applications including smart cards, mobile devices (smartphones and eReaders), digital signage, electronic badges and wearables (smart jewellery and sports accessories amongst others). www.e-pi.com
