So long, Apple Watch By Lauren Johnson
- January 5, 2016, 9:00 AM EST
- Technology
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Brands are weaving technology into what people wear every day. OuraLast year, Apple Watch and Fitbit were on seemingly every tech-savvy marketer's wrist. But as wearable technology gets more sophisticated, so do the products tech companies are pitching to brands and agencies.Wearable tech is expected to be one of the biggest categories at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where marketers will suss out which high-tech advancements have the most advertising potential and the power to win over consumers.Here’s a look at five intriguing wearables companies trying to make a splash at CES:
SamsungThe Korean manufacturer's latest foray into connected devices? The waist.Samsung’s Welt is a healthcare gadget disguised as a leather belt, one that tracks a person's waist size and eating habits. It also detects how many steps people take each day and how long they spend sitting down.The data is then relayed to a mobile app that creates a customized weight-loss and health plan.
OMsignalInstead of building wearables into stand-alone products, more brands are experimenting with weaving technology into things people wear every day.At CES, wearable company OMsignal is showing off Ombra, a biometric bra equipped with a plastic sensor that records calories burned and heart rate into an app.According to OMsignal, more than 70 percent of women don’t pick the right bra size, which Ombra hopes to address with adjustable straps, stretchy fabric and mesh. The bra will retail for $150 this spring.
MoffMoff is the modern-day slap bracelet. The wearable band snaps around people's wrists, and an Android or iPhone app triggers a sound every time they touch something.The idea is to turn everything in the world into a game by mashing up Bluetooth technology built into the app with motion detection. Picking up a broom, for example, may emit a guitar strum.The Japanese company will demo its technology within fitness apps for children at CES.
OuraringThere are a number of sleep trackers available to consumers, but Ouraring is hoping to differentiate itself.The ring-shaped device, which sells for $250, slips over your finger and tracks your sleep cycles.As with many other wearables, Ouraring works with an app, but it can also store data on its own without a smartphone nearby. Once the ring is in close proximity to a phone, it automatically transmits data.
ScotteVestThe everyday consumer juggles multiple smartphones, gadgets and chargers, and ScotteVest designs clothes to carry all of them.The wearables brand makes jackets, shorts and shirts with multiple specially designed pockets.Prices range from $20 for a baseball cap that lets you tuck a wallet into its brim to $75 for a zippered jacket with 13 pockets.
