The Time For The Smartwatch is Now
We love a good watch here at Appstem. The style. The sophistication. The ability to tell time. What’s not to love? Even our CEO Robert Armstrong fancies himself a collector of good old fashioned timepieces.
So we at Appstem are more than excited for the upcoming revolution in wearable technology. Everything from your shoes to your sunglasses will be eventually be transformed into something straight out of a good sci-fi flick, tracking anything from stairs traversed to number of martinis consumed at lunch. Spearheading the wearable revolution: the smartwatch.
Apple is expected to launch the tentatively-named “iWatch” on September 9. Samsung is rolling out new entries in its line of Gear watches. Android Wear devices like the sleek Moto X are coming into fashion. Guess what? All those fresh new smartwatches are going to be thirsty for sexy new mobile apps.
Are you ready? Here’s a few ideas on a how to optimize your apps for the smartphone.
Keep It Simple
The small touch screen on a smart watch may be fun to look at, but there’s not much real estate for your fingers to perform complicated tasks like typing or filing your income taxes. Great smart watch apps will focus on one or two key features. Anything more than that and the user will reach for his phone. Finding that sweet-spot of simplicity and utility will be key. A swipe here. A swipe there. Then back to business.
It’s Time To Embrace NFC
Near field communication, or NFC, has been gathering steam in North America, and is already the preferred method of mobile payments and identity verification in much of Asia. With rumors swirling of Apple adding NFC functionality to the upcoming iPhone 6, NFC is about to go mainstream. Soon you’ll be able to pay for the subway, exchange social media profiles and contact information, and board that red-eye flight faster than ever before. You can either dig into your pocket for your phone — or heaven forbid your printed-out boarding pass — or you can simply hold out your fancy-dancy smartwatch. We know our preference.
Calling Dick Tracy
Voice-command enabled apps are a no brainer on the smartwatch. Voice is already replacing text input, and the smartwatch is only going to speed that transition. In only a few years, it won’t be strange to be riding the subway to work and see a train car full of young-professionals, all talking to their watches, channeling their inner Dick Tracy. We fully expect video camera functionality for future video chats as well.
Don’t Forget To Integrate
Some smart watch apps will stand on their own. Most of them will augment current mobile apps, expanding functionality to the wrist. Imagine using your watch to control the internet radio app on your phone. Or using navigation to find the best doughnut shop without having to walk around with a phone held out in front of you like a Star Trek tricorder. When you look at your favorite mobile apps, ask yourself what you would love to be able to do without having to actually pull out your phone. It’s a simple, effective place to start.
You can contact us at Appstem to learn more. Our mobile app developers can answer any of you questions today!
