Tech trends, like the seasons, come and go. Nintendo, for example, hit a home run with the Wii remote, but also pitched a dud with the Power Glove. As consumers, it’s up to us to decide if an item succeeds or not, but as we’re not all rich enough to buy everything cool out there, there may well be a lot of tech that gets left behind. This got us thinking: what is some tech that is on the border between becoming a major hit or earning a place in the technology graveyard.
Smartwatches
We’re sure you’ve heard of the Apple Watch, but if I asked you to name another smartwatch in three seconds, could you do it? You could have said the Huawei Watch 2, the Gear S3 Frontier, or even the Tag Heuer Connected Modular 45. However, it’s more likely you said something like the Rolex smartwatch or Omega smartwatch, both of which don’t actually exist, despite the famous brand names. The Apple Watch hasn’t taken over the world in the way that Apple may have hoped, despite their game-changing successes with the iPod, iPhone, and iPad, even if it is beautifully designed.
You could argue that the iPad is fairly useless (why not just use a smartphone or laptop?), but even smartwatch wearers will probably agree that as cool as the tech is, there’s not much there that can’t be found in a phone. Funnily enough, this was something that Huawei CEO Eric Xu Zhijun actually pointed out regarding his company’s own smartwatch. “I am always confused as to what smartwatches are for when we have smartphones,” he said. “Therefore, when the smartwatch team in Huawei presents their ideas to me with great excitement, I keep reminding them to consider whether there are tangible needs [for these products] in the market.”
With the Apple Watch 3 coming soon and bound to be full of nice surprises, it will be even harder for brands like Huawei (especially with those comments above) and Tag Heuer. There are already some Connected models appearing on this site – far fewer than Apple Watches – which may well be an indication as to where we’re at regarding smartwatch popularity. In short: it’s hard to beat Apple if you’re releasing a smartwatch. By all means, we think smartwatches will stick around, but will we witness anyone wearing something other than an Apple? That remains to be seen.
Virtual reality
VR hit us early on with promises of changing the gaming industry, but like a lot of accessories, it’s fun for a while but then gets relegated to a dusty corner. There are many who think that VR still has a lot to offer – and maybe they’re right – but to a huge portion of tech consumers, VR is simply an expensive, nausea-inducing, and over-promised fad that didn’t deserve all the hype. True, Batman: Arkham VR received a lot of positive reviews for the way in which it incorporated virtual reality, but there is also a sea of unforgettable titles attempting to cash in on the VR frenzy.
Gamers simply want one thing: a good game. Fancy tech can only hold their attention for so long, but if the games are great and truly warrants virtual reality, then we say go for it. If not, into the dusty corner you go. True, there’s been some good ideas regarding what VR could be used for, including watching concerts and basketball matches from your own home, but this is still a long way away.
What do you think about virtual reality and smartwatches? Or even other tech you think could be in the gray zone. Let us know on our Twitter page!
