During my presentation yesterday at the Wearables Technologies Conference (https://www.wearable-technologies.com/events/wearable-technologies-conference-2015-usa) in San Francisco I asked the audience the following question: “Are we as an industry SOLVING REAL CONSUMER PROBLEMS or just building NICE-TO-HAVES”.

“Are we solving real consumer problems or just building ‘nice-to-haves’?”

Given the Wearables Market is forecast to grow dramatically over the next four years this is a critical question to be answered.  According to the recent IDC Worldwide Wearables Tracker Report, shipments of Wearable Devices will grow from 72 million in 2015 to 172 million in 2019.

Up until now the Wearables industry could have been accused of selling devices that are big on trial but short on long term adoption. Many so-called ‘smart hearing’ devices end up in bedroom drawers after the initial trial.

If this forecast growth is to be realized the Wearables industry will need to focus on solving real consumer problems and by doing so, building long lasting brand loyalty.

The Ear is a Good Idea for Smart Technology

The presentation yesterday was titled “Is the Ear a Good Idea”. Audio Wearables (Hearables) maybe just the category of the Wearables market that solves some big consumer problems. So in this respect, the smart earbuds a very good idea.

At Nuheara, we believe solving consumer problems and building brand loyalty is achieved by delivering three key benefits:

  • Fix a deep consumer pain point
  • Improve a person’s quality of life
  • Deliver immediate gratification

Obviously if you can augment peoples hearing all three of these benefits can be achieved. However the ear is uniquely placed to not only solve issues relating to hearing but it is a better place than the wrist to measure vital signs. Compared to the wrist, the ear doesn’t move as much, it is discreet and it has the potential to be a treasure chest of rich data.

As Wearables move from the wrist to other parts of the body, smart hearing will be the next area of real estate for the application of Wearables technologies. It is by applying these innovative technologies that Hearables will make a big impact on consumers quality of life. Given the dramatic growth the Wearables industry will experience over the next four years the industry is compelled to solve real consumer problems and in so doing, build long lasting brand loyalty.

smart earbuds discussion at wearable technologies conference

The Big Problem of Hearing What You Want to Hear

In today’s world our ears are overwhelmed and we have lost control of what we want to hear. There are hundreds of millions of people around the world who are dealing with hearing issues that make it difficult to hear what they want to hear.

From hearing conversations in busy social settings, to having clear smart phone conversions or engaging with SIRI in loud environments, to listening to music while remaining aware of your surrounding, the simple fact is that people don’t have control of their hearing experience.

“the simple fact is that people don’t have control of their hearing experience”

For most people, the thought of wearing a hearing aid is abhorrent, even if they could afford one. Many of the people with hearing issues don’t want to be associated with a solution like a hearing aid, but are looking for a solution that connects them to their digital world at the same time as augmenting their hearing experience in their physical world.

Hearables can solve many of these problems and improve the lives of hundreds of millions of people around the world. Using a combination of sophisticated audio digital signal processing, sensors, and the latest Bluetooth technologies all housed in a small form factor that fits in your ear,  smart earbuds, or Hearables, have the potential to be the next growth sector of the Wearables industry.

Smart Earbuds Take us to a Voice-Enabled World

Thousands of voice recognition software developers around the world are building solutions to drive the voice-enabled world. In the near future many of us will be primarily engaging with our smart devices via voice and a best-of-breed smart hearing device to leverage this emerging voice-enabled world.

What we describe as ‘a headset’ today will be transformed into a very sophisticated smart hearing device that combines a number of capabilities that are currently delivered in existing one-dimensional headsets.

A Hearable device with the combined functionality of an Assisted Listening Device, Bluetooth Earpiece, Noise Cancelling Headset and a Biometric Tracker all housed in a discreet ear bud with no wires and cables is a real possibility. In essence, the idea of a small computer housed in a Hearable device is a concept whose time has arrived.

This 21st century smart headset has the potential to improve people’s lives, change people’s behavior and deliver significant benefits for both consumers and the enterprise.

Over the next few years, innovations in the Hearables sector will transform the way we thought about headsets and it will lead the Wearables industry in its endeavor to solve real consumer problems and build long lasting brand loyalty.

 

 

July 10th, 2015