Providing market intelligence for more than 35 years

In The News

Wearables must align to consumer needs for longtime adoption

New research from Parks Associates reveals 5 percent of U.S. broadband households are home to a smartwatch providing health and fitness tracking features, and 8 percent of households are using a digital fitness activity tracker such as a pedometer. But whether those households will grab more devices or upgrade down the road--and whether more households overall will jump on mHealth device bandwagon--is dependent on greater consumer education about the benefits of such tools, according to the Dallas-based firm.

"Though increased adoption of smartphones is fueling the mobile revolution that includes wearable devices, consumers' all-encompassing desire to use smartphones in all aspects of their lives is creating a dilemma for wearable OEMs," Tejas Mehta, a research analyst covering the mobile and wearable markets, says in an announcement regarding the latest Parks data on mHealth device adoption trends.

"Companies need to rally consumer interest in smart watches by educating them on the unique experiences and benefits of these and other wearables," Mehta says. "Otherwise, the majority of consumers may not see the reason to purchase another device that has similar, if not the same, capabilities as their smartphone."

From the article "Wearables must align to consumer needs for longtime adoption" by Judy Mottl.

Previously In The News

Here’s a Tip to Companies: Beware of Promoting AI in Products

A separate new study from market-research firm Parks Associates that used different methods and included a much larger sample size came to similar conclusions about consumers’ reaction to AI in pr...

WWDC: Apple Unifies Operating Systems, Makes iPad More PC

Getting AI use cases right remains tricky, warned Kristen Hanich, an analyst with Parks Associates, a market research and consulting company specializing in consumer technology products in Dallas....

Pro Monitoring, Smart Homes and the Decline of Traditional Security

A new Parks Associates white paper explores how shifting consumer expectations are accelerating the decline of traditional home security systems and creating new opportunities for integrators focu...

How Connected TVs Are Changing the Way We Shop

Connected TV, no matter which way you splice the cord, has upended the media consumption game. And a recent report from Parks Associates found that this space’s next frontier could be t-commerce—telev...