Wearable App Development: Features, Applications, Development Process

Last updated on June 5th, 2023

Long gone is the time when only humans were considered smart. Today, gadgets, devices, and even apps are smart. And, among these smart apps, there are advanced apps known as wearable apps. These are the face of today’s modern world and are widely used by users in every corner of the world. 

No matter if you consider the young user base, users in their late 30s and 40s, and even kids, wearable apps are leveraged and preferred by all types of users. But, what are wearable apps that have such a wide audience? 

What are Wearable Apps? 

Said to be an extension of mobile apps, wearable apps are a level smarter. These can be integrated with wearable objects such as rings, wristwatches, and even wristbands. Depending on the type of programming, these apps can help monitor health vitals, access complete mobile functions from a watch, and also keep a check on physical activity through a ring. This all depends on the type of object your wearable app is integrated with or the type of monitoring it is programmed to do! 

Wearable app development process helps build wearable apps which can be integrated with the right hardware such as wristwatches. As wristwatches have smaller screens compared to mobile devices, these apps are developed in such a way as to precisely deliver the UI & UX! 

These are becoming common these days. Though smartwatches are most common among these, smart rings and wristbands are also on the way to acquiring a large market size. These are appreciated by a range of markets. Let’s comprehend the potential of wearable app development in detail! 

Scope of Wearable App Development

Today, wearable apps are embraced by a range of industries. Be it the ones that are monitored by humans all along, or industries with different levels of automation, wearable app technology is slowly making its way into all industries. Let’s discuss its scope in different sectors- 

1. Healthcare 

The scope of wearable app development in healthcare and fitness is the most talked about. This technology can help and is helping develop apps and smartwatches, and wristbands that can monitor critical health vitals. Oxygen, body temperature, stress levels, calorie count, steps, and so forth. 

Wearable app technology is extensively used today as it can help patients monitor their health and reach medical assistance when they feel their health vitals are in the expected range. But, this has challenges! As the medical field is always critical, the wearable apps that monitor these have to be precise and should meet healthcare standards that ensure its precision, accuracy, and real-time monitoring. Failing at any of these can push businesses into real trouble! And, the damage and risk to human health are also unrepairable!

2. GPS 

People depend on their wearables for navigation a lot. As these wearables often get integrated with mobile devices, people get help from navigation and get direction alerts, route information, and whatnot through their wearables!

Along with these, some transportation and navigation apps like google apps can easily be integrated with these wearables apps. This provides users with an integrated and better navigation experience. 

3. Messaging 

No one wants to miss any messages these days. And, oftentimes when we are busy, we tend to miss important messages as we are away from mobiles or unable to reach messages regularly. Wearable apps fill the gaps. These can send alerts, and even allow easy access to messages through smartwatch screens without even reaching the phone directly. This also allows users to reply to these messages easily! 

Apart from these, industries like entertainment and fitness also leverage wearable app development. But, the real challenge is to develop a wearable app that is precise and meets industry standards, and matches users’ expectations.

Wearable App Development: A Real Challenge

Developing a wearable app is a lot more than developing a regular mobile app. It consists of extra challenges, checkpoints, and steps in planning and launching. Here is your comprehensive guide step-by-step- 

01. Create an App Idea

Wearables apps are not that simple. And, because the market is regularly expanding and has strenuous competition, it stands out from the competition, and real effort is needed. Therefore, the first step towards getting your wearable app is to think of an app!

There can be two types of wearable app ideas. The first is to launch an application and reach brands to get their wearables integrated with your app. And, second is to launch your wearable device along with the software that runs it! 

In both cases, you can take inspiration from already available apps, or can think out of the box and launch some new ideas. For instance, there is a range of smartwatches available and hence a range of wearable apps for watches are available. But, if you want to launch your wearable device, you can launch a small ear plugs type wearable device, a ring, and even a locket or necklace type of wearable. All this needs to be thought of as the first step. 

An extensive market study, interviewing users who regularly use wearable devices, and running surveys can help you gather data and plan your first wearable app. Also, at this stage, access and criticize already available apps so that you can find loopholes, and learning challenges, and also know what all available apps are delivering. 

A little preparation at this stage can keep you in a safe position in subsequent steps of the wearable app development process! 

02. Do Your Research 

This stage is critical. More than you can think of! 

Before you launch a wearable app, there is a lot that needs to be researched. First things first, basic market research, will help you get an idea of the potential market, user base, and market share you can acquire. This can also help you dig gaps in the market, user reviews, and pain points in already available apps. 

Further, extensive research can also help you surface what features and widgets you can add to your wearable app. Which is the recent winner of the market? How is it winning and what share of the market is acquired by it? How precise are those wearable apps? 

This can give you a headstart as to what to expect when you enter the market! 

03. On Board an Expert 

In your previous steps, if you finalize a healthcare wearable app, you would be needing a healthcare expert to get the precision right for your wearable apps. Having an expert on your team would also help you meet the standards and deliver wearable apps users can trust whatsoever! 

To ensure this, get teamed up with experts in the industry you are developing a wearable app for. If you are finalizing a navigation wearable app, ensure you get an expert in this industry with you. This can also help you make your app more intelligent and industry ready! 

04. Start the Development 

Once you have decided the type of wearable app you’ll work on, did your market research, and got an expert on board, you are on your way to wearable app development. For this, work on which technology you will choose, platform, tools, and so forth! Further, it is advised you hire experts in wearable app development. 

iTechnolabs shall be your answers! Here are 5 reasons why iTechnolabs can be your ideal pick for getting a wearable app development done- 

• Dedicated Team 

We understand the importance of your wearable app for you! That’s why we assist you with our undivided attention. We appoint a dedicated team of expert wearable app developers to help you execute your vision. 

• Market Exposure 

We are not new in this market. We have years of renowned experience to pronounce our expertise. Therefore, we can no doubt be your best bet for your wearable app! We also have wide experience in delivering apps in a range of industries which makes us right for the market! 

• All Technologies in One Place! 

We know how wide app development technology is. Therefore, we have set no boundaries for our team. We have experts in all app development technologies! This makes us a one-stop solution for all types of app development! 

• Value For Money 

We know the value of your money invested in your wearable app. We, therefore, provide value-for-money solutions and never compromise on the quality of assistance and app development whatsoever! 

These were the steps of wearable app development, But, there’s more under the rug! Apart from all the essential steps of wearable app development, there’s a lot more that needs to be taken care of. Let’s bring those things to the table! 

Tips For Wearable App Development 

App development is never a few-step process. That’s where some extra tips can soothe the process for you. So, let’s begin!

1. Test it Beforehand! 

When it comes to wearable apps, even a little risk can cost users a lot. Not only to users but also to businesses and owners of wearable apps. This can affect your reputation and your business’ brand value. This makes testing an essential step before launching your wearable app in the market. 

Once developed (and even throughout the development process) make sure you test your app on a range of platforms, operating systems, and also with real hardware combinations. This can make sure you test it in all possible scenarios to leave no loopholes! 

2. UI & UX Controls

In wearable apps, UI & UX plays a major part. And, that’s why it should be carefully sorted by businesses to decide on UI & UX controls, widgets, and so forth. This would also help you visualize your app precisely. While deciding on this, take into account the type of wearable device your app will integrate, the type of wearable app, user base comfort, etc. 

Depending on all this, decide on the UI & UX controls before giving a final nod to the app’s design! 

3. Notifications

Often, wearable apps work on push notifications. It helps users keep a track of parameters, and get mobile notifications on their smartwatches, wristbands, and other wearable devices. But, this has to be decided before ideating the whole app. You can also get insights on this on market research and survey analysis steps. And, depending on your user’s preference and comfort, you can decide which mode of notifications you would like to choose! 

4. Data Breach & Security 

Wearables apps collect direct and personal data from the user. And, this makes data breaches and the risk of data leaks a major concern, both for users and businesses. But, mitigating this data risk can give your app an immediate boost and reputation in the market. 

Therefore, while developing your wearable app, make sure you integrate all security and data checks. This can be done by carefully implementing API, data structure, and framework for your app!

5. Schedule and Plan Updates 

No apps align with market trends forever. And as soon as the market trends, needs, and dynamics change, the app needs updating too. This is where launching updated versions of your apps become critical for your app’s success. 

For this, schedule and plan your updates for wearable apps. Test them before releasing advanced versions. Also, make sure the updated versions are planned and ideated parallel to the original app versions! This can help you retain customers and market share even after years and years of your app launch.

Important Article: Top 10 Emerging Mobile App Development Technologies for 2023

Are You Looking for Wearable App Development from iTechnolabs?

Wearable apps are new trends. And, the pattern with which these are preferred by industries, these are on the road to becoming new normals. But, no matter how common these become, there will always be a market for precisely developed, safe, and ideal wearable apps! 

To ensure your wearable app becomes the next winner in the market, follow the above-mentioned tips, keep users your priority, hire experts to develop your wearable app, and precisely follow the wearable app development process. This can make sure you get all the steps done right to launch your wearable app! To further ensure you hire the right team to do it, contact the experts of iTechnolabs today!