Since the release of the Apple Watch in April, those of us in the travel industry now have a better idea of how smartwatches are being used and who’s using them for travel.
NB This is a guest article by Hannah Gunzelman, marketing communications manager for Sabre's TripCase.
In 2014, Android Wear sold 720,000 devices. And while Apple hasn’t publicly shared the sales of the Apple Watch, Slice Intelligence estimates the company sold about 2.8 million devices as of mid-June. However, other analysts’ guesses range from 15 to 30 million Apple Watches to be sold in 2015.
A global Euromonitor survey found:
- India, China, and Brazil have the highest consumer interest to purchase
- multi-device owners are more likely to buy wearables
- in the next two to three years the majority of consumers are more likely to buy wearables than videogames or smartglasses.
Travel applicationsThose who travel with smartwatches are using them primarily for personalization, notifications, services and bookings.
These devices are being used for
- Check-in
- Boarding pass access
- Flight notifications
- Maps and directions
- Room service orders
- To unlock hotel rooms
just to name a few.
Mark McSpadden, director of Sabre Labs, says:
"I really enjoy the Apple Watch. It’s a piece of technology that makes me use technology less...Wearables can provide better interactions between travelers and suppliers or agents, as long as the interaction is contextual. Contextual messages are key so you only have access to what you need, when you need it.”
In travel, being able to quickly glance at your wrist and see that your gate has changed or your flight is delayed is extremely valuable. On the other hand (pun-intended), travelers could glance at their wrist for the reassurance that nothing has changed with their flight.
Sabre’s travel management app, TripCase managed more than 30 million trips in 2014. An analysis of those trips shows that 70% of trips with air segments experienced a flight change within 72 hours of departure. Of these, 69% were schedule changes or delays, 29% were gate changes and 2% were flight cancellations.
John Samuel, senior vice president of TripCase, says:
“This analysis underscores the importance of the real-time updates and shows how wearable technology will take the concept of real-time traveler interactions to another level.The integration of travel services with wearable technology will drive more relevant and frequent touchpoints with the traveler.”
Looking ahead
Euromonitor believes that we can expect 249 million wearable devices to sell in 2018. Sales are expected to grow from $8 billion in 2015 to $20 billion in 2016.
Our own research sits nicely with Euromonitor's finding that multi-device consumers will drive adoption. We found great interest in the Apple Watch from people using TripCase via iOS.
But to reach these growth milestones, these devices will need to make a few improvements and we have identified some catalysts for greater adoption.
- Haptics – The Language of Vibrations
Haptics provide subtle personal feedback via vibrations. The
language of vibrations will become more sophisticated so consumers won’t have to keep checking their watch to get the information they need. Instead, the traveler will learn what the vibration means. For example, watch owners will know that two pulses means turn left and one pulse means right.
- Voice Commands – “Simon Says…Book A Flight”
Voice commands will be THE interaction for smartwatches because they only require one hand. First, these commands will need to become more sophisticated. Travelers should be able to talk to their watch to get information about their trips. This could lead to travelers being able to make a booking from their wrist!
Smartwatches can be uncomfortable to use, especially when you have to twist your arm in an awkward position to scan your boarding pass at the airport. We predict the hardware design will likely change.
Further, KGI research claims that as much as 80% of orders placed for the Apple Watch are for the larger 42mm version. This assumes that men mostly buy the 42mm model, while women mostly opt for the 38mm and concludes that the watch may be selling better with men. This may mean that the watches offer an even smaller design for women.
- Expand Capabilities – Can Your Phone Do That?
Today, smartwatch capabilities don’t allow you to do everything a smartphone can. They are a nice supplement to the phone. Wearables are the Christmas gift, not the need to have. If smartwatches are going to saturate the market, they need to have a broader feature set.
Since it sits on your wrist, most interactions on the smartwatch require two hands. Phones, on the other hand, primarily require one hand. If you want to use two-hands for better support you can, but it isn’t necessary to use the device. As voice commands become more sophisticated, the need for two hands will diminish with smartwatches.
The time is coming
Despite the current shortcomings of smartwatches, there’s no denying that adoption will increase in the coming years. According to a recent study, 64% of business travelers plan to acquire a wearable in the next few years.
“The smartwatch may become the device you’ll have on you all the time and the smartphone would become the much bigger, secondary device,” adds McSpadden.
TripCase began integrating with wearable technologies, including popular devices such as the Pebble and Android Wear, in 2014 with enhancements that allowed users to receive important trip notifications directly on their smartwatch. Later that year, it was the first travel management app to send rich notifications to the new Samsung Gear S.
TripCase was also one of the first travel apps on the Apple Watch and will continue to invest in wearable technology with the release of an app for Android Wear coming soon.
NB This is a guest article by Hannah Gunzelman, marketing communications manager for Sabre's TripCase. It appears here as part of Tnooz's sponsored content initiative.