Fixya reports problems with smartwatches

Wearable technology and smartwatches may be the new trend, but a report has identified several issues with the devices that could hinder their adoption on a wider scale.

Fixya’s latest smartwatch report found there were consistent problems with design and functionality among the top five smartwatches available on the market in recent months – the Pebble, the Samsung Galaxy Gear, the Sony SW2 Smartwatch, I’m Watch and the Martian Passport.

The data was compiled from more than 6,000 troubleshooting requests posted through the company’s product help site and mobile app, with major issues such as screen notification problems, battery issues, voice control and poor speaker quality regular features.

Consumers being locked into specific ecosystems by major manufacturers, such as the Gear only working with certain Samsung handsets and the Sony smartwatch excluding non- iOS users, is also hindering the sector, the report said.

“The idea of smartwatches has long predated their actual existence. Pop culture has had a romance with them for decades.” said Fixya chief executive Yaniv Bensadon. “The results [of the report] show that we’re still figuring out a lot the basic concepts, and that a truly fully functional smartwatch has yet to come.”

Samsung has since launched a new version of the Galaxy Gear, the Gear 2 and Gear Neo, with a more fitness-focused product, the Gear Fit, also available. However, it is limited at present to only Galaxy handsets.

Apple, meanwhile, is expected to enter the smartwatch market in the coming months, although it has not yet confirmed the product.