Wearable Computing Editor: Bernt Schiele n MPI Informatics n [email protected] Smartwatch Innovation: Exploring a Watch-First Model Kent Lyons, Technicolor Research n recent years, there has been a by the user’s mobile phone. But are A Sustaining Innovation I lot of commercial activity related these devices really about making for a Smartphone to smartwatches—but this is not the phone notifications better, or are there One view of smartwatches is as improv- first time we’ve seen smartwatches. In other opportunities? What user-cen- ing the mobile phone experience: a sus- 2002, Microsoft announced the Smart tered need might a smartwatch fulfill? taining innovation in the context of Personal Object Technology (SPOT) smartphones. As noted, many smart- watches, which became available in DisRUPTIVE INNOVATION watches depend on a mobile phone for 2004. Around that same time, Fossil THEORY operation—examples include the Apple released its Fossil Wrist PDA, which ran One approach for analyzing smart- Watch, Android Wear watches, and the Palm OS. These early devices did watches and their possible positioning Pebble watches. Although some smart- not see widespread success, and all were is to use Clayton Christensen’s theory watches are gaining independence from pulled from the market. So although of disruptive innovation.1 Christensen the phone (with direct Wi-Fi connec- I’m pleased with the current activity, articulated several types of innovation tions instead of being tethered with as a wearable computing researcher, I and disruption. Bluetooth), the applications and over- also know it’s important to examine First, there are sustaining innovations, all experience is still closely tied to the contemporary smartwatches to ensure which aim to improve existing products mobile phone experience. they address real user needs. This will or services. This typically happens by An obvious example of how smart- be essential for long-term success. making small, incremental improve- watches target improving the phone Certainly, the technology ecosystem ments in an iterative fashion. Occasion- experience is the role of notifications. of today differs from that of the early ally, there are radical sustaining innova- All of the smartwatches expose notifi- 2000s. Smartphones alone are radi- tions, which introduce a different type cations from mobile phone apps onto cally different. When the early smart- of technology but have the same goal the user’s wrist. By having a watch, watches were made, neither the iPhone as sustaining innovations of better solv- the user gains a “glanceable” view of nor Android smartphones were on the ing an existing problem. Christensen the notification, which would other- market. In the intervening years, we also pointed out two different forms of wise require pulling out a phone. The have seen the huge adoption of these disruptive innovation. One is a low-end watch provides improved access time mobile platforms and associated shifts disruption, where a new entrant makes for the notification2 and enables some throughout the industry. The app store a product that is cheaper and worse quick interactions for simple tasks. For model of both the iOS and Android has than an incumbent and then, through example, the watch can be used as a also opened up opportunities for third sustaining innovations, improves the remote control for the music player or parties to develop software and deploy offering. The other is new market dis- to respond to messages with preselected it at scale. Today’s smartwatches use ruptions, which take a technology and responses. The watches also provide this modern mobile infrastructure, use it to solve a different problem, thus ways to escalate to the phone when with Bluetooth links to a user’s phone, creating a new market. tasks become too complex. For exam- to leverage mobile apps as well as to Using this framework, we can see ple, one of the commands available for more broadly connect to cloud services. both how the current smartwatches are an Android Wear notification is to open Not surprisingly, one dominant use being positioned as well as understand the associated app on the phone. of smartwatches is as a platform for opportunities for future products and In this smartphone context, the interacting with notifications provided research. smartwatch provides an enhanced 10 PERVASIVE computing Published by the IEEE CS n 1536-1268/16/$33.00 © 2016 IEEE experience, making some common as notifications and applications. This smartwatches—in particular, the com- tasks faster. However, does the benefit approach would be a radical sustain- bination of date or day of week with of the watch outweigh the associated ing innovation: taking the traditional the time. In contrast, some participants (actual or perceived) burden of wearing performance values of a watch and raised concerns about adding extra it? A question often asked is, why wear enhancing them with a radically dif- information and preferred more tradi- a smartwatch? Many people have aban- ferent technology—in this case, the tional watch faces (“it has no confus- doned wrist watches for the modern general-purpose displays, applica- ing writing or symbols”3). Addition- equivalent of a pocket watch (the smart- tions, and so on of smartwatches. One ally, participants only used a few of phone). People seemingly feel that the of the advantages of targeting exist- the digital watch features in general. phone is good enough as a time piece, ing (digital) watch users is that they In some cases, participants didn’t even or they have otherwise adapted to not have already committed to the idea of know about basic capabilities of their having time on their wrists. From this wearing a watch. The watch is already watch (such as the watch timer). More perspective, the phone is already pro- providing value to the user, and this broadly, if we think about enhancing viding the needed functionality of time approach extends that with additional the capabilities of a watch with smart and application notifications. Although capabilities. features, it will be very important to the smartwatch might save a few sec- The smartwatches from Pebble are consider the associated increase in com- onds when checking a notification, this somewhat in line with this view. For plexity. Adding too many new features is not a fundamentally new function. example, one of the key design aspects or the wrong type of features might lose A similar argument might be made of the Pebble is a focus on a long battery the watch-like feel of the device. against smartwatch apps. The smart- life, making the product more like a phone is already capable of running the watch than a phone. Instead of needing A Disruptive Innovation application and has more resources to to charge the watch daily like a phone, Given this analysis, it is not clear that do so (larger user interface, faster pro- they targeted an experience in which a smartwatch is about being a better cessor, and so on). Does making that the watch could last longer (advertising watch, or that there is large user-cen- information faster to access justify the up to a week between recharges). This tered value for being a companion to a associated tradeoffs? In other cases, feature was accomplished through dif- smartphone. It seems that the utility of some people indicate that they have ferent technology design choices, such a smartwatch could be in some other too many phone notifications already, as using a bi-stable LCD, more conser- domain. This perspective aligns with and putting them on the wrist would be vative CPU, and buttons instead of a Christensen’s last category of innova- even more disruptive. touchscreen. The use of physical but- tions: disruptive. It is unlikely that Returning to the notion of sustaining tons also more closely resembles inter- smartwatches are low-end disruptions innovations, quicker access time might actions on a digital watch relative to the (they are not a cheaper, worse version not be the right dimension that needs to touchscreens of other smartwatches, of current products). However, they be improved for these individuals. Or, if which are closer smartphone interfaces. could be a new market disruption. In access time is going to drive adoption, In my recent work, I took this perspec- this context, smartwatches would be it might need to be applied to address tive as a hypothesis. I conducted a sur- viewed as taking a technology and different user needs. vey of current digital watch wearers to applying it to a different domain to understand their current watch practices solve a new problem. The technol- A Radical Sustaining with the idea that those findings could ogy in this case is closely related to Innovation for a Watch be used to better inform smartwatch mobile phone technology (small color Given the name smartwatch, another designs.3 Based on the data collected, touchscreens, fully capable computing view we can take of these devices there are several notable findings and platforms in very small form factors, is how they serve the role of being a gaps between current smartwatches and and so on). watch. More specifically, what would it digital watches. For example, many of If we consider this hypothesis, then it mean for a user to replace a traditional our participants were concerned about is not about making a better watch or digital dumb watch (with its associated the durability of their watches, wore enabling smartphones. “Smartwatch” simple LCD and minimal interactive inexpensive watches (relative to smart- could be a misnomer for this category capabilities) with a smartwatch and watch prices), or articulated desires for of device. Although the technology is richer interactions? a specific aesthetic that is fulfilled by the anchored in both smartphones and Such a device would primarily be a large ecosystem of digital watches but is watches, these might be poor models watch, doing everything a traditional lacking in current smartwatch designs.