One step forward, two steps back: the key to wearables in the field is the app

Wearable trackers and sensors are becoming an increasingly popular option for people to manage their health and fitness and for physicians to monitor patients with chronic illnesses. Consumer wearables such as the Jawbone UP and Fitbit Flex empower people to change habits that may help prevent health problems. The success of wearables depends on their perceived ease of use and how successfully users are able to incorporate them into their lives over the long term. We conducted a usability test and field study with fourteen users comparing two consumer wearable devices. While participants rated the aesthetic design of the Jawbone UP24 higher, they rated app characteristics such as usefulness and trust in data generated of the Fitbit Flex app higher. These findings suggest that while wearable technologies are advancing in capabilities, their acceptance and satisfaction may depend on the quality of the app, in addition to the qualities of the wearable device itself.