Dev/test teams have difficulty accepting and integrating IoT into current development cycles while meeting user expectations, which is the biggest hurdle in wearable development projects.
If, for instance, a hotel chain advertises users can unlock their hotel room door using an Apple Watch, this must happen as promised.
How can developers of mobile applications handle the challenges presented by IoT devices? Adopting continuous quality as a practice will increase development speed, support for more devices, and reduce flaws that make production.
Overall, this leads to better end-user satisfaction.
Dev/test teams can ensure mobile apps reach a desired quality level (the app functions according to its stated functionality and brand perception is upheld) by rigorously testing it across devices, networks, and traffic patterns and throughout its development lifecycle.
Key Factors For Wearable App Design
Here are several considerations developers/testers must consider when creating wearable apps.
Adoption Is Increasing
According to BI Intelligence, the adoption of wearable devices is on an upward trend. It is expected to expand at an estimated compound annual growth rate of 35% within five years, from 33 million systems shipped this year to an expected total of 148 million sold annually.
When adding devices into production environments for testing purposes (for instance, Android Wear devices), developers need trust in device labs, test coverage, and various device platforms (like Apple Watch).
Unique Use Cases
Development and testing teams must carefully assess new use cases before implementing them into test strategies, environments, and support resources.
For instance, to simultaneously ensure an enjoyable customer experience on both platforms, you need to test notifications on wearable tech conferences and smartphones for app adoption.
Architecture Wearable
Due to technological constraints, developing and deploying apps through pairing technology is necessary. Combining Apple Watches with iPhones gives users access to apps running on both phones.
At the same time, their wearable interface was explicitly created to interface and work in harmony with one another.
Updates must also be delivered through smartphones; iPhone users are the only way for end users to update Apple Watch apps directly without using third-party applications like iTunes Sync.
This modification of SDLC results in new dependencies being introduced into its process and introduces unique challenges and dependencies for development teams.
Since apps now seamlessly sync to wearable tech stack devices, developers must consider how an application interacts with the wearable interface.
Therefore, testing under both conditions must occur, and SDLC encompasses various deployment, upgrade, and hardware considerations.
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Applications For Wearable Devices
As smartphone and wearable apps merge, any issue with one or both devices could prevent their release. Testers need to ensure existing development and test environments cover all possible user situations, protection goals, and quality goals.
Wearable apps differ significantly from regular apps in design, functionality (a subset of apps), app size, and user interaction hardware sensors. Developers of wearable apps such as the Apple Watch must now test how its sensors react during alerts for heart rate measurement while participating in physical activities - creating new considerations for developers and testers alike.
Choose Your Device
Wearable device app development should consider similar considerations as mobile phones when selecting devices: market adoption, OS relevance, target customer satisfaction markets, and supported essential features (like BLE or Bluetooth Low Energy and sensors).
Consider which watches to develop for and test on as part of your development and testing strategy. Broaden the scope of your device coverage matrix with new release/test cycles, which should be updated according to consumer demands, market dynamics and feedback; ensure your app functions independently on multiple platforms to increase consumer adoption; make it platform agnostic while meeting consumer requirements on specific devices as much as possible - this ensures smooth user experiences across devices.
Current Quality Assurance Programme
There are still tests to complete. At this point, automation becomes even more necessary; adding accessories into the test protection matrix requires changes in release speeds for new releases; there is now an even greater need for an efficient quality lab that can accommodate both mobile demands and wearable requirements.
Appropriate Test Strategy
We must acknowledge just how reliant smartphone applications and wearables can be on each other, necessitating an appropriate test strategy in place for them.
They require specific use cases and functionality under exact conditions, necessitating creating test cases specifically targeted towards them. When creating mobile-wearable testing strategies, make sure your scenarios cover these elements:
- Functional (Real Devices)
- Performance Testing
- Interoperability (IOP)
- Memory Leak
- Setup Testing
- Usability Testing
- Security Testing
- Localization
- Connection
- Environmental Conditions
Mobile app developers should consider environmental factors such as battery power when designing wearable technology and applications for mobile use.
A smartphone with low battery power may interfere with wearable synchronization and reduce functionality, including answering calls or receiving notifications. Therefore, including performance testing as part of your release cycle for both mobile app development company releases and wearable device app development time is vital to ensure an optimal end-user experience.
Read More: Wearable Techs Impact on Mobile App Trends
Other Key Factors For Wearable App Developers
Enterprise mobility, the combination of wearable technology, mobile solutions, and devices that have quickly emerged through technological development over the past few years, is steadily changing work processes and methodologies at enterprises across industries and organizations.
Wearable applications have quickly become an extension of mobile Android or iOS apps; therefore, their incorporation within the wearable device ecosystem has proven successful. Our dexterous app development teams research led them to identify critical factors that should be explored while designing custom wearable apps:
Establish A Use Case
It would help if you first created a Use Case to establish an ideal wearables market context and help determine the most suitable hardware options, development frameworks/platforms/APIs/SDKs, and practical steps for developing mobile apps.
Once created, answer pertinent questions by compiling an exhaustive list. This should enable you to choose suitable hardware components and relevant development platforms/APIs/SDKs for quickly developing mobile apps.
Select Appropriate Platform And API Solutions
The market is filled with numerous tools and APIs such as Android, Salesforce, and Apple; therefore, developers must select an appropriate platform based on their requirements.
End users typically prefer one app that works across devices quickly while offering seamless transition. For a business application to achieve lasting success, its primary challenge must first be addressed successfully.
User-Friendly Interface And Design
Small wearable devices present unique difficulties when implementing basic feature sets, making their small size challenging when implementing different advanced feature sets.
Users interact with wearable technology differently, so wearable app design and user interface considerations must be prioritized when developing applications that maximize user experience while adhering to visible physical limitations.
Breach Of Data
Given wearable advanced technology is still in its infancy, security risks should be expected. Wearable devices do not connect directly to the Internet on their own.
Still, they must synchronize or use third-party tools and functions available through Internet-enabled mobile phones - thus becoming an end users primary consideration when looking at wearable app development services to purchase. Developers must address all critical and sensitive data concerns to protect crucial information and avoid database stream breach incidents in wearable apps.
Features And Functionality
"Ease of Use and Mobility" are critical objectives of wearable apps.
Developers are charged with understanding user needs before creating any app that suits them; making the user experience as pleasurable as possible for end users is one such development goal.
Regular Updates And Knowledge Of The Cutting Edge Technologies
Every day, we witness new wearable market devices and futuristic technologies entering the market, and staying abreast of technological innovations is crucial to long-term success in an evolving market while meeting end-user needs and expectations.
So, developers must consider future updates when creating apps tailored to this market.
Memory Size And Battery Usage
Consumption of batteries is one of the critical aspects in every smart device, with user engagement seeking apps which consume minimal power and memory resources.
Therefore, when creating a wearable app development company, they should be customized such that memory consumption and battery consumption are reduced while performing more effectively than their peers.
Strict Examination
Business solutions need more efficient solutions, while users want tailored mobile solutions. One key indicator for measuring wearable app success is performance evaluation - something only possible through extensive testing.
Therefore, avoid skipping quality assurance procedures altogether and risk missing creative inspiration, as this could be one of many wearable app development mistakes that kill creative ideas.
Wearable devices today are linked with other gadgets; their screens have limited functionality and rely on external gadgets for functionality.
But have you considered what would happen if a linked wearable gadget stopped working correctly, leading to decreased productivity? Always keep this in mind before creating or releasing wearable apps.
Conclusion
Here, we conclude our 2024 guide for developing wearable applications for both Apple and Android platforms. Wearable apps are projected to experience rapid expansion, with a wide range of possibilities waiting for them in this emerging market.
Utilize experienced mobile app development services to take full advantage of this opportunity and develop wearable apps for your audience.
This blog post can provide answers and help you better understand wearable app creation and development.
