Move over smartphones. The world's consumer electronics companies have begun competing now to be at the vanguard of what all hope will be the next big thing: wearable devices.
The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) kicked off here Tuesday. New products unveiled at the show have traditionally provide a glimpse of where the market is heading.
In addition to the usual players from Japan and the U.S., companies from China and South Korea are also joining the fray. This is the year when the market for wearables could really get off the ground.
Sony held a media event Monday to show off the Core, a wearable device that Sony Mobile Communications' chief executive, Kunimasa Suzuki, said may be the smallest gadget Sony has made but will be one of its core products. Sony will release the product in the U.S. this spring.
Sony's new product can be worn like a wristband.
The Core is a tiny computer designed to be worn on the wrist like a wristband. Equipped with a variety of sensors to track the wearer's daily activities, it wirelessly transmits information to a smartphone so users can employ an app to review their activities, see how many calories they have burned and generally manage their health.
Because of their tiny size, the current generation of wearable devices have limited functionality and are generally designed to be used in conjunction with a smartphone. However, a wide range of applications is anticipated as they gain in performance. One example is a medical device that a person can wear to constantly monitor heart rate and other factors, enabling remote health checks instead of visits to the clinic.
