Global media houses, such as the BBC and CNN, are expanding their smartwatch capabilities in a bid to offer more convenient breaking news.
The move towards smartwatches from the media industry comes after it was announced that as of June 2017 approximately 9% of adults in America use smartwatches. The current figure is expected to more than double and reach 15% by 2019.
“The CNN app on Apple Watch is our most personal product to date, and a true game changer. It enables us to deliver news and critical notifications in an intuitive, intimate and wholly innovative way. We’re thrilled to work with Apple to pioneer this experience in the news space,” said CNN chief product officer, Alex Wellen, in a statement given to MediaFile.
Jeff Sonderman, deputy director of the American Press Institute, added: “Watches are a really good notification system…It’s a good way to get buzzed with a short message that alerts you to something going on right now that is important to you.”
While the amount of smartwatch users is expected to boom within the coming years the amount of consumers who use the devices for news is currently sat at 1%.
The watch trade has become more technology-orientated over the last 12 months with Guess, Movada and Swarovski increasing investments over the last 12 months.
Earlier this year Michael Kors announced that no new men’s watches would be launched that aren’t smartwatches or hybrids that connect to a mobile phone during 2017.
