Smartwatches worn for convenience but security remains a concern

Perhaps one of the most common questions about smartwatches is, why wear one when you already have a smartphone with the same functionality?

According to research among 2,000 consumers by Clicked, the answer is perhaps the most obvious: convenience. Smartwatch users are looking at their smartphones a lot less, preferring instead to glance at their wrists.

"Smartwatch usage has not replaced the smartphone and we didn't expect it to," says Clicked. "But we've heard how the smartphone has remained in the handbag all day since the smartwatch was acquired. Many users tell us that the smartwatch compliments the smartphone, providing them with greater convenience and security."

However, Clicked notes that increased knowledge of wearable devices has also seen a rise in concerns surrounding data access and security breaches, which in turn have created resistance in purchasing a wearable device.

And those fears are not unfounded. A recent study from HP Fortify found that 100% of smartwatches they tested were vulnerable to cyberattack. Ten smartwatches were assessed, along with their Android and iOS cloud and mobile application components.

"Smartwatches have only just started to become a part of our lives, but they deliver a new level of functionality that could potentially open the door to new threats to sensitive information and activities," said Jason Schmitt, general manager, HP Security, Fortify. "As the adoption of smartwatches accelerates, the platform will become vastly more attractive to those who would abuse that access, making it critical that we take precautions when transmitting personal data or connecting smartwatches into corporate networks."

Image via Shutterstock

Tags: mobile trends, smartphone, smartwatch, wearables