October
Dead-eyed, wackily tailored Black Eyes Peas frontman Will.i.am launches his Puls wearable and Nike pop their head above the parapet again, announcing a collaboration with Apple for their Watch. Of course.
In focus: Microsoft
The Windows and Xbox people surprised many by not only announcing their entry into the wearables market with their Band – a fitness wearable, unsurprisingly – but also by chucking it on sale online just days later. Working with the company's own, proprietary Health app, it compiles data from 10 sensors, including a GPS tracker, heart-rate monitor which can calorie count and sleep track, and it's also a pared down smartwatch, pinging notifications of calls, texts, emails and appointments. And it's almost half the price of the entry level Apple Watch. Critics – and customers – however, weren't so easily convinced.
In focus: Fitbit stretch their lead
The market leaders in wearables racked up another strong year, with October seeing the launch of their first smartwatch, the pretty and able Surge. This was alongside the Charge smartband, replacing the ill-fated Force, with none of its skin allergy issues and finally the Charge HR with added heartbeat sensor. The Surge – with GPS, heart rate monitor and step counter, plus caller ID and music control via the touchscreen – positions Fitbit alongside Garmin and chums in the serious fitness tracker space, and should certainly be causing them some concern when it debuts early next year for £199.
November
The Michael Bastian Chronowing goes on sale on online store Gilt, Nixie's wearable camera drone for rock climbers' wrists wins Intel's "Make It Wearable" competition. Smartwatch pioneer Sony's first Android Wear wristable, the SmartWatch 3 hits shops.
In focus: Jawbone's pretty fitness bands go next gen
Jawbone have been making largely excellent fitness trackers since 2011, and they look to be moving the goalposts again with their upgraded "UP" device, the £149 UP3. Packing a tri-axis accelerometer and bioimpedance sensors, as well as skin and ambient temperature sensors and a best-in-class sleep monitor, it's stuffed with more surveillance tech than the CIA. Plus, with anodized aluminium framework and textured rubber, it looks boss and – look away now, Apple, Motorola, Samsung – it'll reportedly run for a week on a single juice. Sadly, manufacturing issues have meant that Santa won't be leaving the UP3 under any trees this year.
December
Withings win hearts across the board with their Activité high end smartwatch, Sony crowdfunds an e-paper face and strapped watch, Microsoft promote a smart bra to combat overeating, Asus's Zenwatch hits the market and after describing the Apple Watch as having, "No sex appeal," and, "designed by a student in their first trimester," luxury Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer announce plans to get into the smartwatch market in 2015.
In focus: Samsung start the virtual reality age
On sale in America right now and using proprietary tech from Oculus Rift, Samsung have kicked off the virtual reality age with their Gear VR. Requiring a separate Galaxy Note 4 smartphone to work, it's simple, effective and compelling. It just works. Supporting games are plentiful but throwaway, being mostly five-minute experience Android fare, and you get bundled random content like exploring a Mars vista, the bottom of the ocean and major cities, even a few spots in Chernobyl. Also there are some 360˚ videos that take you over New Zealand and New York City. It's utterly awesome, for about an hour, but is a terrific kick start to the virtual reality age. And Samsung got there first. The Gear VR, remember, also sits alongside the Gear S, Gear Circle, Gear 2 and Gear Fit as Samsung's wearable line-up, (whisper it: none of which are setting the sales world on fire).
And in 2015…
It's hard to see past Apple's "spring" launch of the Watch, which is genuinely going to find out if consumers really have an appetite for smartwatches. HTC will enter the market with something, and Android Wear will hope to match the Watch for share in an expanded and energised market.
Battery technology isn't going to magically catch up, so charge-pack makers are going to be rubbing their hands more vigorously than ever. Expect to also see an increase in battery packs in belts, bags and clothing. Wearable solutions for wearable problems…
Although bands and watches will remain the headline products, if wearables are to truly dominate in the new year, brands are going to have to look at other parts of our bodies. Either that or we'll have to start growing more arms…
