Consumers can now purchase a full range of “wearable” technological devices that can do everything from record sleep patterns to help break bad exercise habits.
But wearable tech experts are now saying that those who design interactive digital bracelets and measurement devices aren’t taking into account the full range of consumers—and, as a result, wearable technology is sexist.
According to wearable tech authority Wareable, manufacturers who sell smartwatches and fitness trackers know that they have a ready-made market in men, who already buy the vast majority of “gadget” type items. So when bringing a product, like a new virtual reality headset, to consumers, they naturally design the tech primarily for men.
The worst offender, Wareable says, is Samsung, whose VR headset was designed and tested for a male consumer— and as a result, women using the headset have a much higher chance of getting motion sickness from the virtual reality software.
But there are other clear offenses, Wareable claims, including the default assumption that all virtual assistants (like Siri or Cortana) have to be female. Even Google and Amazon’s home devices have female voices, and iRobot’s newest product, a “smart vacuum,” has a female voice.
But while the claims might seem silly (after all, most virtual assistants can be switched up, and women are slowly becoming major tech consumers in their own right), Wareable does point out that where companies have marketed their wearable tech devices directly at women, the results have been phenomenal.
Fitbit, probably the most recognizable name in health tracking, doesn’t disclose the gender of its consumers, but its partnerships—with designer Tory Burch, among others—show that it takes female consumers seriously. That, according to Bloomberg, has been a major driver for sales.
Even Apple has made dramatic changes to its Apple Watch to add cycle tracking and other female-focused options so that women are better able to use its devices. It also sounds a bit like the first VR headset manufacturer to make a pair of goggles that don’t make women feel nauseated will own the market.