Wearable Tech Everywhere? Not for the French (INFOGRAPHIC)

Not everyone is ready to put on running shoes that track back to an iPhone, jewelry that takes pictures, eyeglasses that… well, with Google ending the Glass experiment, who know what eyeglasses will do?

A new study by Kantar has revealed that the French have very little interest in smartwatches and wearable technology and aren’t clear about how useful they are. So much for a world taken over by the Internet of Things..at least in the very short term, and across one country.

The infographic is particularly useful for non-french speakers, as the iconography is quite clear, the numbers and graphics are offered in a very clean design, and there isn’t much text to hide the key points of the data. However, Kantar did offer a review of the results and their analysis in English, which reads as follows:

“At $349, Apple Watch is not for everybody especially judging from the results we just shared. Never the less it is hard to predict how much the visceral side of the purchasing decision will overtake the rational one”

64% of French people polled do not intend to buy a smartwatch in the next 12 months and only 1.2% currently own a smartwatch. The main reason people give for their lack of enthusiasm is that they don’t see how wearable technology and smartphones are useful. Price is also cited as a major obstacle for 30% of the respondents, with 18% of smartphone sayings that their phone already meets all their needs. When asked about price, 76% of people are not willing to pay more than 200 euros for a smartwatch or a smartband.

Voice command annoys more than it entices

Voice command comes last in the list of features anticipated by consumers, with only 2% of our respondents currently using this feature regularly on devices such as smartphones, despite the buzz generated by features like Apple’s Siri in recent years. 53% of the panelists said they would be embarrassed if someone else was using voice command in public.

Smartphone leading companies have an edge

Among the brands that French consumers most often associate with wearables, the ‘big-three’ of the smartphone market take the lead. Samsung, was the brand most associated with wearable technology, mentioned by 47% of people questioned, with anticipation for the Apple Watch seeing Apple come a close second (43%).

Google takes the third place (36%), probably due to Android Wear, its smartphone oriented OS, and thanks to the incredible media coverage surrounding the Google Glass since it was announced in 2012.

What future for the Apple Watch?

Carolina Milanesi, director of Kantar Worldpanel Comtech, says: “Apple has clearly bet on design, making its Apple Watch look very familiar to users. It even has a crown like an analog watch. Apple is also offering the highest degree of personalization. Appealing to the visceral versus the rational might be a better way to expand the opportunity of these devices.”

Even though the introductory price will be higher than our respondents might like, Milanesi thinks Apple has reason to be confident: “At $349, Apple Watch is not for everybody especially judging from the results we just shared. Never the less it is hard to predict how much the visceral side of the purchasing decision will overtake the rational one”.

The full Kantar Wearables study, including an infographic and more data is available on the new Kantar France Insights: fr.kantar.com.

Infographic showing French feeling towards wearable technology. (Photo: Business Wire)