AT&T: The most successful wearable devices will be ones that can work without a phone

wearables

All modern smart watches require a smartphone connection in order to do their magic, serving notifications and other data apps through at them to the users. AT&T, however, thinks this isn’t the model for the “perfect wearable device.”

“It needs to be an independent device. It needs to do something different for the end user, for people to buy it en masse,” said Glenn Lurie, AT&T’s president of emerging enterprises and partnerships.

Once wearables start talking to LTE on their own, the sky’s the limit of what consumers will take with them.The best smart watch will know when your workout’s begun, what kind of music you want to listen (and store that music locally), all while letting you post information about your performance to social networks, he said, adding that these kind of devices may be released this year.

Lurie also noted that hottest devices must be simple to use, and be able to work both on their own and with a phone. Once wearables start talking to LTE on their own, the sky’s the limit of what consumers will take with them.

Lurie has overseen AT&T’s new businesses and partnerships for years, going back to the carrier’s blockbuster deal to carry the Apple iPhone exclusively for five years. Although he hasn’t revealed any specifics, he noted that the things he’s seeing “are pretty darn exciting.” And we’ve no idea whether he got to play with the iWatch…

[Via: PCworld]