Tag: united kingdom

The electronics company has now started its first deal for pushing wearables through the English rugby team.

Samsung has now taken its first step into English rugby as the beginning of a three year deal that it has established with the national team, with the purpose of boosting its presence within the wearable technology environment.

This will make Samsung the first official wearables and overall home tech partner to the Rugby Football Union (RBU).

Samsung will be working with the RBU team in order to boost wearable technology awareness not only among consumers but also on a B2B level throughout the approach to the World Cup next year. This is an entirely new strategy of sponsorship for the business, which has been wrapped up in UK football through its various deals with Leyton Orient, Chelsea FC, and Swindon Town.

Samsung believes that this wearable technology sponsorship strategy will be a very powerful one.

The company feels that the popularity of the World Cup in the host country, as well as in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Australia – other countries where it sponsors the national teams – has been turning rugby into a “big deal” for the company’s global targets. The majority of the consumer facing activity that is occurring within the United Kingdom, through the deal, will be internet based, and will likely primarily be through the 2,000 affiliated RFU grassroots clubs.

Samsung is going to provide those clubs with access to training facilities, changing rooms, and coaching packages that have been technologically enhanced in order to better illustrate the value of wearables and its other electronics in the sports ecosystem. Furthermore, there are some videos designed to be funny and amusing that are also being prepared in order to further expand the awareness of the global tie-up in advance of a larger rallying call to the country as next September’s tournament nears.

A competition called the “Samsung Try of the Month” will also continue to run the length of the 2014/14 season as players and fans, alike, are encouraged to head online and upload their nominations. Every month, a different rugby personality in England will take part in this wearable technology and electronics campaign in order to select the winning club that will receive a clubhouse facilities upgrade worth £1,000 in Samsung products.

Study shows that wearable devices are gaining traction among UK consumers

The United Kingdom may soon become a leading wearable technology market. According to a recent study from YouGov, the number of people with wearable devices is growing. These devices range from smartwatches, fitness bands, and head-mounted systems that offer people a chance to experience the world in a different way. While wearable devices are still somewhat rare in the commercial market, many new devices are expected to be launched within the coming year.

6% of UK population currently owns a wearable device of some kind

According to the study, the approximately 6% of the UK population — nearly 2.8 million people — currently have some sort of wearable device. Most of these devices are smartwatches and physical activity trackers. The study predicts that the number of people with these devices will double in 2015, when new devices are released into the UK market. One device, in particular, may account for much of this growth: The Apple Watch.

Apple Watch may find success in the UK market

Apple unveiled plans for its new wearable device last month. Apple Watch promises to be the next evolution in wearable technology, providing users with all the features of a smartphone in a wearable gadget. The device is slated to be launched next year and its quick adoption is expected among iOS fans. The exact features that the Apple Watch will launch with are not yet known, but there is already a significant degree of hype surrounding the gadget.

AR devices likely to attract many consumers

Augmented reality devices are also likely to become somewhat famous in the UK. These devices, many of which will be worn on the head, promise to change the way people see the world. Google Glass is, perhaps, the most well known and anticipated of these devices. The head-mounted system will leverage augmented reality technology for a variety of purposes, including social media and navigation. A few technology companies have plans to launch AR devices in the coming years, but Google Glass is expected to launch in 2015, ahead of its competition.