Smartwatch wearers, have you experienced the 'phantom device' effect?

USer regard smartwatches as less intrusive than a smartphone, enabling them to access information without interruptions to conversations and meetings 

Heavy users of smartwatches can develop a 'phantom watch’ mentality, frequently checking their bare wrist even when they are not wearing the device, an academic study has found.

Researchers at Cass Business School, part of City University, London, identified the behaviour in a study to discover how consumers use smartwatches and whether they are useful lifestyle tools or useless gadgets.

Andre Spicer, professor of organisational behaviour, and Alberto Rizzoli, a student at the business school, spent 300 hours observing and interacting with smartwatch users in online forums and conducted interviews with 24 users from around the world.

Instead, the research found that users most commonly use smartwatches to simplify and keep control over their flow of information, accessing emails instantly without having to have to dig in a pocket or handbag for a mobile phone.

Smart watches were also seen as less intrusive than a smartphone, enabling them to access information without interruptions to conversations and meetings. Such benefits have left some users seemingly addicted.

“A small number of users who had fully integrated the watches in their daily life experienced a strange 'phantom device’ effect,” said Prof Spicer. “These heavy users often looked at their wrists for information even when they were not wearing the watch.
“This effect is paired with muscle memory and resembles a phantom limb effect. These heavy users were the happiest with the products.”
Commercial smartwatches were launched more than a year ago and are now in their second generation.
Sony and Samsung models are available, while Google’s “Android Wear” product is in the hands of US reviewers and Apple’s iWatch is expected to launch this autumn..
However, consumers have not taken to them as enthusiastically as expected.