We’ve written a lot (and talked more) about how much we love the Gartner Hype Cycle, a thought model that graphically illustrates the steps that a product category passes through between introduction and adoption. Last year, Gartner showed wearable tech at the very top of hype, poised for a plunge into the “Trough of Disillusionment” and with general adoption expected in 5 to 10 years.
The 2014 version of the cycle is now out, and it shows wearables down from the very top of the roller coaster, but still massively hyped and poised for imminent descent. The time frame: still 5 to 10 years. Here’s this year’s curve compared to last’s:
If it’s any comfort, note that 3D printing and cryptocurrencies are sliding down the curve faster than wearables, that the Internet of Things is approaching the peak, and that mobile health monitoring and NFC are pretty much at bottom, poised for a climb up the curve.