What the hell is 'wearable technology' and why do I need it strapped to me?

The technology industry is as subject to trends as the fashion, football or financial worlds. Remember when it was sexier to have a small, compact mobile phone? Now - we've got the Google Nexus 6.

Over the last two years, a new trend has emerged: it's not enough to use your tech, you're expected to wear it.

It began with the announcement of Google Glass back in 2012 and has grown to include smartwatches, fitness trackers, virtual reality headsets and clothing from jeans and jackets to backpacks.

On Monday, the wearable party will get even livelier. Its highest profile attendee - the Apple Watch - will become the focus of a special Apple event in San Francisco.

Does Average Joe or Average Jane really want wearable technology?

According to global market research firm Mintel, only 5 per cent of UK consumers actually own a wearable device. That covers everything from your Samsung Gear Live to your Fitbit Charge HR.

I've had the benefit of trying out several different wearable technology products and have found small, unobtrusive fitness trackers to be interesting and useful - but not life-changing.

The problem is that if you're locked into a job, a family and any kind of social life it's tricky to emulate chirrupy Californian tech types insisting we need to get outside and "find our motivation and personalised insight to better realise our fitness goals".

As for smartwatches - I never see them outside of technology events and on the wrists of "real people".

I spoke to Paul Davies, a senior leisure and technology analyst at Mintel about this.

"Only 5% own a wearable and 24% are interested in buying them," he told me.

"People just don't know what they would use a smartwatch for," he explained, saying there was little a smartwatch could do that a smartphone couldn't.

Will Apple change things?

"The challenge for Apple is to highlight the key usage points," Davies said.

"I don't think the specification of the Apple Watch will be better than what anyone else is doing. But the brand is much more fashionable and there will be a lot of focus on the design."

Apple is certain to ignite a fire in the wearable sector - in much the same way that Pebble has - but I doubt the suits at Casio HQ are quaking in their oak-panneled boardroom just yet.

The truth is that your average punter is reluctant to splash £200 on a blocky rectangular watch when they've already plonked down £500 or more for a phone that does everything they need it to do.

I won't stop being excited by wearable technology - who doesn't want to see innovation coming along? But, until smartwatches operate for longer than 48 hours without being charged, and work without a phone, they'll never become a must-have product.