BERLIN — Many of the world’s largest technology companies are finding it tough to persuade people to splurge on new devices ike smartwatches and fitness bands.
These so-called wearables — devices that sit on your wrist or around your neck and communicate directly with your smartphone — have become the new frontier in the battle among companies like Samsung, Sony and, potentially, Apple.
The latest entries were introduced Wednesday ahead of a consumer electronics show that starts here Friday. Sony and the Taiwan company Asus announced new smartwatches to compete with recently released models from rivals like Samsung and LG. Motorola is expected to enter the fray with its own wearable device later this week.
Despite the flurry of products, consumers remain unconvinced that they need another gadget.
Analysts say many of the devices offer few functions that are not available on smartphones. And many people are unwilling to pay as much as $300 when the need for wearables is unclear, at best.
‘‘Smartwatches have to add something extra to the experience of having a smartphone,’’ said George Jijiashvili, an analyst at the research company CCS Insight in London. ‘‘Until now, they haven’t offered anything new.’’
The barriers that confront companies are substantial.
A mere 3 percent of people surveyed recently by CCS owned a smartwatch, and roughly a third of the individuals said they did not see the point of wearables. And in Germany — one of Europe’s largest consumer markets — less than 1 percent of people owned a smartwatch, according to the research company eMarketer.
The seeming disinterest in wearables, however, has not stopped companies from jumping into the market.
On Wednesday, Sony introduced its third-generation smartwatch, which runs on a new operating system that Google has specifically designed for wearables. Asus released its first smartwatch device, and like many of its competitors, tried to convince an audience in Berlin that these devices would soon become mainstream.
‘‘Premium luxury should be made for everyone,’’ said Derek Yu, a senior product director at Asus.
The new models come a week after Samsung and LG announced their latest versions. Samsung’s new device includes a SIM card in its latest gadget, called the Gear S, which allows the watch to send and receive messages independently over mobile networks.
The jockeying among handset makers that use Google’s Android operating system may also be a precursor to greater competition by the end of the year.
Apple is rumored to be working on a smartwatch that may include wireless charging and a focus on health monitoring. It could be introduced by the end of the year, but it is not clear when it will be available to consumers.
Analysts say Apple’s entry may jump-start adoption of all wearables, just as the iPhone augured increased innovation in the smartphone market when it was introduced.
“There’s still a lot of potential for wearables,” said Mr. Jijiashvili of CCS. “Everyone is looking up to Apple. We need another iPhone moment.”