Microsoft is developing a smartwatch, adding themselves to a long list of competitors (like Google, Samsung and Apple) that are creating a new industry of wearable tech that can perform similar tasks as a smartphone.
According to anonymous sources, the new smartwatch will integrate seamlessly with Windows Phone through Bluetooth, notify users of new messages and notifications, and will let users make and receive calls remotely.
The smartwatch will also feature a 1.55-inch screen with 240×240 resolution and a pixel density of 220ppi; and is only 8.78mm thick where the screen is at. The wristbands are interchangeable, meaning that you can pop out the screen and change the colour of the bands from black to white, blue or red.
This is not the first time that Microsoft has produced a smartwatch, however. Their first attempt, based on a technology called SPOT – or “smart personal objects technology”, did not catch on despite partnering with Swatch. However, like the tablet, Microsoft is coming back in when the market has grown from being a really small niche to something that is heading mainstream – in part due to the hype surrounding Apple’s own iWatch, and the Pebble.
A Microsoft spokesperson declined to comment.