Looking to rival an Apple device once more, Microsoft’s smartwatch device could launch sometime during Q4 of 2014.
First thing’s first, Microsoft aren’t calling their wearable, wrist-positioned device a ‘smartwatch’. It beats me why but that’s their story and they’re sticking to it. Instead, Microsoft totally-not-a-smartwatch gadget will be a highly compatible wearable that looks sleek and sophisticated on our wrists as it connects up with almost all of our gadgets. Compatibility is probably a huge feature (and could be its headline offering) as there just aren’t enough Windows Phones for Microsoft non-smartwatch to be exclusively compatible as Windows Phones take up less than 10% of the mobile market whereas Apple and Google’s iOS and Android operating systems are responsible for 20% and 60% of the market, respectively.
But how else can Microsoft’s device go up against the rumoured Apple iWatch and Samsung’s Galaxy Gear Fit smartwatch? The report from the generally reliable insider Paul Thurrott suggests that actually, Microsoft’s device doesn’t really have a whole lot of ‘uniqueness’ to offer us. Rumoured features suggest that Microsoft’s upcoming wearable will let us see notifications from a connected smartphone as well as sensors that track heart rate and steps, in case consumers were really at a loss for fitness providing gadgets that amongst iOS8-running Apple devices or any of Samsung’s Galaxy line.
Microsoft won’t have long to turn things around either as Thurrott also explains that the device could launch sometime in Q4, in time for the holiday sales rush as well as the mad dash for lifestyle improving products that always happens in the New Year, because losing the turkey gut we all develop over the holidays is no easy feat. That’s the same time period that the iWatch is rumoured to launch in too which means the pressure is at boiling point for Microsoft to work something out, but as ever we’ll keep you posted once we know more.
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