Microsoft smartwatch will be filled with sensors, compatible with Android and iOS

Shawn Knight

Posts: 15,240   +192
Staff member

microsoft iphones android

Microsoft has been working on a smartwatch for at least a year now although leaks and rumors regarding the wearable have been few and far between. Outside of a report last summer that suggested the device would be constructed of transparent aluminum, we haven’t heard much about Redmond’s upcoming offering… until now.

A new report from Forbes claims Microsoft’s smartwatch will be a sensor-rich affair that will draw on the engineering expertise of the company’s Xbox Kinect division. It’ll be able to do things like continuously measure heart rate according to multiple sources with knowledge of the project.

The device will look similar to the Samsung Gear Fit and feature a full-color touch screen that’s about half the size of a stick of gum. It’ll be positioned on the band on the inside of the wearer’s wrist, an interesting placement that could be aimed at keeping others from viewing notifications.

Perhaps more important than any other specification or feature is the revelation that compatibility won’t be limited to Windows Phone devices. Instead, the wearable will work with other devices including Android phones and Apple’s iPhone.

Making the device compatible across all major mobile platforms will no doubt ensure Microsoft will sell more units but at the same time, it won’t do much for Windows Phone sales at prospective buyers would have no reason to buy into Microsoft’s mobile phone ecosystem.

A release date for the device hasn’t been set although sources claim it could arrive as early as this summer.

Permalink to story.

 
The only thing that's going to drive Windows Phone sales at this point is an easy way to install Android on them.
 
I think that viruses is one other thing those smart-watch will be filled with.

An environment so small, it is insufficient to accommodate any anti-virus detection, while being Windows-based it will attract the whole lot.

P.S. When overrun by bugs or viruses: Shake vigorously till emptied.
 
Now I am interested... they made a good move since iOS and Android compatibility is a must if they want it to succeed.
 
Next step: make rings with windows, android etc. After that, put it on panties, make them from small flexible displays stitched together for skin to respire ... XD
 
I think that viruses is one other thing those smart-watch will be filled with.

An environment so small, it is insufficient to accommodate any anti-virus detection, while being Windows-based it will attract the whole lot.

P.S. When overrun by bugs or viruses: Shake vigorously till emptied.
Windows Phone is not like desktop Windows at all, viruses that work on the desktop do not work on the phone (neither do application BTW). As for sideloading, while not hard it can be annoying and not a dead easy thing to do and as of now it is the only way for a virus to end up on a Windows Phone that I know of and to d that you have to manually install the app from your SD Card. Believe it or not Windows Phone is a great OS and the phones are seriously well made (even bottom end Nokia 520) and smooth. My thinking is they don't get as many sales because of people who see Microsoft and can't think outside of their bias enough to try it.
 
Making the device compatible across all major mobile platforms will no doubt ensure Microsoft will sell more units but at the same time, it won’t do much for Windows Phone sales at prospective buyers would have no reason to buy into Microsoft’s mobile phone ecosystem.
Um, yes they will. MS knows people upgrade their phones all the time, and if they can make a watch that is compatible with their current phone, and show them how well it can work. Them maybe their next phone will be a Windows phone. It's a great way to bridge people into the Windows mobile system without forcing them to make a big commitment. The last thing they should do it try to confine it to the windows ecosystem; it would be doomed from the start.

Look at the iPod, which was a totally awesome device when it came out. It's sales shot up by exponentially when they released the software later that made it compatible with windows. MS is making the right move here, and if their device is good, it'll leap right over Samsung and their Tizen or whatever it is they're doing to get away from Android.
 
Back