HTC is reportedly looking to make its own smartwatch available to customers in early 2015.
People familiar with the situation said the Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer plans to create a device that stands out with its design and attractive features, according to CNET. The company is expected to use an alternate version of the Android Wear software platform that would come with features different from those in other smartphones. Android Wear is used by Samsung, Motorola, and LG for their smartwatches.
The move follows reports of HTC dropping its plans for the device because it felt it couldn't compete with other companies in the wearable market. Competitors include Samsung, which has already released six models, LG, Motorola, and Apple with its recently unveiled Apple Watch.
A spokesman for HTC declined to comment on the report of the smartwatch's release, CNET reported.
The company had previously built the first Android smartphone in the GI, and had also attracted a lot of customers with the addition of its Sense user interface to Android Wear, giving its smartphone unique features and making it easier to use.
Despite the growing popularity of wearables, a study from research firm Kantar Worldpanel ComTech shows that smartwatches are owned by only 0.81 percent of people in the U.S., Europe, China, Japan, and Australia, CNET reported. The company added that 51 percent of smartwatch owners around the world use a Samung smartwatch, 17 percent use one from Sony, and 6 percent use the Pebble smartwatch.
HTC Chairwoman Cher Wang announced in February that the company would release the smartwatch during the holiday season this year, so if the new report is true, the device would be coming out later than expected, CNET reported.
The company has sent out invitations to an event scheduled to take place on Oct. 8th in New York. However, a person familiar with the situation said the smartwatch will not be a topic for discussion at the event.
