Microsoft is reportedly planning to launch a smartwatch within the next few weeks, just in time for the holiday season.
The smartwatch will be able to track a user's heart rate all day long and at night, and it can be connected to different operating softwares. It stands out compared to other wearable devices, as it has a battery life that lasts more than 48 hours. It is expected to go on sale before the holiday season, according to Forbes.
News about the smartwatch first came out in May, and the device will be engineered by the Xbox Kinect division. It will be compatible with Windows devices, as well as Android and iOS smartphones.
Forbes didn't detail the design, but going back to July, sources shared that the software giant has been prototyping a wearable device that has a 1.5-inch screen display and has removable wristbands available in blue, red, yellow, black, white and grey, according to AmongTech. The make of the smartwatch is reportedly a transparent oxynitride aluminum, a material that is four times harder than glass.
Microsoft is positive that the smartwatch will have the same success as the Xbox and Kinect products. A wearable device running on different platforms is easier to sell and could be bundled with any smartphone. Continuous heart rate monitoring is also promising as it brings Microsoft ahead of "consumerized" healthcare.
Analysts predicted that the smartwatch market will be worth $7.1 billion in 2015. This is the reason Samsung and Apple are both working on these devices. Microsoft's product has an advantage because of its long battery life. Battery life is one of the first things consumers look at when purchasing devices. Apple recently unveiled its Apple smartwatch, which needs to be charged overnight; same thing goes for Samsung Gear and Motorola's Moto 360.
Microsoft declined to comment about the report.
