Remember the other day we reported that Microsoft could be working on a smartwatch of their own? It hardly comes as a surprise since wearables are pretty hot at the moment now, but according to the well-connected Paul Thurrott, the wearable device that Microsoft is working on is not a smartwatch, but rather a fitness band of sorts.
This seems to corroborate our previous report that the device would be more of a band, rather than a watch, and Paul Thurrott’s sources have “confirmed” it since. As per the previous rumors, the watch will come with multiple sensors to track a variety of activities performed by the user. In fact Thurrott likens Microsoft’s efforts to that of Samsung and the Gear Fit fitness band.
For example the watch will come with sensors to track the number of steps you take, calories burned, heart rate, and so on. It is also expected to play nicely with Microsoft’s own apps like Bing Health & Fitness, although it is also expected to work with third-party apps as well. Thurrott also claims that the device offered by Microsoft will be priced the same as the Samsung Gear Fit.
In any case take it with a grain of salt for now, but apparently the smartband by Microsoft has been pegged for an announcement and release in the fourth quarter of 2014, so we guess we’ve still got a couple of months ahead of us. In the meantime what do you guys think? Is a fitness band a better move than a smartwatch?
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