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Microsoft Gearing Up To Release a Smartwatch of Its Own
SmartAboutThings writes The smartwatch market is still in its nascent form, but with Apple releasing its AppleWatch in early 2015, things are going to change. And Microsoft wants to make sure it's not late to the party, as it has been so many times in the past. That's why it plans on releasing its own smartwatch, which would be the first new category under CEO Nadella. The device could get launched with two specific features that could make it stand apart from other similar devices — much better battery life and cross-platform support for iOS and Android users. A release before this year's holiday season is in the cards, with no details on the pricing nor availability. (Also at Reuters and The Inquirer.)
It seems as if an always on OLED display would be the major source of battery drain - and so I don't get why watch makers haven't used e-ink. Come into the market as Timex and not a Rolex. A simplistic device which displayed time and push notifications at a $50 price point seems like it'd quickly dominate the market. Heck, you could even make it an e-ink background to a nice analog watch for that matter (although that'd probably up the total price). This sort of thing wouldn't need the processing power (i.e. more battery drain) as the current giant glossy types either. Perhaps I'm being naive, but I don't get the high-end luxury approach.
Open API would be natural too; especially given a low price point this type of watch could quickly be a community favorite.