Microsoft’s rumoured smartwatch project has taken an interesting turn as reports emerge it is being engineered by the Surface team and is made from a ‘translucent aluminium’ material.
According to The Verge’s ‘sources familiar with Microsoft’s Surface plans’ the Windows-maker is testing prototype smartwatches directly via its Surface team. It’s understood that previous phases of the smartwatch projects were handled by the Xbox accessories team.
Allegedly the smartwatch has been tested with a Surface connector while Microsoft is reportedly shipping in 1.5-inch display panels from suppliers. Recent reports indicate Microsoft has a range of removable wristbands in blue, red, yellow, black white and grey and The Verge’s sources have reiterated this as accurate information.
That ‘translucent aluminium’, as it’s being called, is reportedly an Oxynitride Aluminium which is supposedly three times tougher than glass. Quite why you’d want your smartwatch to be translucent with a brightly coloured wristband is anyone’s guess.
Apple is known to have recruited former Yves Saint Laurent CEO Paul Deneve, perhaps to help inject some of the luxury often associated with wristwatches. Indeed, Apple CEO Tim Cook previously commented that although he and the company are very interested in the wrist for wearable smart technology, as most people now use phones to tell the time it’s difficult to think of how to position a smartwatch to be appealing. One such way is as a prestige item with some added functionality. In other words, make it sexy.
A lump of glass with a red strap doesn’t sound too sexy to us though. Is Microsoft about to pull a blunder? Perhaps, but then, if the functionality is excellent it might not matter so much.
The new Microsoft smartwatch is thought to be in testing with a modified version of Windows 8 and ‘with a focus on integrating the device with other Windows-powered devices,’ according to The Verge’s report. Prototypes are known to include 6GB of storage space and 4G LTE connectivity support and a system for notifications and control of music.
We’ll bring you more as we hear it.
by pbriden via Featured Articles
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