What’s incredible, and potentially a deal-breaker for those undecided on whether to go with the Apple, Microsoft or Samsung smartwatches allegedly coming out in the next year, is that the Microsoft Smartwatch is going to be compatible with your Android and iOS devices too. The move is a serious contender for being the most progressive thing done in the tech industry in the last decade.
See also: Apple ‘iWatch’ Rumour Mill Keeps On Turning
Apple and Samsung options, as well as other manufacturers (the market is bracing itself for a flood of new smartwatches as the trend comes to a head), all require their devices to be synced and used with their own range of mobile phones. Microsoft is going for an all out attack, meaning that a huge range of products, including iPhones will be able to be used with their device.
On the plus side, this means any Apple fans strapped for cash after buying yet another iPhone will be able to get on the smartwatch bandwagon for a severely reduced price. Unless you really are that much of a fanboy for Apple products.
The fitness oriented smartwatch found in the 2012 patent, dubbed the Surface Smartwatch, is square, detachable from the strap for docking with other devices and will also receive notifications pushed from your smartphone. Worn on the inside of the wrist, the device remains in contact with your veins for up to the minute heart rate monitoring, a technology brought to you by the team behind Kinect.
Additionally the device is purported to hold two whole days of battery life prior to needing a recharge, which is great for long treks and other adventures. But the real question is will the trend catch on? Will smartwatches have 4G? Will the fitness aspect eventually devolve into the smartwatch being just another fashion statement?