Microsoft working on smartwatch as Samsung, Apple snap at heels

According to those familiar with Microsoft’s product designs, the company which tried to take over the tablet market (and failed) is now trying its luck with a smartwatch, echoing Samsung and Apple’s current plans. “Executives at suppliers” say that Microsoft is actively working on a 1.5-inch touch-enabled watch device.

The executives said they met Microsoft’s research and development team, but still seemed shaky regarding the exact date and specifications of the M-watch. There’s a silver lining though: Microsoft met with component suppliers in Asia to discuss plans for the development of said watch. So there’s a first step, at least.

Is this really what we need, smaller social interfaces? Truthfully, we don’t understand the smartwatch boom, but it’s a fun distraction from the copycat mobile phones at least. Another question: is a smartwatch even a viable device for the future? According to CNN, “smartwatches have a history of failure,” and Microsoft has tried before with the smartwatch, kind of. Years ago, Microsoft had “SPOT”, a technology that beamed content to watches from Garmin and others via FM radio. It was born in 2004 and was quietly killed off in 2008. It was perhaps a little bit before its time, but still a miserable failure. Try, try again Microsoft? Maybe it wasn’t Microsoft’s fault, as the public only seems to be recently accepting smartwatch technology.

Take Pebble, Nike+ FuelBand and Samsung’s confirmed smartwatch project. Pebble is one of Kickstarter’s most successful projects of all time, and it’s just released its SDK for developers. Then we have an actual smartwatch, the Nike+ Fuelband which has become a very popular device in a short amount of time, thanks in no small part to it’s chunky design and intuitive interface. And then there’s Samsung’s device, which is its third stab at smartwatch success. Samsung’s first smartwatch, the SPH-WP10 which was essentially an ugly mobile phone strapped to the wrist.

This.

Gartner believes that by 2016, the global smartwatch market will top over US$10-billion. That’s a lot of wasted money on an unproven product, yet three years should be long enough for someone (probably Apple) to make these devices matter to the average buyer.

Image via Techcrunch.com