14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft no longer wants to launch a smartwatch, even though the Band has been more or less successful, so the company is relying more on partners that are willing to invest in this market.
Today, the software giant has announced that Trekstor is launching a brand-new smartwatch running Windows 10 IoT Core, mostly in an attempt to replace handheld devices used by businesses to run several tasks like inventory management, patient care, of industrial automation in manufacturing.
Before anything, it’s worth noting that this isn’t a device aimed at consumers, and at this point, it’s still in development, so only little has been unveiled.
Microsoft, however, says that the device features a 1.54-inch display and comes with both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support, with “plenty of storage,” processing power and battery life to replace the typical handheld being used in these environments.
Full info in the coming weeks
The display is protected by Gorilla Glass 3 and the watch also features a microphone for sending voice messages, Microsoft says.
“The TrekStor IoT wearable is cloud connected, can run Universal Windows Applications. It is as secure and manageable like any other Windows device and leverages Microsoft Azure Cloud services like Microsoft Cognitive Services,” the company explained in the announcement today.
As far as all the other details are concerned, no ETA has been provided, but Microsoft promises to disclose all the information “in the coming months.”
Microsoft gave up on the Band wearable due to what was said to be a failed experiment to install Windows 10 IoT Core on the third-generation model, so the arrival of a Trekstor device that comes with this implementation raises questions as to what problems the company actually experienced during development.
The Band has received praises from industry experts, mostly thanks to its arsenal of sensors and activity tracking features that it provided, so seeing Microsoft abandoning the project was a surprise for everyone.