Microsoft Working on Cortana Wearable That Will Sit in Your Ear - Report

Microsoft is becoming more interested in the wearables business, and according to a new report, the company has already started working on the very next device planned for 2016.

Currently called “Clip,” the upcoming Microsoft wearable will be 100 percent a Cortana device, so its only purpose will be to allow you to interact with the personal assistant in a very seamless way. Wareable.com writes that it will be very similar to the Moto Hint, a device that’s already up for grabs but that isn’t really selling in high numbers right now (and it’s no wonder why).

The upcoming Cortana device will be designed to sit in the ear, just like the Moto Hint, and it will be specifically aimed at women (a men’s version, however, could be launched too if the first one shows signs of success).

Prototypes already in the works

Another plan is to develop the Microsoft gadget as a clip-on that can be attached to earrings or any other jewelry. At at the same time, however, it could also hit the market as smart earrings too - this is obviously a more complex project because, first and foremost, Microsoft has to create a beautifully crafted device that would convince women to wear it (and all men know how hard this actually is).

The new device will allow you to interact with Cortana by voice and will offer support for most mobile phones out there, including Android and iOS. Windows 10 Mobile, however, will be the platform of choice for Microsoft.

According to the very same source, Microsoft plans to create the very first Clip prototypes by the end of the year, ahead of a public launch sometime in 2016. Obviously, Redmond hasn’t said a thing about such a project, and the chances are that it never will until the launch takes place.

And of course, expect the upcoming device to be rather cheap, most likely somewhere around $100 (€85), given the fact that it does nothing more than to establish a connection with Cortana running on your phone (it can obviously double as a full Bluetooth headset, but the focus seems to be on Cortana for now).