Microsoft jumps on wearables bandwagon – everybody’s doing it, sure why not?

3 Jul 2014

The year 2014 will go down in IT industry history as the year of the wearables. The year began with Samsung’s Gear Fit devices, followed by Google’s Android Wear technology at I/O in recent weeks, and most likely Apple’s iWatch in October.

Now Microsoft is entering the fray

Microsoft is rumoured to be planning to release a Gear Fit style fitness band that transmit date to and from smartphones.

Interestingly, it will work not only across the Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8.1 ecosystem but on every other device platform too including Android and iPhone.

According to Microsoft expert Paul Thurrott’s Windows Supersite the device will mainly be all about fitness rather than purporting to be a smart watch.

It will sport multiple sensors to track fitness in terms of steps, calories burned, heart rate and will work with existing Microsoft apps like Bing Health & Fitness and Healthvault along with third party apps.

Smart watch image via Shutterstock

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com