Microsoft Smartwatch Will Continuously Measure Heart Rate: Report

Microsoft is planning to launch a new smartwatch that will be compatible with iOS, Android and Windows Phone devices, according to a new report.

The watch will reportedly have heart rate monitoring capabilities and a two-day battery life.
Citing "multiple sources with knowledge of the company's plans," Forbes reports the watch will rely on technology used by Xbox Kinect engineers to enable the watch to track its wearer's heart rate at all times.


A spokesperson for Microsoft declined Mashable's request to comment but a recently granted patent indicates Microsoft could indeed be working on such a device. That patent, first filed in 2012, depicts a smartwatch with heart-rate and fitness tracking capabilities.

The report comes one day after Samsung announced its plans for Simband, a fitness tracking wristband that will also be able to continuously monitor a user's heartbeat.

It's not known when the watch may be released but Forbes reports the company may be eyeing a summer launch date. Though Microsoft has made little mention of its strategy for wearables, the company announced earlier this year it would not be charging developers to use Windows on devices with screens smaller than 9 inches, including wearables. The first software development kit for Windows on Devices, Microsoft's platform for connected devices (i.e. the "Internet of Things"), is planned for late Spring.


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