Swatch has plans for its own smartwatches to compete with the likes of Samsung and Apple, and is happy to
go it alone in the wearables market, although the company hasn't ruled out collaboration with another firm.
Any Swatch wearable effort, though, is likely to be a watch with smart features, with the emphasis on the
watch and style factor more than the tech chops.
happen any time soon – in fact, not until next summer.
By that time, the market will be pretty crowded. It's already busy enough, and we're about to see a number
of new devices, including the release of the long-awaited Moto 360, and the unveiling of the LG G Watch
R and Samsung Gear S at IFA this week. And next week, the big one – the iWatch reveal – is rumoured
to be on the cards (even if the iWatch won't be on shelves until early 2015).
In an interview with Reuters, Swatch CEO Nick Hayek said his company's new device would likely include
fitness capabilities (no surprise there – they all do). However, he said that there would be some other cool
"Swatchy" things on the boil, too, and the latest Bluetooth tech would be employed in the wrist-wear (low-
power Bluetooth for better battery life – another key challenge the smartwatch presents).
Unfortunately, he didn't mention any specifics of what his planned innovations might be (though again, that's no surprise at this stage of the game).
He did say collaboration with others wasn't out of the question. Hayek noted: "All the big technology firms want to work with us and I don't rule out that we are or could be collaborating in some areas. But we can also do many things on our own."
Swatch believes it can sell smartwatches using its brand name, and design skills. Indeed, we've always argued that the design is a key element that many early devices got wrong – although many more smartwatches are now emerging which have a far more pleasing aesthetic, and look like traditional (round) watches (the Moto 360, for example, and indeed LG G Watch R).
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