Microsoft’s first wearable could be a fitness band

Microsoft has yet to play its hand in terms of wearable technology, but according to one source when it does it will support every mobile operating system – not just the company’s own Windows Phone platform.

Windows insider Paul Thurrott has said that Microsoft is indeed working on wearable technology, but not a smartwatch like Samsung, Google and, if rumours are to be believed, Apple. It is instead developing a fitness band that will work with Windows Phone, Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS operating systems. No other smartwatch on the market currently supports all three mobile operating systems, with Samsung’s Gear range only working on Samsung devices, Android Wear being tied to Android smartphones and the rumoured iWatch almost certainly limited to iOS devices, so a universal wearable could be big news for Microsoft.

The fitness band would have a screen to display notifications from a smartphone, much like Samsung’s Gear Fit, and will apparently include multiple sensors for tracking your daily fitness. Steps taken, calories burned and heart rate were all mentioned in the article, although it’s not clear whether Microsoft intends to go further as with Samsung’s SimBand concept, which can measure blood pressure and body temperature too.

Until Microsoft makes an official statement, there’s no telling if this rumour is true. Thurrott cites unnamed sources in his exclusive, so the news should be taken with a pinch of salt, although the man himself has frequently broken news regarding Microsoft’s upcoming products and has prior form when it comes to rumours.

According to Thurrott the band will cost the same as Samsung’s Gear Fit, meaning roughly £200 when it arrives in the UK. Quite what it will be called remains a mystery, although Microsoft did have a short-lived smart device project called Smart Personal Object Technology (SPOT) in the early 2000’s – whether it will make a reappearance remains to be seen.