We reported this past spring about a Microsoft patent that dropped a major hint about the company's smartwatch plans, and mere weeks later, we learned that we could have been seeing the device launch in the summer. Well, as we're now in the midst of pumpkin season, and no Microsoft smartwatch has showed its face (no pun, of course), it's safe to say that the company missed its original target.
According to Forbes, the company will be making up for that missed target soon, with a launch likely to happen in just a couple of weeks. If this proves true, the timing would be extremely important for Microsoft, because it would be launching its product in time for the holiday season - a season that Apple was forced to skip. I don't think Apple is going to be hurting too bad by its delay, but I can say with some certainty that Microsoft will benefit from it.
Perhaps most notable about this launch isn't the fact that Microsoft is finally releasing a wearable, but instead the fact that it'll be the first launch in a new device category under the leadership of Satya Nadella. While the challenge of hitting success with this product will be tough, the fact that the company's smartwatch is supposed to work with multiple devices (iOS, Android, Windows) could really help it along. After all, most smartwatches so far play nice only with Android, and Apple's Watch will be exclusive to iOS devices. Further, it's being said that Microsoft's watch will last for two days on a single charge - nearly double the average.
Microsoft seems to be hitting all the right marks here, so now it's just a matter of time to see just how well-designed the device itself is. Things are going to get interesting.
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