At the start of the year, many tech observers were speculating that 2013 would be all about the smartwatch, and while many new models have indeed landed in stores, the flood of wrist-worn gadgets many had been expecting has failed to materialize.
So how about 2014? Well, Nike, for one, is gearing up to enter the smartwatch sector in the first half of next year, according to DigiTimes, a Taiwan-based tech site which, it should be noted, has something of a hit-and-miss record when it comes to reports of this nature.
Building on the success of its fitness-tracking Nike+ FuelBand and more recent FuelBand SE device, and taking it beyond its 2011-launched SportWatch, the expected smartwatch is in trial production at Flextronics International, a source – hopefully a reliable one – told the tech site.
With Nike’s current digital-based sports offerings, such as its FuelBand SE device, pairing only with iOS devices, its upcoming smartwatch will highly likely come with the same compatibility as a bare minimum, though it’s of course possible it may choose to expand it to Android and other platforms, too.
A smartwatch from Nike would follow in the footsteps of rival sports firm Adidas, which last month launched its $400 Smart Run wrist-worn device. Its new fitness-focused smartwatch runs Android 4.1.1 and comes with a 1.45-inch, 184 x 184 color touchscreen, 4GB of storage, and a remarkable 14-day charge in casual mode, though admittedly this drops dramatically in other modes.
The Smart Run’s GPS technology gives users access to on-screen stats for speed and distance, and logs running routes, as well. The watch also offers heart-rate analysis using built-in optical technology, and also counts your steps.
DT has contacted Nike for more information on its reported smartwatch and we’ll be sure to update if we hear back.
[DigiTimes via Pocket-lint] [Image: TonyV3112 / Shutterstock]
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