Microsoft gearing up for smartwatch entry:report

Microsoft, loath to be left behind in the smartwatch category, has asked its parts suppliers in Asia to send it touch-based components that could be used to make a smartwatch, according to a report in the The Wall Street Journal.

Citing unnamed executives at the software giant's supply partners, WSJ said Microsoft's touch-based watch may have a screen measuring 1.5 inches. Additional details were not provided. Company executive claimed to have personally met with Microsoft's research and development team in Redmond, Washington, to discuss the product. However, Microsoft declined to comment on the story.

Quoting Ovum analyst Jan Dawson, the report said, whenever Apple entered a category, others also jumped in.

Interest in smartwatches -- or small, wearable computers with sensors and radios on board picked up after The New York Times reported earlier this year that Apple was working on such a product. The report has galvanised several tech companies including Samsung, Google, Microsoft and others to start work on the device.

However, it remained unclear if Microsoft would actually go ahead with the product.

According to analysts, given the lack of hard details, all that could be done at the moment was to think of the hurdles Microsoft would face, if it wanted to bring a smartwatch to market. Some of the strengths they cite, on the basis of what was already known about Widows Phone are:

The tile-based design of Windows Phone and Windows 8 seemed to be ideal for a smartwatch. Users could set up a Live Tile or two that would show weather, time or other basic information and more tiles could fill the screen as notifications rolled in.

One of the most appealing features of Windows Phone was the way it allows users to control third-party apps by voice. For instance, users ask their tip calculator app to crunch some numbers, or tell the Toggle app to control various phone settings, which could translate beautifully to a smartwatch, where touch-screen controls were not as feasible. Support for the level of voice commands for third-party apps was not available on iOS or Android, and Microsoft was therefore ahead of the rest.

As against Google's Android, Microsoft exercised tighter control over the software that powered  Windows Phones, which meant the company could guarantee a consistent smartwatch experience, whether the users' Windows Phone was made by HTC, Samsung or Nokia.