Microsoft has filed a patent for a smartwatch, which will be in direct competition with Apple’s iWatch when it is released.
The application for the patent was filed in 2012, but has only just been released by The US Patents and Trademarks Office. Last year a rumor circulated that suggested Microsoft’s Surface team was developing a prototype smartwatch, with this new patent seemingly confirming that rumor.
Images of how the smartwatch may look were also published by the Patents and Trademarks Office, showing what appears to be a built-in pedometer.
The announcement of Microsoft’s smartwatch patent is in line with recent rumors that the company is shifting its focus onto wearable technology.
The following image appears to show the hardware being removed from the smartwatch’s wrist strap, which suggests that it can be docked into another device.
There has been no official announcement regarding the name of the ‘Windows Watch’ as of yet, but it is being reported that it will be running on a modified version of Windows 8 and will support integration with other Windows devices.
