Last year, Microsoft ended sales of its Band 2, shortly after it emerged that the company had abandoned its efforts to replace the device"s interface with Windows 10. Images of the cancelled Band 3 later appeared, but with Microsoft"s exit from the wearables market, it"s now supporting its hardware partners in building their own devices using its software.
Today, Microsoft revealed one such device on the way from German manufacturer TrekStor. The unnamed device is described as a "B2B commercial-grade wearable" for commercial customers, running Windows 10 IoT Core.
"The TrekStor IoT wearable is cloud connected," Microsoft said, "[and] can run Universal Windows Applications. It is as secure and manageable [as] any other Windows device and leverages Microsoft Azure Cloud services like Microsoft Cognitive Services."
It also referred to the device as "compact and intuitive", adding that it can "replace a larger hand-held device in multiple line-of-business scenarios, including:
- Inventory management in retail
- Building automation for guest services in hospitality
- Industrial automation in manufacturing
- Patient care in healthcare
- And several cross-industry scenarios like asset management, fleet management, and others."
The device has a 1.54-inch square display, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, and support for voice messaging. Most importantly, it also promises "battery life that survives a long working day", along with scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass 3 protection, and a robust strap and clasp - important features for the industrial customers that TrekStor will be targeting. Microsoft said that further information on the new device will be revealed "in the coming months".
By the way, this isn"t TrekStor"s first Windows device; the company also sells Windows 10 tablets, and launched a Windows Phone 8.1 handset in 2014. However, it wasn"t among the few companies to offer Windows 10 Mobile phones.
Source: Windows Blogs via MSPU