Although it was rumored that Apple has been working with Swatch to release the upcoming "iWatch", any involvement was officially denied by Swatch later on. Nevertheless, it seems like the Swiss will be jumping on the bandwagon as the CEO of the company, Nick Hayek, said to a local newspaper that they will be integrating fitness tracking functions into the Swatch Touch.
The Swatch Touch incorporates a touchscreen right now - along with a bunch of basic functions like time, alarm, chronograph and date - but it lacks fitness tracking or any other advanced offerings. Hayek claims the upcoming Smart Touch will remain primarily a watch, though it will also serve as a companion for fitness tracking purposes. The company plans to integrate fitness functions into its product line by the beginning of 2015.
Swatch has stated a fear of being dependent on others for software and applications before, and the CEO explained to the newspaper that the Smart Touch will be powered by Swatch"s own electronics.
As Reuters reports, Swatch has been hesitant to enter the smartwatch market like many other luxury watchmakers and time will tell if the upcoming Swatch Touch will be a hit, but it may well encourage other watchmakers to take a chance on this promising market if everything goes as well as Swatch hopes.
Source: Reuters | Image via Reuters