Swatch, the Swiss watch manufacturer will launch its first smartwatch this summer in the U.S and China , according to a latest report from The Wall Street Journal.
The smartwatch from Swatch will come with support fro near field communication (NFC) which is mainly used for mobile payments and hotel room access, said the report. Chief Executive Nick Hayek told the publication that the smartwatch will also launch in Switzerland along with the US and China. He added that the company will announce big partners for the mobile payment service. Moreover, he added that the smartwatch from Swatch is in response to the Apple Watch and similar devices from manufacturers like Samsung.
The smartwatch is expected to go on sale in second half of the year. The report states that the watch won’t require daily recharging due to NFC’s low power consumption. Also, it is expected that the smartwatch will be compatible with Android as well as iOS. However, there are no details about specs or the OS about the watch. Other luxury watch maker Tag Heuer will launch its own Android Wear smartwatch in October this year for $1400