Running Microsoft 'Xbox Watch' discovered, is no Apple Watch killer

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in Apple Watch
An "Xbox Watch" prototype has been unearthed and brought back to life, showing what Microsoft had in mind for its first, true smart watch after a failed effort in the beginning of the century.




The first known pictures of the device running appear to show a device with heart rate monitoring, guided app-driven workouts, and GPS tracking.

Try to feel terrible resolution of Xbox Watch... If you find the Xbox Watch can't be recharged, you can disassemble the screen with an utility knife or a razor, then hit the positive pole on the battery with piezoelectric ceramic igniter from a lighter. pic.twitter.com/TcQwMcvJEQ

-- Hikari Calyx (@Hikari_Calyx)




Twitter user Hikari Calyx posted the pictures, as well as a teardown of the device.

The Xbox Watch - Teardown
Now you can post an article about this if you are an editor. pic.twitter.com/NP8ZHBo8Ny

-- Hikari Calyx (@Hikari_Calyx)


Microsoft's early SPOT watch was capable of passively receiving FM data pushes shipping until 2008. Modern rumors of Microsoft working on a smart watch date back to 2013, with reports of the Apple Watch starting in 2011.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    jbdragonjbdragon Posts: 2,311member
    It was a prototype!!!  What you see wouldn’t be a shipping product.  It didn’t go far internally.  The software on it says Alpha.  That was far from a shipping device.  I’m sure using off the shelf parts.  Something thrown together quickly to see if it would be a product worth moving forward on.  It went no where and this us the prototype device that didn’t move forward.  What do you expect.  

    watto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 7
    viclauyycviclauyyc Posts: 849member
    Looks fancy if you ask me. By the way, where is the red ring?
    lolliver
  • Reply 3 of 7
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,727member
    viclauyyc said:
    Looks fancy if you ask me. By the way, where is the red ring?
    Where's Clippy?
    JWSClolliverwatto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 7
    johnbearjohnbear Posts: 160member
    both apple and this microsoft watch look terrible. even if they were free I wouldnt wear such ugly accessories! I like my iPhone and mac computers but at least I don't have to wear them as accesories;)
  • Reply 5 of 7
    steveausteveau Posts: 299member
    johnbear said:
    both apple and this microsoft watch look terrible. even if they were free I wouldnt wear such ugly accessories! I like my iPhone and mac computers but at least I don't have to wear them as accesories;)
    I love my Apple Watch (Series 2, 42mm Space Black Stainless Steel Case with Space Black Milanese Loop running watchOS 3), not only for the functionality but also because it looks great. I guess the aesthetics are a personal matter, but I don't think that the functionality can be disputed. However, we most certainly agree on one point: i wouldn't wear the Microsoft XBox Watch if it came free with my breakfast cereal.
    fotoformatlolliverwatto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 7
    bestkeptsecretbestkeptsecret Posts: 4,265member

    jbdragon said:
    It was a prototype!!!  What you see wouldn’t be a shipping product.  It didn’t go far internally.  The software on it says Alpha.  That was far from a shipping device.  I’m sure using off the shelf parts.  Something thrown together quickly to see if it would be a product worth moving forward on.  It went no where and this us the prototype device that didn’t move forward.  What do you expect.  


    I agree. Even Microsoft wouldn't have released the watch in that state.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 7
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    Not an Apple Watch killer? When did that happen? ANYTHING any competitor releases is immediately dubbed an Apple killer. Duh.
    edited January 2018 watto_cobra
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