Swatch Smartwatch News, Features Rumors: Doesn't Require Charging

Swatch has announced that in a few months' time it will launch its own smartwatch that does not require charging unlike other existing and upcoming smartwatches.

Swatch CEO Nick Hayek made the announcement, saying his company's smartwatch aims to compete with devices from Apple, Samsung and Microsoft. Hayek said the watch will be defined by the Swiss watch maker's immense experience in designing traditional watches.

What could be the biggest difference between the device from Swatch and other smartwatches is the company's "no charging required" claim. At present, all smartwatches available in the market and those still to come require charging. Some, including the Pebble smartwatch, need to be charged once every five days, while other devices have to be charged daily or every two days. Even the upcoming Apple Watch, according to rumors, will only be able to last for under 19 hours with a single charge.

The upcoming Swatch smartwatch will communicate via NFC and, as such, could be used to make mobile payments. It will also be able to link to the Internet and will be compatible to both Windows and Android operating systems. There is no information yet on whether the watch needs to be paired with devices running iOS.

News of the upcoming smartwatch took people by surprise as Swatch, CEO Hayek in particular, had been skeptical about such devices in the past.

Industry insiders said Swatch is bringing its 30-year experience in designing and crafting watches into play in developing its first smartwatch. The device could end up having a thin bendable battery that the company has been using in many of its devices over the years.

Swatch has been creating watches with touch screens for over a decade and it will bring this experience to its new smartwatch along with a multitude of sensors that many devices in its range already have. Altimeters and compasses are some of the sensors Swatch uses in its watches in addition to others that are helpful to divers.