Swatch wants to hit Apple and Google wearables where it hurts the most with a new OS and smartwatch

by Plamen Dimitrov / Mar 17, 2017, 9:47 AM

Swatch already announced the Tissot Smart Touch (left), but the latest news suggests that the company is aiming even higher

Swatch, Switzerland's largest timepiece maker, has great ambitions for the wearables market. The manufacturer is developing its very own operating system which will be first seen in a brand new smartwatch that is set to hit the shelves at the end of 2018.

Speaking to Bloomberg, Swatch CEO Nick Hayek revealed that the new timepiece will be a member of the Tissot brand which is a subsidiary of the corporation. By "thinking small", Swatch will aim to beat Apple Watch and Android Wear devices in an area where they are currently lagging – battery life. According to Hayek, the new operating system will need less energy and will protect data better.

Considering that these claims are coming from one of the most esteemed watch manufacturers on the planet, one might deem them as convincing at first glance. However, the reality is that the Swiss company might have a very tough time breaking through. By the end of 2018, the battery life of other wearables might be significantly improved, and according to luxury watch industry analyst Luca Solca, coming up with an entirely new OS for the device might not be a good idea:

I’m not convinced. People use smartwatches expecting to use the same apps they have on their mobiles. A proprietary operating system defeats the object.

Still, Swatch might be able to address this issue, as the company is ready to provide its OS to third-party developers. Hayek revealed that the firm has so far received around 100 requests for more information, half of them coming from smaller Silicon Valley businesses that don't wish to be reliant on Android or iOS.

via MacRumors

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9 Comments

1. Settings

Posts: 2943; Member since: Jul 02, 2014

Any OS is welcomed, as long as battery life is great.

posted on Mar 17, 2017, 9:55 AM 5

7. audibot

Posts: 678; Member since: Jan 26, 2017

its simple bring back the pop swatch but with ok google and notifications nothing else needed just messages, notifications and ok google voice input you dont need apps on the watch to much space and not enough power

posted on Mar 17, 2017, 4:37 PM 1

2. toukale

Posts: 669; Member since: Jun 10, 2015

Lol... I always laugh at those guys and their lofty goals, only to eat their words later. Look as long as we still live in this two mobile os world (Android/iOS) those guys can forget about it. 99% of the world's smartphones run on those two mobile os. What that means is whatever smatwatch os their introduce will not be able to take advantage of the deep integrations that both Google and Apple will be able to do. Let's take the iPhone for example, till this day no matter what Google and Samsung tried to make their smartwatch compatible with iOS, it's still handicap by what Apple api's allow them to do. The Apple watch can do so much more because it's not limited by those handicap, meaning it's useless to most iOS users. That's the same thing those guys will face, and I am sure developers are not going to jump at the chance of supporting another smartwatch os.

posted on Mar 17, 2017, 10:10 AM 1

3. maple_mak

Posts: 953; Member since: Dec 18, 2013

Looks like you had forgotten Gear powered by Tizen, hadn't you?

posted on Mar 17, 2017, 10:13 AM 2

4. libra89

Posts: 2316; Member since: Apr 15, 2016

Exactly. Good luck with that.

posted on Mar 17, 2017, 10:16 AM 1

6. SleeperOne

Posts: 370; Member since: Feb 25, 2017

It's stupid posts like yours that make working in tech a slave grind today. Competition drives innovation, and what did iOS and Android contribute to one another? Playing catch up to one another, nothing is really new just what the marketing gimmicks tell you are new and 'innovative'.