We saw multiple new entrants to the smartwatch market this week but it looks like we might not see HTC’s rumoured wearable anytime soon. According to the latest reports, HTC has shelved its plans to release a smartwatch.
Word comes via Pocket-Lint, which cites those all-knowing ‘sources familiar with the matter’ in reporting the company has abandoned the idea of a smartwatch. No “official” reason was given by this anonymous source, but the person believes the hesitance on HTC’s end is in part due to rising costs and “a lack of wow factor” with the device itself.
Last we heard HTC’s watch was tipped for a September launch. We first got wind of HTC’s watch in May, when it was rumoured to be called the One Wear. July brought a hardware render from @evleaks that looked a lot like the Pebble Steel. From the leaks, it definitely didn’t look all that different from the current smartwatches we’ve seen. If the rumours about HTC’s reasoning for ditching the watch are true, it’s encouraging that the company is choosing not to release a smartwatch as opposed to releasing an ‘us too’ product just for the sake of it.
In case you missed it, a smartwatch in a cradle showed up in a HTC design video over the summer. Guess that’s as much as we’ll see for now.
[source]Pocket-Lint[/source]
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