“Swatch Group AG plans to start selling a smartwatch within the next three months, potentially pitting the Swiss maker of colorful plastic timepieces against the debut of the Apple Watch,” Corinne Gretler reports for Bloomberg. “The device will communicate via a form of technology known as NFC and won’t have to be charged, Chief Executive Officer Nick Hayek said in an interview. The Swatch smartwatch will also let consumers make mobile payments and work with Windows and Android software, he said.”
“Hayek is ready to go head-to-head with Apple Inc., which has scheduled its smartwatch introduction for April,” Gretler reports. “Hayek has been skeptical about the smartwatch’s potential. Two years ago, he said that he didn’t think the smartwatch would be a “revolution” for the industry. He has repeatedly voiced concern that watch screens are too small for communicating and that such devices might need too much charging. Last year, he said Swatch won’t participate in a race to be first in developing the products because of consumer resistance.”
Gretler reports, “Swatch is in talks with retailers on its payment system, Hayek said, without naming them.”
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