HTC planning private preview of smartwatch prototype at MWC: Report

Looks like everyone wants a piece of the smartwatch! Word is HTC is also working on a smartwatch that it plans to showcase at the upcoming Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next week. However, it will be a private preview and the device won’t be going into production anytime soon. According to Bloomberg, HTC has built a new wearable device, but it is still unclear if the device will be shown publicly. The report further says that the prototype won’t be shown to public because the company hasn’t sketched any plans for production of the device yet. The HTC smartwatch prototype is based on the Qualcomm Toq. It features a Mirasol display, Bluetooth connectivity, fitness tracking, several days of battery life, fitness tracking, and will also support push notifications. Besides the Toq-based smartwatch ptrototype, HTC is also working on two other wearable devices. However, it isn’t clear if HTC will be displaying them at the MWC next week. One of the prototypes is reportedly based on Google Now-like applications, and could come equipped with an AMOLED display. The other wearable is said to be a smart wrist band featuring a touchscreen display, a music player and an activity-tracker. After two annual declines, HTC is reportedly now pinning hopes on newer device categories, better marketing and improved customer service to remain relevant in the mobile market. News also has it that the company plans to release its first wearable device by this Christmas and is currently working on solving issues with the battery and display. We’ve already seen smartwatches from Sony and Samsung while companies like Apple, Google and Microsoft are also rumoured to be working on one. The wearable device category will clearly see a huge boost this year in terms of shipments and most mobile manufacturers are making sure they aren’t left behind.