Could Microsoft’s new wearable be a wristband, not a watch?

We’ve known for a while now that Microsoft was gearing up to launch a wearable device, but the watch we were expecting might not be a watch at all. Instead of competing with Google and (we expect) Apple on that front, well-connected blogger Paul Thurrot’s sources say that Microsoft’s wearable will be a fitness-tracking wristband. It will monitor steps taken, calories burned and heart rate, and will probably also have a screen to receive notifications, but it won’t be styled as a watch.

Unlike other fitness trackers, it will apparently be able to continuously monitor heart function. But the thing that could really make it stand out is that it’s rumoured to be multi-platform, working with Microsoft, Google, and Apple’s operating systems. Back in May, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told a conference that their products needed to be available on all devices, and said, ‘It’s time for us to build the next big thing.’ Whether that will be this wristband remains to be seen, but it could be a (fitness tracked) step in the right direction.

It’s expected to go on sale in the autumn for around £170.