Casio to Launch First Smartwatch in March

Following tech giants like Samsung, LG, Sony, and Apple, apart from luxury watchmakers, noted Japanese digital watch and calculator maker Casio has finally said it will join the smartwatch bandwagon next year. The watch will be launched in the US and Japan in March 2016 and will carry a price tag around that of the entry-level smartwatch by Apple that is starting $349 (roughly Rs. 22,100).

As per Casio President Kazuhiro Kashio, the upcoming smartwatch will be aimed at the mass market, offering comfort and durability, reports the Wall Street Journal. "A device that won't break easily, is simple to put on and feels good to wear," Kashio was quoted to say. The wearable is also said to be an ideal device for users involved in outdoor sports.

The company has said that the Casio smartwatch would come with features seen in other smartwatches. Notably, the firm already has launched watches that include heart rate monitor and schedule manager, which were not widely popular. "At times we just showed off with quirky features and then pulled those products when they didn't sell well," said Kashio.

The firm has reportedly spent four years working on the smartwatch and in the process has rejected several prototypes, which also included a bulky phone-watch hybrid. Kashio added that he would like the upcoming smartwatch to reach the $80 million (roughly Rs. 507 crores) sales mark quickly, and further expand from there.

Swatch too unveiled its Swatch Touch Zero One smartwatch in April this year and said it would launch the product in August. Swatch Chief Executive Nick Hayek also said that the company plans to launch watches with an embedded "near field communication" chip this summer.