Ten years ago this week, we published one of the strangest and most interesting stories from the Windows Phone era: Microsoft’s Unreleased Moonraker smart watch It was a frozen moment when Microsoft was still experimenting with bold hardware ideas, still trying to build a future in mobile, and still confident it could build an ecosystem that stretched from your PC to your wrist.
(An earlier idea later we got a prototype in hand, the Xbox JouleMicrosoft has canceled its fitness watch for gamers).
Looking back now, Moonraker feels like a glimpse into an alternate timeline. A smartwatch with personality, color and a user interface instead of using the Metro design language. It never shipped, but it showed how close Microsoft was to a wearable strategy years before the Apple Watch changed the category.
Ten years later, Moonraker stands as one of those “what could have been” moments that defined the Windows Phone era as ambitious, stylish, and ultimately abandoned before the industry took off. – Daniel Rubino, Editor-in-Chief
Original article, “Meet Microsoft’s Unreleased Smartwatch Moonraker”. June 12, 2016By Rich Edmonds.
A Tumblr account owned by Microsoft design staffer Pei-Chi Hsie has found new images that clearly show a smartwatch running Microsoft’s Windows operating system. Codenamed Microsoft Moonraker (model LS-50), this smartwatch features Windows Phone-like Modern UI.
Unfortunately, you can’t buy this device and we’re not sure if it will ever see the light of day. According to the information he obtained The Vergethis smartwatch was actually canceled by Microsoft after it took over Nokia’s devices and services division.
Sources familiar with Nokia’s plans told The Verge that the Finnish company is developing a Moonraker smartwatch that uses many of the aesthetics of modern Windows Phone design. Working prototype devices were shown to potential customers at Mobile World Congress last year, and the smartwatch is close to being unveiled. It was planning to launch a smartwatch alongside the Nokiaa9 and Lui when the company acquired Nokia’s phone business.
It had to be presented next to the device Lumia 930offers support for reading texts by lifting the arm to turn off the screen or lowering the watch. The footage was spotted by Evan Blass, who shared some details on Twitter: See Microsoft Moonraker (via) http://t.co/f9wmwd8k8c) pic.twitter.com/k2cRZdS1md
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) June 12, 2015
As for Microsoft’s wearable device that you can actually buy today, the company is working on Band version 2. hits later this year.
It is not yet known what Microsoft’s plans are for the “smart” watch. Would you be interested in Microsoft Moonraker? The images have since been removed from Tumblr.
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