Is Microsoft planning to take on Apple with its smart watch?

BANGALORE, INDIA: Microsoft might soon come up with a direct competitor to Apple's iWatch and Google Glass, pioneering devices in the nascent wearable devices segment.

Apparently, Microsoft is looking at prototype designs for a touch-enabled smart watch, reported The Wall Street Journal.

Microsoft's plans for a smart watch have leaked earlier and now the company's suppliers have said designs for the new device are being considered at Redmond.

One executive from a supply company said he met with the research and development team at Microsoft's Redmond headquarters. However, the supplier also said that it's not 100 per cent clear whether Microsoft would go ahead with the watch this year, said Tech2.

It added that Microsoft has requested 1.5-inch displays from various component makers, as it quoted another executive. The tests of a computerized watch also underscore Microsoft's ambitions in expanding its hardware offerings.

The company launched the Surface tablet PC last year and we have heard that it is also about to announce a smaller, 7-inch Surface to better compete with the likes of Nexus 7 and iPad mini.