ZTE's first smartwatch will only work with its own phones when it launches next year
Though smartwatches may or may not be selling well, such market conditions aren't stopping newcomers like Qualcomm and others from entering the game. Now, China's ZTE has told the WSJ that it'll launch its own model in the second quarter of 2014 with features similar to Samsung's Galaxy Gear, but at a lower price. Before you get too excited, the yet-unnamed device will just launch in China at first, and it'll only be compatible with the company's own smartphones -- like the Nubia Z5 shown above. However, ZTE said it may roll out in Europe and the US later and might also launch future smartwatches that work with any Android device. Though the market for wrist-borne wearables in China is tiny compared to the smartphone segment, ZTE's mobile marketing chief Lu Qianhao said that launching such a product may give his company's smartphones a competitive advantage. That may be an unusual marketing ploy, but it could get stranger -- the company's also considering smart glasses and yes, smart shoes.
