Swatch will launch its first smartwatch later this summer

As smartwatches are finally beginning to make their way to the mainstream, we’re seeing a steady rise in the number of manufacturers jumping on board the wearable train. But so far, since the launch of Android Wear, we’ve really only seen technology-focused companies produce wearables. Obvious contenders like Motorola, LG and Samsung were quick to get their first smartwatches onto consumers’ wrists, but that’s definitely not the case for actual watchmakers.

[related_videos title=”Smartwatches in video” align=”right” type=”custom” videos=”526866,568780,591132,543668″]TAG Heuer recently announced that its first Android Wear-powered device would be the Carrera Wearable 01, though it looks like that’s not going to be the only Swiss-made connected wearable on the market in the next few months. According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, Swiss watchmaker Swatch plans to release its first Internet-connected watch sometime this summer.

Now, this “smartwatch” might not be anything close to what you’re thinking. The watch will come with NFC on board, mainly to be used for mobile payments and hotel room access. The report didn’t mention anything about an OS, so we’re not sure if this new device will come with Android Wear or any in-house built operating system from the watchmaker. The report states that the watch won’t require daily recharging thanks to NFC’s low power consumption, but details beyond that are scarce at the moment.

Swatch CEO Nick Hayek said earlier today that the “Swatch NFC watch” will be announced later this summer and will go on sale in the U.S., China and Switzerland sometime in H2 2015. Hayek also says that this product is in response to the Apple Watch and similar devices from manufacturers like Samsung. The report didn’t shed any light on cross-platform compatibility, but since the Swatch watch was built in response to Apple’s and Samsung’s offerings, this new wearable will likely be compatible with both Android and iOS devices.

As of now, details are scarce. We know the watch will be unveiled sometime this summer and will have NFC on board, but that’s about it. As more details trickle in over the next few weeks, we’ll be sure to let you know.