Is Microsoft Plotting A Return To Wearables?

Oh, boy! Here we go again! Who here remembers Microsoft Band? The crown jewel of the company’s wearable efforts had a short shelf life of just three years before Redmond gave the product line a boot.

The device itself was excellent, and had so much tech packed into it that it rivaled most wearable products when it came to the feature set. Since then, the market has grown to new heights, but devices carrying the Microsoft logo are nowhere in sight.

That all may change soon, though.

As there are signs that Microsoft may not be quite done with measuring health metric via a wearable device. The company could be plotting a return to the market with a new creation.

This newly granted patent detailed a conceptual successor to the Microsoft Band, which goes by the title of “Wearable Pulse Pressure Wave Sending Device”. Rather unimaginative as far as naming goes, but the technology seems solid.

The new patent aims to address the lack of capable consumer blood pressure monitoring solutions.

In that sense, the WPPWSD is less like the previous smart cuff idea that Microsoft was all about, and more so about a patch with an array of pressure sensors that lay across a specific area. The kicker being that the device seeks out and alerts users as to where to place it for the most accurate reading.

The general design of the device is not available as in image, but Microsoft seems to have left enough room for a display.

Meaning, this device could double as a smartwatch if necessary.

Remains to be seen whether this device ultimately makes its way out. And if it does, what operating system does it run. And whether, in fact, Microsoft wants to reserve it for medical applications only, or will the company decide to bring it to the consumer space.

Questions, questions.