Supposed images of a Nokia Lumia smartwatch leak, revealing a mysterious black device

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Did you know Nokia is working on a smartwatch? Neither did we though we have heard some rumblings in the past of such a project. Even Microsoft themselves are rumored to be re-entering a market they pretty much created years ago (hello, SPOT!).

Now, two photos have leaked on to the microblogging site Sina weibo that allegedly reveal a prototype device. The story was run by the site Ctech, who have previously unearthed details on unreleased Nokia devices. The source of the actual images ranks high for them, but since there is little corroborating information, it is difficult to verify at this time.  

Actual details about the rumored device are sparse, including any features. But from the images themselves, we can see a black, possibly polycarbonate body with a clear Nokia logo. There is no strap attached and the display can hardly be seen. From the second image, you clearly seen the curve at the bottom to wrap around a wrist—at least that’s what it appears to be.

There’s also no word on the status of the device. There’s good reason to believe it’s an in-house project by Nokia, since many companies are now looking to wearable technology as the “next big thing”. In fact, Samsung just launched theirs this week. But currently, we don’t know if this project—if real—is going forward, especially with the Nokia / Microsoft deal looming.

From the Microsoft PDF document 'Strategic rationale'

Speaking of the Microsoft / Nokia deal, when that was announced a PDF guide to the acquisition was released to explain the benefits of the proposal. In that document, an image titled ‘New form factors’ was noted by the Twitter account MSFTNerd to include a sketch of a watch, possibly either the alleged Microsoft Surface variant or Nokia’s Lumia watch.

As they say, where there is smoke, there is fire. But for now, we're giving this a '6' on our Rumor Meter until more information comes forward. Do you think there is any truth to a Nokia smartwatch program?

Source: CTech; via: GizChina; Thanks, mattdeguile, for the tip!

Daniel Rubino
Daniel Rubino

Daniel Rubino is the Executive Editor of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft here since 2007, back when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, Microsoft Surface, laptops, next-gen computing, and arguing with people on the internet.
122 Comments
  • Where is the Rum-o-meter? But yeah, I would be interested in this.
  • It's 6/10, dude. ;)
  • It wasn't there when I viewed it. At least when I viewed it on iPad. That is probably why.
  • Nokia should be working on Glasses. The camera in Google glasses is terrible, but would be much better with Pureview OIS. HERE maps city lens app would make so much more sense on glasses than a phone.
  • and they have to look like this. Because google glass is cool, but I WANT TWO SCREENS! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O52e9s5DL08
  • Lol
  • Its a shark with fricken lasers!!!!
  • Its a freakin seas bass with a laser. They ran out of sharks.
  • It's ok, they are ill-tempered sea bass.
  • Today they decided to use a Whiskey-o-meter instead.
  • Those are some precision holes there.
  • lol yeah. That alone makes me think this is fake. Or atleast a very early hand drilled protype? ha
  • Maybe they are. Sometimes that is done to fool proof assembly where one strap can only be installed on one side....its like a key.
  • For wireless charging, eh?
  • Hmm so we have phones, glasses and watches. What's next? Lockets?
  • Ooh! O_O
  • Rings!!!!
  • NFC rings are already being discussed.
  • I wanna pay for my groceries with a fist bump!
  • Microwaves! *1st April Fool
  • I want shoes.
  • I was hoping for socks, but I'll settle for shoes.
  • Pacemakers, vibrators, babymakers, all connected in the cloud, powered by Windows
  • The second one on your list is a real product.
  • As is the first one on his list.
  • underwear
  • Nokia has done lockets/watch in the past (2003-2004), Nokia Medallion I and Medallion II and Nokia Kaleidoscope I . Medallion II could be used as a locket on a chain or as a watch.
    http://i.imgur.com/EXxc9eb.jpg
  • https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151400137818772.1073741827.8195378771
  • Although any Nokia news is exciting news (in my book, anyway), I can't help but fail to see the need for a smartphone watch. Samsung's Galaxy Gear is the most overhyped gimmick I can think of in recent years, IMO.
  • Here's the thing: smartwatches will be gimmicky initially. But I assure you, it's the future. When I showed people the ppc-6700 in 2006, most laughed and said they don't "need to do email" on the go and saw no "need" for a smartphone. Fast forward today and who doesn't have one? All it took was ONE company to get it right: Apple. Wearbles are the next big thing, make no mistake. It will take some time to get it right, but years from now, a lot of us will have these devices. Fitbit, Google Glass, smartwatches...and more. I've used the Galaxy Gear and Pebble. They're not for me, but they are kind of neat from a technology perspective.
  • Not for me.  Not unless my watch can talk to my car, ala Knight Rider.
    Me: Come get me, I'm at the bar and I've had too much to drink.
    Car: Are you going to give me premium gas?
    Me: No! It's way too expensive
    Car: Go fuck yourself, Walter!
  • LMFAO❕❕ One of the funniest comments I've ever seen in my life❕❕
  • ⬆⬆⬆ BEST COMMENT EVER ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆
  • Nice... +920
  • You win 4 Internets today, sir.
  • NICE!
  • PMSL!! :D
  • People were saying they didn't need e-mail on the go in 2006, were they? Not where I was working! Most people had Blackberries already and I remember many a discussion in the pub about the convergence of mobile phones and PDAs long before that. 2006? 1996, maybe. Anyway, the problem with smartwatches is that they don't really offer anything genuinely new and useful. Furthermore, they won't be able to encroach on the "status symbol" market currently inhabited by Rolex, Hublot, etc.
  • Consumers, not enterprise uses. The mass consumer market dismissed Windows Mobile, Palm Treos and definitely BlackBerries for a long time. Regarding adding anything "genuinely new and useful", the category has barely kicked off. Look at all the innovation and social media networks created since 2008--things that were never thought of as being important e.g. Instagram, Twitter, Untapped, Pinterest, Foursquare, Facebook, WhatsApp etc. Mark my words, we're going to see an explosion in this area in the coming years. You can't see the innovation now but you're just not imagining hard enough ;)
  • Unrelated question... Why is the "rum'o'meter always in such horrible resolution❔
  • I was sending lots of email in 99 with my AOL account...:D
  • Anyone remember the Seiko pager watch that worked over FM band? Didn't have to strap a pager to my belt and it gave weather, stock quotes & sports scores. I saw the future in the early-mid 90's. Too bad the average consumer didn't or we would be so much farther along by now.
  • Correct. I was emailing years before that with my WinMo SMT-5600 smartphone.
  • I agree, I also got the same kind of looks with my htc tornado. Always on, wearable tech is definitely the future.
  • Blackberry had it right for email. It was just targeted for business. Apple didn't make email popular on the go. Most consumers (not prosumers) don't really care for email. Texting and texting apps are what they care about more than email. Apple succeeded because they combined the ipod which was #1 mp3 player at that point with a phone and internet on the go, add great design and innovation and sold. Only after fixed the price which was too high intially. All that aside, I do agree that smart watches will be popular and useful. Pedometer, watch, caller id, answer ignore calls, music skip/play, call, accept voice commands, notifications ... etc I don't know if it will be as big as you are saying, but there is a market for it.
  • I agree wearables are the next big thing (do we have a choice?) but for now and the near future it seems smartwatches are tackling a issue where the simple solution is to just reach into your pocket.  If it evolves into something where the small screen, notifications etc are not huge DOWNGRADES of a smartphone slapped on your wrist then we're going somewhere. Whatever youir'e doing on your smartwatch you can probably do better and quicker by just pulling out your phone. 
     
    With the technology we have now: If it can have NFC, maybe a GPS / 4G connector (bridge) to your phone so it saves phone battery and your watch is the one using battery for this (like tethering), 
    Similar features like these are much more "SMARTER" than just a downgraded screen showing notificaitons.
  • So, four days later outlook notifiys me someone has responded to my comment... !! Nevermind. I definitely haven't written-off the concept, but at the stage we're at, I honeslty don't see what all the fuss is about. Show me a Windows Phone 9 smartwatch that is a single piece of OLED wrapped around your wrist that has Cortana on board on-the-go, complete with voice recognition, vibrate and the ability to unwrap and act as a phablet?? Sure, I'M IN!. :)
  • Literally no one hyped the Samsung Galaxy Gear.
  • Yeah no one hyped it because it is extremly buggy and it offeres nothing new or innovative.
  • N the design of gear is aesthetically-challenged....alright alright, i meant fugly...lol
  • No one apart for pervs, maybe. What's the point of that rubbish camera anyway. :p
  • You dont need a watch because your phone tells the time. In an alternate reality, you dont need a phone because your watch makes phone calls.
  • Sitting on a little mini wireless charging plate;-)
  • Count me in as sold!! I want one, hopefully MS/Nokia release something soon. It would be the perfect piece to keep Cortana with you all the time.
  • You need a gf!   :P
  • Leave Cortana alone!!!! :)
  • Lmao
  • Lol, I have a girlfriend but Cortana will be my b!tch!
  • LOL... I'm still laughing at your last comment...""" Car: Go fuck yourself Walter❕❕""" LMFAO❗❗
  • Seriously though, Cortana could be the thing that drives several million spotty nerds to windows phone.
  • +1
  • Super-Nerd
    <Ditches old Super-phone (5S or S4)>
    It's not an "S" in our world - it' means "Hope"...I mean "Cortana"
    <Gets a Lumia 1820>
  • Sounds cool my gf more likely to want it accessories on my wrist drive me mad
  • This would be an awesome accessary for our Lumias. Hope they do it and do it well!
  • Would make sense to be able to keep the 1520 in your pocket for basic tasks. I sure hope it turns out to be factual.
  • Man, this is now getting interesting. Bring it on Nokia. You keep up with the technology, and I won't leave you!
  • Next thing you know, they will invent a small computer that fits in your pocket that makes phone calls.
  • LMAO.
  • Impossible
  • I think it's more than logical. Sony has already their Smartwatch 2 available, now Samsung has also released smart watches...if Nokia doesn't want to be left behind, the sooner they start working on this, the better. It would be a good thing to have as an advantage over Apple. I hate wearing watches...but I think I could totally dig this Nokia smartwatch.
  • Redundancy...The story was run by the site Ctech, who have PREVIOUSLY unearthed details on unreleased Nokia devices IN THE PAST.
  • Damn son!
  • Hmm. I guess that's cool. I love my old vintage analog watch.
    http://forums.watchuseek.com/f10/gruen-soviet-having-fun-fixing-watch-br...
  • Sweet watch! I dont wear one, but that just might have changed that!
  • I'm in the same boat. I haven't worn a watch in years, but the right smartwatch would get me back in the game.
  • Well, I seem to remember two years ago Nokia was at some tech event and even released a video with some engaging innovations they were looking into with new material, form factors and what they might look like. I believe wpcentral might even have reported on that..? =P
  • *twilight zone music*
  • As an avid watch guy this excites me 1000%. It has been painful to sit and watch other platforms get on the smartwatch gravy train while I sit and wait.
     
     
  • You may be interested in the Agent Watch as well, in which the connection to a Windows Phone 8 is a first-class feature.
  • Just keep watching.
  • You got me all wound up.
  • It may be a HERE related product
  • Could be HERE, could be THERE. We just dont know
  • Watches are just better for some things. And I'm not talking about jewelry. I just picked up a simple Ironman watch just because it's a lot more convenient to check the time, track lap times, countdown, stopwatch, etc... on a wristwatch. Don't need to worry about having pockets.
    A "smart watch" should do all the stuff a regular sports watch does, bit with some extras, like connecting to calls with Skype and a FFC and a Bluetooth headset. It could also have some apps that are fine for a tiny screen, like the Weather or even email. You can respond via Cortana/TellMe.
  • i have a Datalink USB one of the last that could be developed for that timex made.
  • I dream about a smart watch that connects via Bluetooth to a Windows Phone and shows Notifications on live tiles.
  • Maybe the watch will be WP's long-desired notification centre?
  • Holy crap I'm sooo super! I have the kreyos meteor coming to me probably in November but I would totally chuck that for a Nokia windows watch!
  • Is it just me or are those holes misaligned? Prototype perhaps?
  • Definitely misaligned. My guess would be an initial prototype, probably one of many meant as concept pieces to further develop. Shoot, weren't the first Lumias carved from wood? I think they do some funky stuff out there in Finland, plus who knows how 3D printing is affecting design/prototyping these days.
  • So far no one really nailed the waterproof sector well for watches, yes i mean ALL watches (excluding expensive luxury diving watches), main reason because there's gaskets n also buttons/knobs n joints that can cause water leakage in long run. N battery change will also render the waterproof useless. If a smartwatch can tackle that by using touch to solve the problem of buttons/crowns, as well as the wireless charging can solve the need for a usb portion, it would be cool.
    i mean i wouldnt really need a full smartphone function on a watch, but bringing the techs above together with some minimal apps (such as sports n health apps) it would be cool.
    Always been having dilemma to find a watch as i'm a regular swimmer, n if a smartwatch r able to notify me of misscall or msgs while in the water would b superb.
  • Yeah! why not a fully encased watch...no USB ports or anything. So it could be submerged. Wireless sync, and wireless charging.
  • You have to buy a separate watch case if you want wireless charging. This is Nokia.
  • My Lumia 920 would like a word with you
  • Hahaha...good one there.
  • I did really enjoy my I'm watch until the screen died two months later. I love the idea and use of a smart watch, so if Nokia's making one I'll buy it. Though I have my eye on AGENT, the first smartwatch that fully supports windows phone.
  • Looks like a piece of plastic to me, I don't see a screen.
  • I can say the same if I put my 720 upside down on my desk.
  • This isn't upside down smartass.
  • Looks to me a that this watch has solar charging. I remember reading that solar charging could be one of the technologies that Nokia is going to showcase on 22nd
  • The least amount of times you have to pull your phone out of your pockets the better. I wouldn't wear this watch to a club/bar but if it can help reduce me pulling out a $650 phone out everytime at work I'm totally in
  • if its not going to be waterproof, I aint buying it.
  • I've never liked wearing a watch anyway, so not interested. Now if they go Next Generation on us and we get a tap and talk pin on our shirts that can access everything and send video to any device, well, now you're talking.
  • Nokia watch? Nonono. Lumia watch.
  • Maybe they are getting involved in the fitness arena? taking on Suumto, Garmin and the like with a sports/fitness watch? this would make sense, especially if they incorporate their HERE plus technology into it.
  • Look at those holes. Badly drilled.
  • Nokia Smart-Beeper
  • Wouldn't that be the Treasure Tag thingy that was also leaked recently?
  • If this is true... SHUT UP! AND TAKE MY MONEY!
  • Daniel.. The Smartwatch on the Microsoft PDF is a part of Nokias Morph Concept that was released in 2008! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX-gTobCJHs
  • Build in Qi wireless charging and this thing could slay! Who wants their watch dying midday?
  • Exactly! Buy a wireless charging mat and use it as a mousemat together with the smartwatch. Win-win ^ ^
  • It's a Bluetooth headset (?)
  • Hope they don't put a camera on it like Sammy.
  • Skype video calls on the watch would be pretty cool though.
  • Key points for me will be design and the price. I want my watch to look good. Looking at you Galaxy Gear. That thing is just plain ugly.
  • Nokia, if you here this, please, create something that is usefull, not this gimmick.
  • Dude! PPC-6700! My last Verzion phone. I always knew you had good taste.
  •   Unless the watch can last 2+ weeks on a single charge, I'm not interested.   I wouldn't mind if all the watch did was tell the time (without syncing to the phone) and controlled media playback, so long as I don't have to plug it in weekly. Sure I'd like to read SMS and have other notifications, but none of that matters if I can't treat it more or less like an actual watch.
  • would be nic if they did away with the bluetooth & just added a sim card slot like the watches made by s.w.a.p. for example as it would make a good thing for when your traveling out of country & dont want to roam.
  • I want to get a Nokia windows watch!
  • I want a front facing camera on it, of course blutooth to my L1020 so when people call on skype I can use that like all the spy movies hahaha .. also make damn sure its water proof so I can see my text msg's and such while in the pool and the phone's in a safe place nearby.