Report: Microsoft Finally Ready to Release Smartwatch

Microsoft is reportedly prepping a wearable device for launch in the next few weeks.

The smartwatch, which tracks a wearer's heart rate and syncs with various mobile platforms, Forbes said, is expected to hit shelves in time for the holiday shopping season.

Notably, the device would sync across platforms to iPhones, Android devices, and Windows Phones, Forbes said.

Redmond's wrist-worn gadget has been rumored since May, when a 2012 patent for a "wearable personal information system" (pictured) was published. The product license tipped a wearable machine with a miniature computing device that can be locked into a wristband while in use, or removed and mounted on a dock to charge or sync data.

A Microsoft spokesman declined to comment on the report.

But Forbes suggested the device would come with a long-lasting battery, which can run for more than two days between charges—more than Samsung's Galaxy Gear or the Moto 360 (slideshow above), which require almost daily juicing.

This would not be Microsoft's first foray into wearables. In 2002, it Microsoft introduced the Smart Personal Object Technology (SPOT), which delivered news and weather using FM signals.

In other wearable news, Fitbit is reportedly prepping a new flagship wearable, dubbed the Surge. As reported by The Verge, the company intends to launch three new fitness trackers in the coming weeks, but the Surge will serve as a sort-of "superwatch" priced at $249, with built-in GPS tracking, PurePulse heart rate monitoring, and real-time workout data for various activities. It will also reportedly come with Fitbit's 24/7 activity-tracking technology.

Fitbit did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Editor's Note: This story was updated at 11:20 a.m. Eastern with a response from Microsoft.