ZTE Quartz: Company's first Android Wear smartwatch rumoured to be launched at MWC 2017

Chinese smartphone manufacturer ZTE is reportedly planning to make its debut in the global smartwatch market.

The company might launch its own version of Android Wear smartwatch dubbed ZTE Quartz. The latest disclosure has been made by Evan Blass also known as evleaks from Venture Beat, who has shared an image and a few details about the wearable. Evleaks further claims to have got access to the marketing material of the device.

The smartwatch has been spotted while getting its Bluetooth certification, bearing model number ZW10. The Bluetooth SIG suggests the wearable features a circular design and offers UMTS 3G cellular connectivity to supplement its Wi-Fi radio. This indicates users might be able to make and receive calls directly from their wrist directly. Additionally, it can be paired with Android 4.3 or above and iOS 8.2 for iPhones.

At the MWC event last year, the company showcased two watches: Venus 1 and 2. They were basically activity trackers, without the functionality of a smartwatch. Hence it reportedly makes sense for ZTE to launch a smartwatch with advanced features. The watch is expected to be launched at the upcoming MWC event, scheduled towards the end of this month in Barcelona.

Meanwhile, other manufacturers such as LG and Huawei are likely launch their next-gen smartwatches powered by Android Wear 2.0.