Struggling handset manufacturer HTC may throw its hat into the smart watch ring according to recent reports from Bloomberg.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)
Citing an unidentified source described as “familiar with the matter”, Bloomberg says the Android-based smart watch would feature a camera and be available in retail by the end of next year.
HTC CEO Peter Chou has previously told the Financial Times that wearable technology was a “critical segment” for the company but hadn’t put a timeline on the launch of any products.
Many analysts believe that wearable tech is here to stay, with Juniper Research predicting the market to be worth US$18 billion by 2018.
However, even if it has a smart watch in the market by the end of 2014, HTC will be well behind many of its competitors, with Sony on its second-generation tech with the SmartWatch 2 and Samsung recently releasing its own camera-sporting Galaxy Gear watch, to name just two.