The Apple iWatch is rumoured to be in some form of
production right now – we round up the news and speculation on its specs,
features and potential release date.
If Apple is going to follow the likes of Samsung and Sony
and release a smartwatch, the company could do it tomorrow at the iPhone 5S
launch event. We'll be covering the event live over on our Apple iPhone launch
event: Live blog page, so stay tuned to see what Cupertino has in store.
The most recent development suggests that Apple is now
hiring large numbers of designers and technical experts to help the company
reach its goals in creating a wrist-based Apple device, the rumour comes from
the Financial Times who also report that there are concerns over whether Apple
has the know-how to create such a complex device to their own extreme
standards.
Supposedly a team of ‘about 100 product designers’ are
working on the iWatch – including managers, marketers and software and hardware
engineers who previously worked on the iPhone and iPad. That’s according to two
people ‘familiar with the company’s plans’, which puts them in a remarkably
small category.
According to the two in the know, the project is ‘beyond
experimentation phase in its development.’
Apple iWatch will be called....
iWatch
In case you were wondering, which we're sure you weren't
Apple will almost certainly be calling its Smartwatch the Apple iWatch. This
comes after confirmation came in that the tech giant had filed iWatch trademarks
in Japan and Russia.
What you may not have been expecting however is the news
that Apple may not be able to call its product the iWatch in the UK, instead
having to come up with a different name after it was revealed that iWatch has
already been trademarked in the UK, US and in Europe.
Apple iWatch price
Sadly there hasn't been much talk about what Apple's iWatch
will cost, but thanks to other companies jumping on the bandwagon we can get a
rough idea of what the cost will be.
The Sony SmartWatch 2 is set to land in September this year
with a price tag of around £150, that means that if Apple applies its usual
premium price tag you could be looking at between £180-£220 for your very own
iWatch.
With rumours circling that Nike could be launching a new
Fuelband as well all eyes will be on
the company that can offer the best gadget for the cheapest price.
the company that can offer the best gadget for the cheapest price.
Apple iWatch features
The latest rumour comes courtesy of David Hsieh, an exec at
DisplaySearch. Hsieh claims that Apple will be making two iWatch devices, one
sized for men and one for women.
According to Hsieh the news comes from within Apple. If it
turns out to be true it would certainly set the iWatch apart from the
competiton who have been looking to find a universal solution for sizing.
A further two informers claiming to be au fait with Apple’s
various super-plans say it is experimenting with a ‘wristwatch-like device made
of curved glass’, operating on iOS. The NYT notes Corning has developed
bendable glass last year called Willow Glass which could be used to wrap around
something wrist, and cites Forrester’s claim that “Apple’s certainly made a lot
of hiring in that area”.
There are also claims Apple is in discussions with Chinese
manufacturer Foxconn, which makes a large number of iPhone and iPad parts,
about producing an iWatch. Foxconn are apparently working to make more
power-efficient displays and stripping down chips, aimed at multiple Foxconn
customers. This Wall Street Journal report also claims Apple has hired
employees with backgrounds in sensors and related tecehnologies.
Apple iTV, Siri and iCloud
While many have dismissed the idea of a Apple iWatch in the
past, some are coming around to the idea in think pieces. The Cult of Mac notes
that recently Siri and iCloud has become massively important to Apple – and
that these two technologies actually lend themselves very well to a wristwatch
strategy. It also points out that it would be particularly well suited as a
remote control to any TV that may be being worked on. The Apple iTV is an
entire area of speculation in itself, which we’ve collated and summarised for
you here.
It has also been pointed out that an iWatch wouldn’t be such
a dramatic new area for Apple, since the square iPod Nano with watchstraps can
act as, well, pretty much a watch with knobs on. A Blog To Watch also concurs
that Siri integration will be key.
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