Apple is releasing an iOS-based "iWatch" before the end of 2013, reports from The Verge and Bloomberg confirmed.
Features under consideration for the still-unconfirmed smartwatch device include the ability to make calls, check caller ID, relay map coordinates, display notifications from the user's phone on the watch's display, and provide health-related data through a built-in pedometer and heart-rate monitor, Bloomberg's unnamed sources said.
The Verge says Apple's still working on battery life issues as the current prototype doesn't last four to five days on a single charge.
What Else You Need To Know
- The watch project is said to be a favorite of Apple design chief Jony Ive, who ordered "boxes" of Nike sports watches for his team to study a few years ago.
- Amid speculations about Apple-made TVs entering the market soon, Bloomberg analyst Anand Srinivasan notes that gross margins on watches are around 60 percent, four times bigger than on TVs.
- Apple is under pressure to create a revolutionary new gadget amid slowing sales growth and rival Google soon unveiling Glass, an Android-driven augmented-reality eyewear.
- Gorilla Glass manufacturer Corning, which supplies glass for Apple's iPhone, recently said that products based on its flexible Willow Glass wouldn't come to market for another three years, prompting many to assume that meant an iWatch was also at least three years out.
Other sources
This enthusiasm surrounding a new product category is welcomed by Apple investors, who are becoming impatient for Apple to enter a brand new product category three years after it introduced the first iPad.- Erica Ogg, GigaOM
If the reports are accurate, Apple is making the right move in pushing for better battery life.- Darrell Etherington, Mobile Crunch
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- Bloomberg: iWatch due by Christmas, could be more profitable than TV
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iWatch rumored to be coming this year, include calling, maps, health features
Gorilla Glass manufacturer Corning, which supplies glass for Apple's iPhone, recently said that products based on its flexible Willow Glass wouldn't come to market for another three years, prompting many to assume that meant an iWatch was also at least three years out.
- More...