There have been rumours for months indicating that Apple have been working on a smartwatch expected to be called the iWatch. Things have stepped up a gear recently with reports that Apple have been applying for patents for their smartwatch device and the iWatch name has apparently cropped up in the said documents. Here’s an overview of the latest iWatch speculation.
We may not have to wait too much longer for Apple’s iWatch which could be with us in September according to the latest rumours. Apple are unlikely to want to delay its release any further as they’re apparently hoping to sell 65 million iWatches before the end of this year. There are whispers in the industry that the iWatch could be Apple’s most desirable new product of 2014 and demand will even surpass that for the iPhone 6. There’s some speculation that Apple will release more than one type of iWatch with predictions that it could retail between £100-£150.
Apple have been discreetly hiring a whole host of new staff who apparently will be helping them to design the iWatch so it features top health and fitness tracking. These include sleep experts, experts in medical monitoring technology and fitness specialists. In total, around 200 people are thought to be working on project iWatch.
It’s anticipated that the iWatch will sport a curved, wraparound design and may come in 2 sizes. There’s speculation that the smaller version will have a 1.3-inch screen and the larger version a 1.5-inch display. The screen could well boast a flexible AMOLED display and will be charged up wirelessly. The new iWatch could come with bendable ‘Willow’ glass and a curved battery.
One of the main features of the iWatch is thought to be a new health and fitness app called Healthbook. Healthbook is expected to offer a pedometer functionality including steps taken, distance travelled and the calories you’ve burned off. We could also see it monitoring the users heart rate, blood pressure and even hydration levels.
The iWatch is likely to feature a new M7 chip which boasts motion data, gyroscope and compass mapping abilities. The iWatch is anticipated to run on the forthcoming iOS8 operating system and it will need to be connected to an iPhone or iPad running iOS8 in order to work.
Other features expected to be included in the iWatch is of course Apple’s famous virtual PA Siri and a 2.1-megapixel camera. We’ll keep you updated with the latest on the iWatch over the next few months.
