“Apple Inc. is experimenting with designs for a watch-like device that would perform some functions of a smartphone, according to people briefed on the effort,” Jessica E. Lessin reports for The Wall Street Journal. “The company has discussed such a device with its major manufacturing partner Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., one of these people said, as part of explorations of potentially large product categories beyond the smartphone and tablet.”
“Capabilities that Apple is exploring for wearable devices remain unclear. But analysts and investors who have been tracking the field predict the company would release a product with many different functions and that the device would work closely with the iPhone,” Lessin reports. “Apple has been exploring the area for some time, according to the people briefed on the effort, and has hired employees with backgrounds in sensors and related technologies in recent years.”
Lessin reports, “Devices worn on the wrist are one hot area, with companies like Jawbone Inc. and Nike Inc. NKE +0.97% selling activity-monitoring models.”
Read more in the full article here.
Related articles:
iWatch: Apple developing curved-glass smart watch, sources say – February 11, 2013
Tog: The iWatch will fill a gaping hole in the Apple ecosystem – February 7, 2013
Why Apple should hang-up on the iPhone, iWear is next – January 6, 2013
Analyst sees wearable computers from Apple as future replacement for iPhone – January 2, 2013
Apple and Intel secretly building Bluetooth smartwatch that connects to your iOS devices, say sources – December 27, 2012
Apple patent application details display-integrated cellular antennas – May 6, 2012
Apple patent app details next-gen microstrip cellular antenna for future MacBooks, iWatch and beyond – October 25, 2011
Two rumors about something unconfirmed.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Apple tech rumor bubble. It is an echo chamber bar none. Over the next few days continuous stories of this mythical watch will appear as “expert” after “expert” reads the same articles and comments in soft language such as, “Indicates are that Apple is developing an iWatch.” Finally, by Friday, someone from Apple will get fed up and say, nope. Not true.
If the rumor is true I see the market for it primarily in sport activities.
oh sure
… we all know how well the iPod Nano wrist straps sold…
Again: WSJ (as well as NYT) reports incredible amount of not confirmed nonsense and false “news”. Sometimes it was very bad that you could almost feel sorry for that pathetic “journalism”.
iWatch might happen, but those articles are no way any real indication of that.
WSJ is rapidly becoming a “Tabloid” where it was once a trusted source of professionally researched and written NEWS. Sad, but I no longer trust the WSJ.
As usual, Apple will come up with something that is not quite the device analysts are predicting.
It could be a peripheral to your phone with some limited display and touch interaction but aimed mostly at voice based interfaces to your iDevice. This would seem to be a natural extension to Siri and could eliminate the need to go through the “Push and hold” scheme to initiate a Siri request. (when you’re talking to the watch, you’re talking to Siri).
That could be the Siri watch or Swatch.
Siri
Wrist
Attachment
To
Converse (with)
Humans
Dick Tracy, Dick Tracy calling Joe Jitsu!