“Apple has been working with at least one partner, Swatch, to release a line of smartwatches in variety of branded styles and price points,” Mark Sullivan reports for VentureBeat citing “a source with knowledge of the situation.”
“While most Apple-watchers and media have been laser-focused on one or two ‘iWatches’ from Apple itself, the Cupertino, Calif.-based electronics and media giant may actually be working a number of partners in the watch business,” Sullivan reports. “Apple and its partners will offer a family of smartwatches to suit all tastes ‘from geek to chic,’ our source says. The tech giant is interested in pushing its iOS, iTunes, and Health Kit ecosystems to millions of wrists, our source says; and in this case it’s not particular about sharing the branding glory to do so.”
“Our source also said ‘he would be shocked’ if Apple weren’t also working with Timex on one or more smartwatches,” Sullivan reports. “Despite the partnerships, our source points out that Apple may also be developing a smartwatch or smartwatches that will have its own branding exclusively. So the iWatch may be real, after all… So the iWatch, if it’s called that, might hit the market alongside watches from Swatch, Timex, or others that are compatible with Apple’s Health Kit and may even contain Apple’s technology.”
Much more in the full article – recommended – here.
MacDailyNews Note: UPDATE: 8:27am EDT: Swatch Group denies working with Apple on smartwatch
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Fred Mertz,” “Dan K.,” and “Lynn Weiler” for the heads up.]