With the media raving about the new iPhone 6, the iWatch has been sitting calmly in disguise. What Apple has up their sleeves we may never know. One thing is certain, though: this may spark the beginning of a new era of wearable technology.
The idea of a smart watch is not a new concept. Companies including Sony and Nike have already created and marketed watches in this field. The Pebble Watch began as a Kickstarter campaign and grew into something that should shape the digital watch field. The Pebble Watch itself is ahead in the current smart watch field, allowing you to receive directions, view incoming calls, messages and emails.
It is rumored that Apple has been working on the iWatch since late 2012. The efforts to release this new device have been escalated since the opening of the smart watch field, which has been growing increasingly competitive. Apple has already patented the name “iWatch” in a number of countries to prepare for its release in September or October of this year.
iWatch Concept
The iWatch is beginning to take on many different concept faces. With designs resembling the Lunatik iPod Nano Watch, we hope to see something completely different if Apple wants to keep its fans happy. The rumors throughout the internet suggest the idea of a larger display compared to current smart watches. Corning’s new Willow Glass has a flexible property allowing it to bend, suggesting a curved display for the watch. It’s also suggested that the iPhone 6 might also be utilizing a flexible design. It’s Apple’s partnership with Corning that produced Gorilla Glass which has been used in the most recent Apple mobile devices.
OS X Yosemite and iOS 8 utilized together
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has provided fairly accurate updates on Apple’s recent products and suggests that next to this year’s late release date will allow users to maximize the new iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite updates for their Apple devices. It makes you think Apple has something heavily in store with the similar release times of these new updates and products including the much anticipated iPhone 6. Kuo says that the iOS device will allow users to receive notifications as well as perform basic functions as if you were on your phone. She even supports the idea that the watch will include biometric sensors which will take advantage of Nike’s FuelBand idea.
iWatch Concept by Todd Hamilton, based on Nike FuelBand
Apple’s intent with the iWatch is to offer a “fashionable design” that will give Apple users more of a reason to want one. The notion that the watch might even be offered in multiple materials and sizes will also provide different price points. Keying on the success of the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5c, this may be a smart option that Apple would have no problem marketing on. Recent rumors from Reuters as well as The Wall Street Journal suggest wireless charging could be a big possibility, and with no smart watch yet fully grasping the use of it, could put Apple ahead of its competitors.
We won’t know until the next few months whether Apple will release something similar to our expectations, but what we can be definite about is a product you’ll be seeing around a lot more often. Perhaps companies like Timex, Nixon, and Casio will have to jump on the bandwagon and offer a similar product if they want to stay competitive. Fall 2014 is going to be one that many Apple fans will remember and so will Apple if everything goes right.