Apple CEO Tim Cook. Photo: Reuters
The wait for Apple’s iWatch may finally end in October.
Since late 2012, web rumours have maintained that Apple is developing a watch-like device that consumers can connect with their smartphones. Japanese newspaper Nikkei has added weight to those rumors with a report that said the gadget will go on sale in just four months.
According to Nikkei, the so-called iWatch will feature a curved touchscreen and be designed so that customers can use it to collect health data about themselves. The gadget will run iOS, which is the software Apple uses for its iPhone and iPad.
Apple did not respond to requests for comment.
Earlier this week, Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Brian White said he expects the iWatch to be announced alongside the next iPhone in September, with a price somewhere between $US199 and $US229. White reportedly made his comments after meeting with an unnamed tech supply company while attending the Computex trade show in Taiwan.
Apple itself has also fueled speculation about new products with vague promises of wonderful things to come. Last month, Apple senior vice president of internet services Eddy Cue reportedly said the company’s planned releases for the rest of 2014 are “the best product pipeline” he has seen in his 25 years with the tech giant.
“I believe certain products we’ve got coming are great,” Cue said.
Since the first reports of the iWatch, several tech companies have come out with smartwatches of their own. Most notably, Samsung has released three touchscreen smartwatches in the last year along with a fitness-activity-tracking wristband.
Google, meanwhile, has announced Android Wear, a version of its mobile operating system that is being developed specifically for use in wearable devices. Motorola and LG have each committed to release at least one Android Wear smartwatch.
Los Angeles Times