Apple Smartwatch

ItsMyFault · Feb 11, 2013

This has been rumored for the past year now, but there are some credible sources with some news.

The New York Times is reporting today that Apple has begun developing an iOS-based smartwatch. Sources familiar with the company's plans tell the Times that the watch will be made from curved glass, setting it apart from competitors such as Pebble's smartwatch. At the moment, however, it seems the watch is still in a nascent stage of development. Sources said Apple is currently experimenting with wearable form factors, but gave no details of the device's design, or whether it will be released to the market anytime soon.

Rumors of a so-called "iWatch" have been circulating since at least 2011, when the Times first reported about Apple and Google's forays into wearable computing. At the time, Apple's experiments were described as a logical extension of the iPod Nano — a "curved glass iPod that would wrap around the wrist." Then, sources close to the company said users would be able to communicate with the device using Siri, though it remains to be seen whether or not this is still part of Apple's plans.

"THE HUMAN BODY MOVES IN UNPREDICTABLE WAYS."

Yet today's report suggests that Apple has at least begun taking the concept more seriously, thanks in large part to advances in bendable technology. Last year, Corning unveiled its latest Willow Glass display — a slim, flexible substrate that seems tailor-made for Apple's wristwatch. "You can certainly make it wrap around a cylindrical object and that could be someone’s wrist," Corning CTO Pete Bocko told the Times. “Right now, if I tried to make something that looked like a watch, that could be done using this flexible glass."

But Bocko warned that despite his company's progress, designing glass wearables for the human body is still a challenging task. "The human body moves in unpredictable ways," he said. "It’s one of the toughest mechanical challenges."

If Apple does launch an iOS-based watch, it will do so amid increasing competition in the wearable tech market — not only from Pebble, but from Google, as well. A company executive told the Times that Google hopes its Google Glass headset will eventually comprise three percent of its revenue by 2015, as the search giant begins its push to make wearable computing mainstream.
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http://www.theverge.com/2013/2/10/3973364/apple-rumored-to-be-developing-ios-based-smartwatch

It's no surprise Apple's heading in this direction. The Pebble Watch looks nice.

Dave2000 · Feb 11, 2013

I'm surprised its taken them this long

I've used my 6th gen Nano as a watch for a year now after getting it for free via the 1st gen Nano recall, love it, get compliments about it frequently. Came in handy when I was in the Philippines last summer in the car while in traffic.

bigben69 · Feb 11, 2013

Dammit Apple....just stop!

Tommyboy · Feb 11, 2013

Still waiting on my two Pebbles I backed...

ynelilvs99 · Feb 11, 2013

I saw the poll that said not that many ppl are interested. Well, I am. Watch those ppl buy one anyway.

rimrocker · Feb 11, 2013

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Apple Smartwatch

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