iWatch Release Date Likely Late This Year; Apple Rumored to Be Eyeing 2014 WWDC to Unveil Wearable Device
ByApple is reportedly targeting the third quarter to unveil its iWatch, a wearable device rumored to be in production right now.
Though barely anything concrete is known about the iWatch, DigiTimes translated a report from the Economic Daily News, a Chinese-language newspaper. The report said Apple will reveal the iWatch some time in Q3 and is aiming to ship 65 million units for its release.
EDN reported Quanta Computer will manufacture the iWatch, while it will get its chip from Taiwanese company Richtek and its touch screen will come from TPK. Apple will reportedly design its own processor and will demand its suppliers ship products by August.
Apple reportedly wants to release the iWatch by the end of the year, but it is possible consumers and developers will see it in June at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). With the fiscal year's third quarter beginning in June, EDN's timeline for the iWatch's release aligns with the WWDC, typically reserved for Apple to show off its new devices and operating systems.
MacRumors reported TPK is working to provide a curved AMOLED screen for the iWatch in order to help the device wrap around a person's wrist.
Other rumors have linked the iWatch to the Healthbook app many people expect to see included in iOS 8. The new mobile operating system, MacRumors reported, will be able to synch a person's iPhone with the iWatch to perform fitness tasks and track basic health statistics.
AppleInsider also found that the iWatch could have a sensor, designed in Austin, Texas, that would be able to measure UV rays and warn the user of a possible sunburn risk.
"These chips measure UV exposure to aid those with elevated risk of sunburn or just a general concern about excessive sun exposure, and we believe they may be of appealing [sic] to OEMs looking to differentiate in a crowded market," Barclays analyst Blayne Curtis wrote in a recent memo.
Curtis also supported rumors of a late-2014 release for the iWatch and said Apple could sell as many as ten million units before the year turns over to 2015.
