You’d have a better chance navigating a newly constructed minefield a mile long with a blindfold on and emerging unscathed than you would of dodging all the iWatch rumors. The web is rampant with rumors and speculation as to when Apple will release its first smartwatch device, which is no different than a year ago when were discussing the same topic. The reports keep coming in, however, and the latest ones claim Cupertino’s wearable device is coming this fall. According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple will launch multiple versions, all of which will carry the “iWatch” moniker. They’ll have more than 10 sensors to track and monitor health and fitness as a way to stand out from smartphones.
Apple Inc. is ready to join Google Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. and a host of startups making smartwatches and, potentially, other wearable computing devices. But it isn’t clear how much consumers want the devices. Those on the market so far haven’t sold well, because most wearable devices only offer a limited set of features already found on a smartphone. Apple is planning multiple versions of a smartwatch—dubbed the iWatch in the media—later this year, according to people familiar with the matter. The devices will include more than 10 sensors to track and monitor health and fitness data, these people said. Taiwanese manufacturer Quanta Computer Inc. is expected to start producing the devices in two to three months, they said. As growth in smartphones and tablet computers slows, Apple and others are considering wearable devices as an enticing new market. Smaller sensors, flexible screens and ubiquitous wireless connectivity have the potential to usher in a new era of computing where all devices will become “smart,” collecting and processing data from daily life.
