Apple Inc. Adds 2 More Nike Engineers To iWatch Team [REPORT]

Updated on

Rumors about Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s iWatch have been running hot and heavy stretching back more than a year. Every day it seems like there’s a new rumor about the device, and the company has been adding more and more experts to its team.

Apple’s new iWatch team members

This week, 9to5Mac updated the list of iWatch team members it published in February. The latest hires are Jon Gale and Ryan Bailey, two more engineers who previously worked on Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE)’s FuelBand. Both engineers’ LinkedIn profiles show the change in employers.

Bailey had been in Nike’s product development division and assisted with testing the FuelBand and making it better. His job title at Apple is Hardware Engineer. Gale joins Apple as a Sensors Engineer. He had previously worked on both firmware and hardware for Nike’s Digital Sport products.

iWatch team grows

Apple is expected to launch the iWatch this fall, possibly in October. If the timing is correct, then it seems a little strange that the company would add two more engineers so close to the launch because the device would need to be just about finished if it’s going to launch in October.

However, just last week the company brought in even more experts for the device, including a former executive from TAG, a Swiss maker of luxury watches. Also Nike recently confirmed that it would be laying off some of its digital sports team members, so it’s possible Bailey and Gale were looking for jobs anyway. Apple has been welcoming former FuelBand workers with open arms, having poached a few others from Nike previously..

Apple covers all the bases for iWatch

9to5 Mac highlights every aspect of the iWatch team, including leadership, fitness, fashion and health. There are numerous sensor experts on the list, which strongly suggests that Apple has big plans for the iWatch and how it will use the HealthKit API and Health app it unveiled at WWDC last month.

There have been reports that the iWatch will feature as many as ten different sensors and offer numerous health-related functions and monitoring capabilities. Some analysts expect even more from the device, suggesting that it could even serve as a remote control for the HomeKit API, a smart home system Apple also showed off at WWDC this year.

Leave a Comment