Rumors about the iWatch keep getting hotter and hotter. This morning there are reports that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is planning several iWatch designs. Also Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s main supplier, Quanta Computer Inc. (TPE:2382), is going to start mass producing the iWatch starting in July ahead of an October launch.
iWatch to pack 10 sensors
This morning The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is putting an astonishing 10 sensors in the iWatch and that some of those will track health- and fitness-related data. The newspaper cites unnamed sources who also said the device will arrive sometime in the fall, possibly in October. That matches up with the timing Reuters reported on Thursday.
However, today’s report diverges from Reuters’ report in that it states that the iWatch will come in multiple sizes. Reuters had said on Thursday that the device will have a 2.5-inch display. The well-informed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo backed the multiple size and multiple design theory previously, so it’s possible that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is leaning in this direction.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) still hasn’t finalized the device’s specs. Of course the company will have to do so soon if it is going to begin mass production in July, as yesterday’s report indicated.
Apple delves into health and fitness
That the iWatch will have health-related sensors is certainly not a new idea. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) showed off iOS 8 at this year’s Worldwide Developers’ Conference (WWDC), and the presentations included a new Health app and HealthKit API. It’s generally expected that the iPhone 6 will utilize these apps and that the rumored iWatch will work with the smartphone, perhaps in a fashion similar to a series of patents that were published on Thursday.
However, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) isn’t expected to stop at health sensors. Developers who have examined iOS 8 say it appears that the iPhone 6 will have air pressure and other weather-related sensors.
Apple to ship 50 million iWatches
According to Reuters, a source said Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) expects to ship 50 million iWatches in the first year of release alone. Today’s report from The Wall Street Journal reports that a source claims total shipments could reach between 10 million and 15 million by the end of this year.
Analysts are split on whether Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will hit it big with the rumored iWatch. Some have emphasized that it will be a niche product, while others think the company will sell a lot of them. In general, analysts at IDC are projecting that the entire wearable computing devices market will more than triple this year alone, surpassing 19 million units. By 2018, they’re expecting the market to reach nearly 112 million units.
