Mark Gurman of 9to5mac.com has reported on recent filings from Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) which indicate that the company plans to release a new product containing sapphire glass, which will be classified as “jewelry”.
Industry insiders have speculated that its classification points to the fact that the component will be a wearable, and rumors of an iWatch have been swirling for the past year. Analyst Matt Margolis uncovered documents which spoke of an “aggressive go-live timeline of August 2014”, so Apple fans should expect more details soon.
The dawn of the iWatch?
The use of sapphire is obviously not restricted to a piece of wearable jewelry, and we have already seen prototypes of a sapphire glass display for the new iPhone 6 which is to be launched on September 9. However Apple already filed documents for a sapphire phone display earlier this year, which has led Gurman, among others, to conclude that the new component is more likely to be used for a wearable such as the iWatch.
Of course, Apple could also be planning a rival to Google’s Project Glass in the emerging head-mounted display (HMD) sector, but Dave Smith of the International Business Times stated that both Google and Apple were a fair way away from producing their rivaling products.
An exciting new Apple product
The iWatch would be Apple’s first piece of wearable hardware, and rumors have been building of an October 2014 release date. The new product would be iOS compatible, enabling it to beam messages, simplified apps and Siri from your iPhone to your wrist, which means no more taking out your phone to check notifications.
It is also rumored that Apple will take inspiration from the Nike Fuelband SE, with a focus on healthy living. Up to ten internal sensors will measure metrics such as steps taken, calories burned and heart rate.
Commentators have claimed that the iWatch will be available in various different screen sizes and price points, which will make it accessible to a wide range of different markets.
