The much anticipated iWatch will come in three flavors, according to reports released on a Chinese-language website.
While there have been reports asserting the iWatch has been set for production in Taiwan, there has been much debate over when the wearable tech will move into mass production. While insiders leak details and place mass production somewhere between October and December, new information has emerged on the iWatch's form factor.
Unconfirmed reports indicate the iWatch come in a 1.6-inch version and two 1.8-inch variants, one of which will employ a display composed of sapphire crystal.
The latest rumor prices the iWatch at $300 and expects the wearable tech to move between 30 to 60 million units in the first year at its unconfirmed launch, sometime in the third quarter of 2014.
Analysts have predicted widespread adoption of the iWatch, due to the steady climb of Apple's brand loyalty. In contrast to Samsung's retention level of 77 percent, Apple was said to keep 90 percent of its customers coming back for more of its products and services.
Jan Dawson, analyst and founder of Jackdaw research, stated in a blog post his belief the iWatch will be accompanied by other wearables, slightly different from the wristwatch format the masses have been expecting.
"It's easy to imagine some that would be wrist-worn, others that could be clipped to clothing or worn around the neck," stated Dawson. "And unlike many of the fitness trackers out there today, which are hidden under clothing, at least some of these could be proudly worn outside clothing, which explains the significant investment Apple is making in hiring people with fashion-related expertise."
Though Swiss watchmakers have said they don't see the iWatch as true competition to their brands, Apple snagged a top executive from luxury watch brand Tag Heuer in July 2014. Jean-Claude Biver, head of Tag Heuer's parent company, cheered the outgoing Tag Heuer sales director Patrick Pruniaux as Pruniaux headed to Apple, but Biver maintained his position that the iWatch would have to develop its own market.
"The iWatch will have the same status symbol power as many other Apple products, especially at the beginning," said Biver. "I personally believe it has the potential to be a threat for the industry, and it should not stay with its arms crossed."
For all of the rumors that swirl around Apple's iWatch, little has been revealed about the device's functionality. But with such high brand loyalty and a reputation for delivering premium products, Apple's hypnotic allure appears to have already sold a large part of its faithful on a product.
