After Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook confirmed that there will be new product categories in 2014, rumors grew that the technology giant will finally launch its version of the smartwatch, dubbed the iWatch. And now, there are speculations that there will be a "for him" and a "for her" versions of the same. The men's version will come with a 1.7-inch OLED display while one for the women will have a smaller, 1.3-inch OLED screen.
Apple has kept its lips sealed (as it always does) but David Hsieh, vice president (Greater China Market) of the research firm DisplaySearch, let it out that Apple will launch two versions of the iWatch, citing sources knowledgeable about the matter.
The research firm said that the manufacturer of the iPhone and iPad might have moved its focus from manufacturing television sets to wearable gadgets.
"It appears that Apple's long-rumored TV plans, which were far from concrete anyway, have been put on hold again, possibly to be replaced by a rollout of wearable devices," said Paul Gagnon, DisplaySearch director for North American TV research, in an interview. Gagnon pointed to lack of content as one of the reasons why the TV projects are being put in the back burner.
According to the same report, it is not yet clear if Apple will make use of a flexible display to outmaneuver Samsung's Galaxy Gear in the market.
A report on tech blog Apple Insider scooped rumors in October that Apple is in talks with LG for supplying the OLED display for the iWatch. LG is a supplier of display for the iMac, MacBook, and the Apple iPad.
Another company that could supply the display for the wearable technology is Taiwan-based RiTDisplay. If things work out, iWatch would not only be a lightweight piece of wearable technology, but also it would be the first product from Apple to sport an OLED display.
Recently, Apple filed a patent for network access short-range connectability, creating some buzz in the tech world. The said filing may refer to a low-energy Bluetooth that can be used for wearable gadgets like the iWatch.
"A machine-implemented method for accessing a remote network, the method comprising: for a first device having short-range connectability with a second device, the second device having access to remote networks, performing in the first device: establishing a short-range connection between the first device and the second device when the first and second devices are within range of each other; receiving a notification that the second device offers a service for sharing access to remote networks; responsive to receiving the notification, joining the service; accessing a remote network via the service; and establishing a network presence with an application server in communication with the remote network," the patent read.
"Using short-range connectability, devices without radios can be paired with radio-enabled devices to automatically establish a brief intermittent connection with the network that will allow the device to perform such tasks as establishing network presence for receiving push notifications and other types of messages or updates," another part of the patent described.
