Rumors of the speculated Apple smartwatch, dubbed the iWatch, have been circling the tech industry for quite a few months. Reports suggest that Apple will launch the much-anticipated wearable in the final quarter of this year.
Apple revolutionized the smartphone industry with the launch of its first smartphone, the iPhone, in January 2007. The iPhone started to get in the hands of smartphone customers from June 2007 and became a hit immediately. Similarly, Apple transformed the tablet market with the release of its first-ever tablet, iPad, in April 2010.
Rumors in the tech industry hint that Apple will yet again bring a new product that will entice a major chunk of the market. Apple's competitors such as Samsung, Sony and more already have their smartwatches. With the introduction of the iWatch Apple will intensify the level of competition in the wearables industry as well.
Smartwatches uplift the capability of a regular wristwatch to a different level altogether. A smartwatch user can sync the device with their smartphone and get notifications. Some smartwatches also offer the functionality of a fitness tracker, data storage, GPS navigation and many more.
Apart from just showing the time, Apple iWatch will serve as a companion device to the iPhone. Once synced, users will be able to get notifications from the iPhone such as messages, call records and more on the iWatch. The smartphone may have the capability of making and receiving phone calls independently.
The iWatch is expected to have an integrated health monitoring app that will let its user keep a track of their fitness. Speculations suggest that Apple has entered into a partnership with Nike to produce an iWatch. Apple may implement fitness-related aspects found in the Nike Fuel Band in the iWatch.
The size of the iWatch is rumored to be anything between 1.4 inches to 1.6 inches. Moreover, some reports points out that the iWatch may come in multiple sizes to cater to both male and female customers.
The wearable device is said to get a sapphire coating, which means that the smartwatch will look as good as new throughout its lifetime. The iWatch as well as the iPhone 6 are rumored to have a curved display. The wearable is expected to run on iOS 8 and may have a base price tag of $250.
According to a New York Times report, Apple is also looking at alternate ways to charge its devices such as iPhones, iPads and iPods. The report highlights that the company may induce solar charging capabilities in its future devices. The New York Times report does not suggest if the iWatch will also have solar charging ability. However, it should not come as a surprise if the iWatch becomes the first Apple gadget to feature solar charging.
Apple has not yet confirmed the iWatch, which means that we will have to wait until the company officially takes the wraps off from the mysterious wearable. The company is said to have plans to launch the iWatch along with the iPhone 6 in Q4 2014 at an unannounced event in Oct. 2014.
