The wait for Apple's smartwatch may be over soon as signs that the company's plan to launch a watch become ever more
concrete, dpa reported.
The smartwatch will come in several varieties with different display
sizes, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday. It is expected to be
called the iWatch, continuing the company's naming convention, and go
on sale in October.
Regardless of when the smartwatch comes out, Apple will be playing
catch up. Competitors Google and Samsung have already introduced
products. Apple is also under pressure to prove it can continue its
run of hit products under chief executive Tim Cook. It has been four
years since it launched the iPad, its last major new product.
Smartwatches already on the market exploit the growing power and slim
size of sensors that can detect body temperatures, geographic
locations and voice commands.
Apple's watch will have more than 10 such sensors, including ones
that monitor fitness and health, the Journal reported, quoting people
who have been informed about the watch. Its aim is to address a
criticism of existing smartwatches that they don't provide functions
significantly different from those of a smartphone, a person familiar
with Apple's plans told the Journal.