AppleInsider Staff
A report on Sunday claims Apple is "aggressively" making hires for its iWatch team to iron out kinks in the device's design, as current staff assigned to the project are supposedly unable to solve certain difficult engineering issues.
Sources familiar with the hiring spree told the Financial Times that Apple is looking for people who can address "hard engineering problems that they've not been able to solve."
The publication notes that Apple is not only mulling acquisitions of small outside firms that may be able to help with the unspecified problems, but is also trying to keep key personnel on the project. Currently, "several dozen" people are said to be working on the initiative.
These sources also say the so-called iWatch is expected for release in late 2014, which lines up with recent estimates from KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who in May said the unit will likely be rolled out in the second half of next year.
There has been no shortage of iWatch rumblings as of late, including Apple's worldwide trademark tour, which saw the company file for protection of the "iWatch" moniker in Japan, Russia, Mexico, and Taiwan. Earlier in July, Apple hired former Saint Laurent CEO Paul Deneve to work on "special projects," a position some believe is related to wearable computing projects like the iWatch.
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28 Comments
I think we may see an announcement of the device early in 2014 months before the release much like we saw for the original iPhone and iPad. Apple will build hype and awareness for the device creating the next "must-have" item for people. I wouldn't be surprised if Apple had an event in Jan or March to debut the device before all of the production bits are worked out.
A possible late 2014 launch for iWatch? Damn! Why does it always take Apple a year to get things in motion. Samsung could easily put out five distinct smart-watches by that time. Not that it really matters because it's very unlikely consumers are going to take to these wrist computers and the value of some iWatch isn't going to add much to Apple's revenue or shareholder value no matter how many are sold to consumers. I can only imagine that battery life will be abysmal for a device that size that is supposed to do so many things.
A possible late 2014 launch for iWatch? Damn! Why does it always take Apple a year to get things in motion. Samsung could easily put out five distinct smart-watches by that time. Not that it really matters because it's very unlikely consumers are going to take to these wrist computers and the value of some iWatch isn't going to add much to Apple's revenue or shareholder value no matter how many are sold to consumers. I can only imagine that battery life will be abysmal for a device that size that is supposed to do so many things.
It's true that Samsung or any manufacturer could come out with a smart-watch now, but many won't take the time necessary to get the concept right, hence why every smart watch out today is a niche accessory.
Apple has the opportunity to do a smart-watch right much like they did the smartphone and tablet "right". I believe if Apple can get the right combination of form and function we'll have another game changer.
As far as the competition rushing products out in the mean time, they're all going to fail and be no where close to what Apple eventually releases.
Remember the LG Chocolate which seemed to be an incarnation of all of the "iPod Phone" rumors, or Microsoft's "Slate" push when they caught wind Apple was developing a tablet? All of those preemptive devices from the competition failed because they didn't take time to figure out the market. They just rushed crap products out to cash in on the hype and buzz, and they all eventually failed.
A possible late 2014 launch for iWatch? Damn! Why does it always take Apple a year to get things in motion. Samsung could easily put out five distinct smart-watches by that time.
Those pesky "certain difficult engineering issues" that Samsung doesn't have because they don't care about quality engineering and design. When all you want to do is ship crap out the door as fast as you can who needs engineering. Of course you'll be back when/if an iWatch is released crowing about how Apple was late to the game, and how they're doomed, and how smart watches have been around for years. You know, the usual crap we hear from the hater crowd. But by then Samsung will be busy copying those "difficult engineering issues" that Apple solved... and call it innovation.
Battery could be built into the band, no? Or is battery tech not that far along?