New Reports Surface Claiming Apple Working On Smart Watch

By: Talha Bhatti  |   February 11th, 2013   |   Apple, Gadgets, iOS, News

Rumors about Apple looking at developing a “smart watch” are not new but recent reports from The New York Times Bits blog and the Wall Street Journal has confirmed that the maker of the popular iPhone and iPad Apple is also creating a smart watch. Both reports did not name any sources but stated that Apple is experimenting with “wristwatch-like devices made of curved glass.” The new devices would be powered by Apple’s iOS, a mobile operating system. According to The New York Times the Apple watch would not be like other similar products on the market and would be different “based on the company’s understanding of how such glass can curve around the human body.”

 

 

At this point in time there are no details of what kind of features or functions the watch would have or when Apple plans to release the device. However, many observers are sure that any display on the product would be made using glass developed by Corning. This is the same company that created Gorilla Glass, which is a strong glass used on displays for iPhones and other touch screen smartphones. Last year Corning announced they had developed a new bendable glass called Willow Glass after 10 years of research.

 

The New York Times questioned the chief technology officer for Corning Glass Technologies, Pete Bocko, about the possibility of their product being used in a smart watch and he replied that “you can certainly make [WIllow Glass] wrap around a cylindrical object and that could be someone’s wrist. Right now, if I tried to make something that looked like a watch, that could be done using this flexible glass.”

 

The Apple smart watch rumor first came out in December of last year when Chinese website, Tech.163, stated that Apple was looking to use Bluetooth to connect smart watches to other Apple devices. At that time the rumor was that Apple would be partnering up with chip maker Intel to create a 1.5-inch PMOLED screen that would be manufactured with ITO-coated glass by RiTDisplay.

 

As with any rumor that is related to Apple, there is non guarantee that the new report is true. Apple is very secretive about new products and it is hard to guess what it coming next from the Cupertino based firm. There are some factors that could point to an Apple smart watch. There is demand for the product as can be seen from the many people that attach a strap to a iPad nano to create their own  home made smart watch. There are also successful startups like Pebble who have used e-paper and Bluetooth functionality to develop popular Kickstarter products that have already started shipping. More established competitors like Sony have created their own smart watches that connect with Android powered devices.

Source: Tech Crunch