2013 has seen major hype in the wearable technology industry; from Google's testing program for the Glass explorer product to Olympus's announcement it would launch smart eyeglasses that could share data and information with a smart phone via Bluetooth. It is no surprise that the technology giant, Apple, would follow this trend and make a mark in the wearable industry.
There are a number of rumors and facts that point to Apple as an invisible, yet biggest, player in this industry. According to Sarah Rotman- a Forrester analyst- the human body is a canvas for the computer and it will not take long for an Apple hardware to take advantage of this rich canvas. Nick Bilton, from the New York Times, reported that Apple was experimenting with a wrist-watch like device. However, Bloomberg News' analysis on the growth of Apple's team in the past one year suggest that the iWatch is beyond the experimental stage and it indeed in its development phase. Tech.163- a Chinese techie site- deduced that Apple's Intel-powered iWatch will be launched by mid 2013.
There have been many write-ups on the possible specs for the much-awaited iWatch. Below is a look of the potential features of the iWatch:
The Application
Nick Bilton suggested that the iWatch is most likely to run on Apple's iOS platform. This is likely to happen though the organization of the application cannot be established yet.
The Screen
According to Bilton, the wrist-watch like device being experimented on by Apple is made of curved glass. Many people believe that the watch will be made of an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) screen. However, in a conference call Tim Cook-Apple's CEO- was spotted criticizing the OLED screen for its 'awful' color saturation. It is, therefore, not likely that OLED screens will be displayed. An alternative would be the 'touch on displays' which are currently being produced by one of Apple's suppliers. Another alternative would be Sharp's IGZO technology that has been explored in large screen devices such as iPad.
The Screen Suppliers
People have speculated the iWatch screen suppliers; Corning is the most likely screen supplier. Corning supplies the Gorilla Glass for iPhone. The company has recently managed to develop its Willow Glass that bends easily without breakage and allow for light and cost-effective application. This glass supports thin back planes and color filters in high performance and portable devices. The color filter will apply for both OLED screens and LCD- Liquid Cristal Displays. Furthermore, the slim flexible glass will help develop curved displays that are comfortable and allow for immersive viewing.
The Battery
The iWatch will require a powerful battery that would power both the watch and the display screen.
Storage Memory- The iWatch would work just perfectly even without a big storage space. This is because the Bluetooth feature and Apple's Cloud infrastructure will allow for easy transfer of data and information to and from smart phones.
Cellular Antenna
A small cellular antenna is necessary for stand-alone calls and data. Apple is reported to have patented a cellular antenna micro strip which could be integrated into a wrist watch.
Wrist Strap
It is very important for Apple to Choose the Wrist Straps wisely. Since Apple is a luxury brand, light-weight metal such as the liquid metal should be expected as the primary material for the wrist straps. However, many economists have argued that if Apple is to reach the less- affluent market, the inexpensive leather watch straps should be considered.
Whatever the specs of the much anticipated iWatch, it is sure that Apple has the technological know-how which include the iOS system and Apple's App store- to bring to the market a state-of-the-art watch whose inside workings and outside features exudes beauty and finesse.
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