Rumours of Apple’s smartwatch are once again swirling in the tech grapevine as the company readies to host Worldwide Developers Conference on June 2.
The latest word on Apple’s attempt at wearable gadgets comes from Rosenblatt Securities analyst Brian Blair. He says that the rumoured iWatch will feature a round watch-face, much like that of Motorola’s upcoming Moto 360 smartwatch.
Icons of Apple’s iOS 7 are rounded, which will easily fit on the circular face of the smartwatch.
Citing industry sources, Blair says Apple’s smartwatch will be as thin as Moto 360, and possibly a little thinner.
He also said that the iWatch will be available in separate models for men and women.
Earlier reports have said that the Apple smartwatch will go into production in June this year, with 3-4 million units to be made. This will be followed up by 14-15 million units to be manufactured in the third quarter.
It is said that the System in a Package (SiP) of the smartwatch, which can hold a processor, RAM and flash memory, is under production at present.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had earlier said that iWatch will come in two screen sizes — 1.3- and 1.5-inch. Apple is expected to use flexible AMOLED display with sapphire glass panels in its smartwatch, along with a 200-250mAh battery. Other features of the device include biometric recognition, wireless charging and NFC. The product is expected to hit the market in September this year.
Kuo also says that the Apple smartwatch will come in a variety of casings and body materials. High-end versions of the smartwatch may even be comparable to luxury watches and, thus, come with a huge price tag. Some variants are expected to cost over $1,000.
Leaked screenshots of iOS 8, likely to be unveiled at WWDC, have shown that the next version of Apple’s mobile operating system will feature a new app called Watch Utility.
