Apple Said To Be Developing a Smartwatch: Exciting or Eh?

According to The New York Times, Apple may be developing a wristwatch-like device made of curved glass. Anonymous “people familiar with the company’s explorations” say that such a product would operate on Apple’s iOS platform. New York Times writer Nick Bilton asked some interesting questions about what this product might encompass.

He wrote, “Apple declined to comment on its plans. But the exploration of such a watch leaves open lots of exciting questions: If the company does release such a product, what would it look like? Would it include Siri, the voice assistant? Would it have a version of Apple’s map software, offering real-time directions to people walking down the street? Could it receive text messages? Could it monitor a user’s health or daily activity? How much will it cost? Could Timothy D. Cook, Apple’s chief executive, be wearing one right now, whispering sweet nothings to his wrist?”

Last year Corning, the company that produced the ultra-tough Gorilla Glass that is used in the iPhone, announced that it had successfully developed bendable glass. More than a decade went into producing Willow Glass, which “can flop as easily as a piece of paper in the wind without breaking.” Apple’s smartwatch would potentially utilize this technology.

Further evidence for the likelihood of an iWatch includes a report from Chinese gadget site Tech.163 late last year and the fact that according to Sarah Rotman Epps, an analyst who specializes in wearable computing, Apple has done a lot of hiring in this area.