Sources have been speaking with the Financial Times claiming that Apple are aggressively hiring staff for the iWatch project. The news would confirm that Apple are stepping up the development of their wearable technology gadget.
Earlier this month Apple hired the former boss of fashion house Yves Saint Laurent – Paul Deneve. Apple at the time denied that Deneve was hired to help head up the iWatch division. They claimed he was hired for ‘special projects'.
The Financial Times say they have concerns that Apple may not be able to develop the iWatch in house and the hiring of new staff is to strengthen their weaknesses. The FT say Apple are hiring because they have hit ‘hard engineering problems that they have not been able to solve.”
In recent weeks the company have been applying for the iWatch trademark around the globe, such as Russia and Japan in recent weeks. Other reports say that Apple may have a hard time as the trademark is already registered in US, Europe and China.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has been outspoken recently saying “Our teams are hard at work on some amazing new hardware, software and services that we can’t wait to introduce this fall and throughout 2014.” Cook also said that the watch sector is ‘ripe for exploration'.
The new iPad is due out soon, along with a cheaper plastic iPhone for emerging markets and those people who can't afford the standard iPhone.
Kitguru says: Does anyone really want an iWatch?
I myself find watches a useless accessory. We all have phones that tell the time and do everything else. Why do we need a watch?
I see no need for the marriage of a watch and phone. I have a watch the most useful piece of technology for…telling the time, it need do nothing more, they’re just trying to make more money off technophiles who will buy anything that apple drops from its tree.
While I do have to admit that in the past I have been accused of being somewhat of an Apple fanboy, (if only their line of mobiles) I would actually consider the iWatch if it provided genuinely useful functions. If it was tethered to my iPhone and allowed me to, for instance, change tracks without touching my iPhone, or control my GPS while the iPhone is in a windshield holder, then I could see it as being a viable option. I spend a lot of time driving, and I implicitly refuse to drive anywhere without music. And anyone in this predicament will understand the annoyance of trying to change tracks on a phone while driving. Being able to just tap your wrist without looking at your phone to change the song would be invaluable to me. Of course the downside is, with it being Apple, I can imagine the iWatch retailing over £200 or as near as makes no difference. And that price is simply not worth it.