Apple's 'iWatch' Planned to Launch 'As Soon As This Year', Could Include Biosensors and Mapping Features
Apple's long-awaited smartwatch could launch as early as this year, claims a Bloomberg article.
![continuous](https://images.macrumors.com/t/ziWgcjMBSrJKl29Ky_ueuMessuA=/400x0/article-new/2013/03/continuous.png?lossy)
The article also claims to have information on planned functionality from sources familiar with Apple's plans. Although there has been much speculation about what Apple is planning for its smart watch, there has until now been very little in the way of specific claims of functionality from sources deemed to be reputable by mainstream news organizations.
Features under consideration include letting users make calls, see the identity of incoming callers and check map coordinates, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans aren’t public. It would also house a pedometer for counting steps and sensors for monitoring health-related data, such as heart rates, this person said.
A Citigroup analyst quoted in the article estimates that an Apple smartwatch could generate twice as much profit as an Apple television.
Oliver Chen, an analyst specializing in luxury goods, says that while the global TV market at $119 billion is larger than the global watch market at $60 billion, margins on watches are four times greater: 60% versus 15%. If Apple were to achieve a 10% market share in each, that would mean a gross profit of $3.6 billion for watches, versus $1.79 billion for televisions.
Popular Stories
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
Apple’s iCloud Private Relay service is down for some users, according to Apple’s System Status page. Apple says that the iCloud Private Relay service may be slow or unavailable. The outage started at 2:34 p.m. Eastern Time, but it does not appear to be affecting all iCloud users. Some impacted users are unable to browse the web without turning iCloud Private Relay off, while others are...