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
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.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)

Popular Stories

Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's CarPlay Ultra Is Here – Does Your iPhone Support It?

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:17 am PDT by
Apple's recently announced CarPlay Ultra promises a deeply integrated in-car experience, but not all iPhone users will be able to take advantage of the new feature. According to Apple's press release, CarPlay Ultra requires an iPhone 12 or later running iOS 18.5 or later. This means if you're using an iPhone 11, iPhone XR, or any older model, you'll need to upgrade your device to access...
Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's 'CarPlay Ultra' Experience Now Available

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:07 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its next-generation CarPlay experience, now dubbed "CarPlay Ultra" begins rolling out today, starting with Aston Martin vehicles. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. CarPlay Ultra is now available with new Aston Martin vehicle orders in the U.S. and Canada. It will also be available for existing models that feature the brand's next-generation ...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Battery Capacity and Weight Allegedly Revealed

Monday May 19, 2025 2:22 am PDT by
Apple is expected to launch an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air later this year, and while there have been plenty of rumors about the camera's overall design and thinness, we haven't heard any details about the device's weight and battery capacity until now. According to the leaker going by the account name "yeux1122" on the Korean-langauge Naver blog, the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air has a weight ...
CarPlay Ultra Climate Controls

Apple Says These Vehicle Brands Plan to Offer All-New CarPlay Ultra

Thursday May 15, 2025 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. CarPlay Ultra features deep integration with a vehicle's instrument cluster and systems, built-in Radio and Climate apps, customizable widgets, and more. The interface is tailored to each vehicle model and automaker's identity, and drivers can also adjust...
iOS 18 Siri Personal Context

Apple Will Reportedly Be More Cautious About Announcing New Features Well in Advance

Sunday May 18, 2025 2:50 pm PDT by
Apple plans to mostly stop announcing new features more than a few months before they are ready to launch, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Drake Bennett. The pair of reporters revealed this noteworthy tidbit towards the bottom of a lengthy report about Apple's artificial intelligence shortcomings today. This alleged change in strategy comes after Apple was forced to delay its more...
Apple Intelligence General Feature

Report: Apple's Next-Gen Version of Siri Is 'On Par' With ChatGPT

Monday May 19, 2025 9:00 am PDT by
Apple has big plans to improve Siri over the next few years, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Drake Bennett report. Some Apple executives are now reportedly pushing to turn Siri into a true ChatGPT competitor. A next-generation, chatbot version of Siri has reportedly made significant progress during testing over the past six months; some executives allegedly now see it as "on par" with recent...

Top Rated Comments

rdlink Avatar
159 months ago
Watches used for function/tell time have been rendered useless by cell phones.

Watches are used for their jewelry/status symbols.

Wow, so you're the one who was appointed arbiter of how I tell time. I was wondering why, every time I lift my hand up and look at my watch I felt a shock in my pocket from my iPhone.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
antonis Avatar
159 months ago
I guess there will be a new cloud service as well: "Find my hand" ? Creepy.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Gasu E. Avatar
159 months ago
Watches used for function/tell time have been rendered useless by cell phones.
This is why the pocket watch was so much more successful than the wrist watch. Because it is so much more convenient to pull a device out of your pocket than to have it strapped to your wrist. :rolleyes:
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Chupa Chupa Avatar
159 months ago
Watches used for function/tell time have been rendered useless by cell phones.

Watches are used for their jewelry/status symbols.

Right, tell that to all the sports watch manufacturers. :rolleyes:. Also most business people and professionals wear watches b/c there are plenty of situations where it's impolite to pop out your phone and there isn't a clock in sight.

But never mind all that... we'll see what Apple does, but you might want to get that old hat or crow out, ready to eat.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Chupa Chupa Avatar
159 months ago
Wondering if it will come out before my Pebble ships. At this point, I think so.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
XboxMySocks Avatar
159 months ago
I guess there will be a new cloud service as well: "Find my hand" ? Creepy.
Find my girlfriend :D
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)