Apple 'Aggressively' Hiring for Smart Watch Project, Looking Toward Late 2014 Launch
Financial Times reports that Apple is "aggressively" hiring new employees to help with its smart watch effort, suggesting that the company needs additional expertise to tackle the project's challenges. Sources also indicate that the "iWatch" may not appear until late next year, as has been previously rumored.
The company has begun hiring “aggressively” for the project in recent weeks, say people familiar with Apple’s plans for the wearable device, a move that shows it has stepped up development but which raises questions over the ability of its own engineers to develop wearable technology.
As Apple moves from iPods, iPhones and iPads into an entirely new category of product, it is looking beyond its existing staff in Cupertino for the talent required to build it – an indication that the endeavour involves “hard engineering problems that they’ve not been able to solve”, according to one source.
The report indicates that Apple has been looking at acquiring smaller firms with expertise that would be valuable to its smart watch effort, and has also been working hard to retain key employees related to the project.
Rumors of an Apple smart watch have been circulating for some time now, with the company reportedly putting over 100 designers to work on the project. Earlier this month, it was revealed that Apple has hired Paul Deneve, formerly the CEO of fashion house Yves Saint Laurent, to work on "special projects", with speculation suggesting he may involved with the iWatch and other wearable computing projects at Apple.
Apple has been filing trademark applications on the iWatch name in a number of countries, something the company typically does relatively close to its product launches, but it appears in this case that Apple may still have significant work left to do before it can bring its smart watch to market.
(Photo: HEX Vision Metal Watchband for 6th-generation iPod nano)
Popular Stories
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie.
"Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld.
The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld.
Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do.
The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up.
Upgraded Architecture
The next-generation...
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps.
The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future.
To set up the...
New MacBook Pro models with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips could arrive as soon as Monday, March 2, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In today's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that the release of new MacBook Pro models is tied to the release of macOS Tahoe 26.3. The launch is said to be slated for as early as the week of March 2. He added that the M4 Pro and M4 Max models on sale today...
