More rumours on supposed Apple experiments in wearable electronics emerge-- the New York Times reports an "iWatch" might soon emerge in form of a curved glass device.
The Wall Street Journal has a similar report mentioning Foxconn as a potential manufacturing partner.
According to the NYT's sources such a smartwatch will run on iOS and "stand apart from competitors based on the company’s understanding of how such glass can curve around the human body."
The technology allowing one to make such a device already exists-- Corning Willow Glass promises the strength, thinness and flexibility ideal for wristwatch-style devices.
“You can certainly make [Willow Glass] wrap around a cylindrical object and that could be someone’s wrist," Corning CTO Pete Bocko tells the NYT. However Bocko warns making such a device is "one of the toughest mechanical challenges," due to the unpredictable nature of human movement.
Meanwhile Forrester analysts say Apple has done "a lot of hiring" in the wearables area recently.
Earlier Apple smartwatch rumours have the company teaming up with Intel to build such a devices, with details such as a 1.5-inch indium tin oxide-coated glass display from Taiwanese PMOLED panel maker RiTdisplay and an H1 2013 release date.
By now it is hardly news that wearables are big business-- the Pebble smartwatch raised $10 million from potential customers via Kickstarter, and the NYTimes reports Google hopes Project Glass sales will account for 3% of company revenues by 2015. With the so-called iTV being (so far) a no-show, maybe Apple is going for a smaller project not demanding collaboration from the cable TV industry?
Go Disruptions: Where Apple and Dick Tracy May Converge (The New York Times)
Go Apple Testing Watch-Like Devices (WSJ.com, registration required)
