Apple's 'iWatch' to come in late 2014 with focus on biometrics, analyst says

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Noted KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes Apple's much-rumored iWatch will hit store shelves late next year, not in 2013 as many market watchers expect, with a 1.5- to 2-inch screen, focus on biometrics and deep integration with existing iOS devices.

Wearable Device
AppleInsider was first to discover an Apple patent filing describing a watch design with flexible display.


In a note to investors obtained by AppleInsider on Wednesday, Kuo said he does expect Apple to release a wearable accessory, namely the iWatch, sometime in the future, but doesn't see the company debuting the product any time soon.

Unlike other analysts, Kuo, who has a proven track record in accurately predicting Apple's product rollouts, believes Apple will ramp up production in the second half of 2014, a period more than one year later than current estimates.

In the report, the analyst mentions Apple will probably enter the wearable computing market with a watch offering, dubbed as the "iWatch," instead of a glasses product like Google Glass. Backing up the claim, Kuo points to the Cupertino company's recent patent filings related to curved screens and batteries.

"Investors shouldn?t be misled by the word ?Watch?. We think iWatch will not be positioned as a time-telling device, nor as a device that displays information from other Apple products," Kuo writes. "We are positive on the iWatch because its wearable design is helpful for offering more secure user identification and biometrics functionality."

As rumored just two days ago, Kuo says iWatch will use either a 1.5 or 2 inch panel. However, instead of OLED panels, the device is likely to leverage existing GF2 touchscreen technology, much like Apple's current iPad mini and iPod nano, as the format is well-suited for small screen applications. Production of the display will probably be handed to Japanese or Korean suppliers.

Wearable Device Display
Illustration of device with display (402), kinetic energy gathering device (502),
wireless antennas (506), connector, (508) and battery (504).


Interestingly, Kuo believes the supposed iWatch will sport a "secure user identification mechanism" and biometric functionality, both of which could become main selling points for the device. With biometrics, the iWatch can better safeguard an owner from unwanted user access, while providing advanced healthcare features. Currently, devices like the Nike+ FuelBand and other wearables offer pedometer functions and, in some cases, heart rate monitoring. If such functionality were to be built into Apple's watch, it could open new doors to the healthcare hardware industry.

Also borrowed from the iPod nano will be an application processor, or AP, which will allow for integration with Apple's existing iOS device ecosystem.

As for the 2014 release, Kuo says Apple may not have adequate resources to develop an iWatch variant of its iOS mobile platform as it would require significant changes to the operating system. Also, with wearable computing devices being a nascent sector, components are too scarce to reach the critical mass production requirements needed to satiate an expectedly high demand. Kuo believes manufacture will likely start in earnest during the second half of next year.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 35
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    "iWatch delayed by a year. Sell your Apple stock now!!!"

    Or, at least, that's what we'll see in the headlines. It doesn't matter that Apple never even said they're working on a watch or when it might be available. The new rumor is later than the old rumor, so Apple is doomed.
  • Reply 2 of 35
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    What does "noted analyst" mean, anyway? OK... you claim you're an analyst... noted.
  • Reply 3 of 35
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,403member


    Here we go again, with another one of AI's pet phrases that seem to endlessly repeat themselves in stories: "Noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes...."


     


    Someone please tell me, why is this guy/gal a "noted analyst?" Does (s)he have a solid track record on product and/or price predictions?

  • Reply 4 of 35
    jd_in_sbjd_in_sb Posts: 1,600member
    This guy is just guessing like the rest of us, without any insider information.
  • Reply 5 of 35
    zoffdinozoffdino Posts: 192member
    So what new product category will Tim Cook introduce this fall? Hope he ain't classifying the iPhone Jumbo and the iPhone Cheapo as new categories.
  • Reply 6 of 35
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    zoffdino wrote: »
    So what new product category will Tim Cook introduce this fall? Hope he ain't classifying the iPhone Jumbo and the iPhone Cheapo as new categories.
    So then perfect front page news for AI and Mac Rumors. :rolleyes:

    WWDC can't come soon enough. Sigh.
  • Reply 7 of 35
    gazoobeegazoobee Posts: 3,754member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post



    ... "Investors shouldn't be misled by the word "Watch". We think iWatch will not be positioned as a time-telling device, nor as a device that displays information from other Apple products," Kuo writes.  ...


     


    Basically what I've been saying on every article about the "iWatch" since everyone started talking about it.  image


     


    Here's a good idea, let's all stop calling it a f*cking "watch" when it really isn't.  Maybe if we all stopped using the "watch" word, then it wouldn't be so misleading and fuzzy about what the heck we are talking about and what the product is going to be.  


     


    It's not a watch.  Watches went out of style years ago.  Nobody wants a watch.  

  • Reply 8 of 35
    paul94544paul94544 Posts: 1,027member


    should it read:


    Noted Asshole douchebag blogger?

  • Reply 9 of 35
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    Please...1.5-2" screens? Sammy has a 2, 2.5, 3, 3.3, 4, 4.5, 5, 6, 7.1, and 10" screen watches in development. And they have the S-pen to boot.
  • Reply 10 of 35
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    This is just another way to manipulate the stock. Report on rumors of some mythical new product and then report that the launch date of this mythical product (which Apple never confirmed) will be delayed. But maybe it's not working any more. Apple stock was actually up today while the market overall was down. Google was down almost 2%, Amazon over 2%.
  • Reply 11 of 35
    bdkennedy1bdkennedy1 Posts: 1,459member


    If it's 1 1/2 years away Apple may as well forget it. Samsung is going to have these things to market way before then.

  • Reply 12 of 35
    hentaiboyhentaiboy Posts: 1,252member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Gazoobee View Post


    It's not a watch.  Watches went out of style years ago.  Nobody wants a watch.  



    http://www.guardian.co.uk/fashion/2013/jan/27/luxury-watches-defy-downturn

  • Reply 13 of 35
    hentaiboyhentaiboy Posts: 1,252member


    "kinetic energy gathering device (502)"


     


    An automatic wristwatch then, circa 1923. But fanbois will scream "innovation!"

  • Reply 14 of 35
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    bdkennedy1 wrote: »
    If it's 1 1/2 years away Apple may as well forget it. Samsung is going to have these things to market way before then.

    What things? How do you know what Apple is doing?
  • Reply 15 of 35


    I had always assumed that the "iWatch" was a just a "chaff" rumor.  A rumor who's purpose was to fool other companies into waste development time trying to beat Apple to the punch.  Time spent while Apple truly works on the next big product.  A misdirection if you will.


     


    I would be disappointed to find out this is a real product, one with such a limited scope and audience.  I know very few people that wear watches anymore, most use their iPhones instead.

  • Reply 16 of 35
    pedromartinspedromartins Posts: 1,333member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post




    Quote:

    Originally Posted by bdkennedy1 View Post



    If it's 1 1/2 years away Apple may as well forget it. Samsung is going to have these things to market way before then.




    What things? How do you know what Apple is doing?


    Not only that, I heard somewhere than Samsung Motorola and Nokia had these things (can't remember the name) that were used to make calls/sms 30 years before Apple.


     


    Guess what.

  • Reply 17 of 35
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    I had always assumed that the "iWatch" was a just a "chaff" rumor.  A rumor who's purpose was to fool other companies into waste development time trying to beat Apple to the punch.  Time spent while Apple truly works on the next big product.  A misdirection if you will.

    I would be disappointed to find out this is a real product, one with such a limited scope and audience.  I know very few people that wear watches anymore, most use their iPhones instead.

    1) How many people do you know that didn't use smartphones before the iPhone.

    2) Wearable computer accessories aren't likely to replace something like the iPhone, but add to it.
  • Reply 18 of 35
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    jragosta wrote: »
    "iWatch delayed by a year. Sell your Apple stock now!!!"

    Or, at least, that's what we'll see in the headlines. It doesn't matter that Apple never even said they're working on a watch or when it might be available. The new rumor is later than the old rumor, so Apple is doomed.

    That's 'domed' isn't it? ;)
  • Reply 19 of 35
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    rogifan wrote: »
    So then perfect front page news for AI and Mac Rumors. :rolleyes:

    WWDC can't come soon enough. Sigh.

    Amen to that.
  • Reply 20 of 35
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
     I would be disappointed to find out this is a real product, one with such a limited scope and audience.  I know very few people that wear watches anymore, most use their iPhones instead.
    Until now I also thought that a wearable device could only ever hope to reach a niche audience of well heeled early adopters. But I think this analyst makes sense. With a major emphasis on health management such a device will have an increasingly large audience, be they young fitness concious people or the age inch population. A device that can take all sorts of body measurements in real time and relay these to specialized software or your doctor / hospital / health service could help save millions of health care dollars whilst at the same time enable people to live healthier and spend less time in hospitals and under care.
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