14 DAY TRIAL // Apple has plans to unveil its long-rumored iWatch in September, according to industry sources quoted by DigiTimes. The wrist-worn device will employ flexible printed circuit boards, or FPCBs, from suppliers like Flexium Interconnect and Career Technology.
DigiTimes is known for its inaccuracy, but at the same time it has solid ties in the Taiwanese electronics industry, where many of the parts for Apple devices come from. These parts are highly indicative of their destination (i.e. end product), so the information coming from supply chain sources is valuable, as it holds clues regarding Apple’s plans for the future.
One such report says that “Flexible PCB suppliers Flexium Interconnect, Zhen Ding Technology Holding and Career Technology reportedly have delivered FPCB samples for use in iWatch devices to Apple for validation, according to industry sources.”
The report more importantly notes that “Apple is expected to unveil the iWatch wearable devices in September,” citing the same sources. A previous report from the same publication (citing a Chinese newspaper) said “Apple is rumored to unveil its wearable device iWatch in the third quarter and will target 65 million units in shipments for 2014.”
Investment bank Piper Jaffray released a study titled “Taking Stock With Teens,” where the key takeaway about Apple is that the company remains cool among teenage customers, with 17% of those interviewed saying they want an iWatch, while 60% of them own iPhones.
“AAPL (+) Remains favorite large cap stock into 2H 2014 • Over 60% of teens own iPhones • Ramp for iPhone ownership to continue to grow (67%) • Interest in iWatch (17% of teens) shows that Apple products are still ‘cool’”
iWatch is expected to mark a new revolution in computing. The wearables industry is projected to explode in the coming years, and Apple’s ambitious plans with this wrist-worn device will likely ensure its pole position for years to come, just like the iPhone and the iPad did before it.
If the leaked Healthbook app from iOS 8 is any indication, the iWatch will serve more purposes than those offered by all existing smart-watches combined. Besides smartphone integration (for messages, email, and perhaps Siri), the device is said to sport numerous sensors that track the user’s life signs, providing a medically-accurate reading of things like blood pressure, hydration levels, glucose levels (especially handy for diabetics), and even sleep patterns.
The unveiling could occur as early as June 2, at the WWDC14 opening keynote.