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iWatch Release Rumored for October with Curved OLED Display

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Apple’s heavily-rumored iWatch was nowhere to be seen at WWDC earlier this week, but new speculation points to a release window in October, close to when we’ll probably see new iPads as well.

According to Nikkei, anonymous “industry sources” say that the iWatch will launch in October and will sport a curved OLED touchscreen display.

UPDATE: Re/Code is also reporting that a wearable device from Apple will launch in October.

Furthermore, it seems Apple is extremely confident in the iWatch, as it’s reported that the Cupertino-based company plans to build anywhere from 3 million to 5 million units per month. For comparison, Apple sold almost 15 million iPads during the first 12 months out on the market, which averages to 1.25 million units per month. Whether or not the iWatch will outdo that is yet to be seen, but it appears that Apple is taking it seriously.

iWatch

As for features of the iWatch, the same report claims that it will run a modified version of iOS 8 and will also act as a health and fitness device using various biometric sensors, tracking things such as sleep activity, calorie consumption and even blood oxygen levels. This wouldn’t be too much of a surprise, especially considering that iOS 8 will come with a new app called HealthKit that aims to be a centralized app for all things health and wellness for iOS users.

As for more details on the display, there currently are none, but an OLED curved display is certainly interesting. It wouldn’t be far-fetched, but an earlier rumor suggests that the iWatch will have a circular display. We highly doubt that the iWatch will sport both a circular and curved display, so we’re taking both reports with a grain of salt, but either one sounds rather logical at this point.

It was said last week that the iWatch would come with a rounded display, similar to that of the Moto 360, which we’ve already seen teased on video. This would most likely mean that Apple plans on bringing a simple and elegant design to the iWatch, rather than try to reinvent the timeless design of such a device, which is good news for those who like elegant design mixed with smart technology.

This iWatch concept shows what an Apple wearable could do when paired with iOS 8.

This iWatch concept shows what an Apple wearable could do when paired with iOS 8.

Furthermore, the iWatch is said to sport a slimmer case than the Moto 360, which could possibly make the iWatch lighter and more versatile, especially if it came with an OLED display. In an OLED display, each pixel is made up of an organic material (hence the name: Organic Light-Emitting Diode) that emits light when an electrical current is passed through it. Because of this, OLED displays do not require a backlight, allowing them to be thinner and lighter than normal LCD displays. This makes them possible to bend and curve.

As for when we could see the iWatch release to the public, the October timeline sounds pretty logical to us, but it is still something that’s very much up in the air. However, last week’s report says that Apple’s smartwatch will go into production somewhere around July or August, which could very well indicate a fall launch for the device, since the iPhone 6 is expected to be put into production around that same time frame. This also goes along with past rumors that mention a late 2014 release.

Back in March we showed off a smartwatch concept that a designer drew up, and we praised it for its elegant, traditional design and nice-looking user interface. This concept keeps everything you love about watches in the first place, but simply adds smartwatch functions to it. It would feature a round touchscreen that would display the time, date and a list of apps, while also being home to notifications and other functions.

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Odisej Wolff

    06/07/2014 at 7:51 am

    You mean, it’ll be similar to Gear Fit–thanks for mentioning it, Craig :)

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