14 DAY TRIAL // Reports from China indicate that Apple has kicked off production of the elusive iWatch wearable computer, meaning we can expect the first leaks to emerge. According to a translated Chinese report, the smart-watch will be built using an all-new circuit assembly process to save space inside the device.
According to a rough translation of the China Times report, supply chain sources say “Apple has already started producing the iWatch in small quantities.”
The much-hyped product is being prepared for launch in the second half of the year. “...the iWatch will be built using SiPs (or system-in-package modules) as opposed to traditional PCBs (Printed Circuit Boards),” according to the translation by gforgames.com.
Sources speaking to 9to5mac on condition of anonymity told the site in January this year that “Apple [had] developed technologies to be able to pack several different sensors into a single chipset for miniaturization purposes,” which is echoed today by the Chinese report in question.
iWatch is by far the hottest and most anticipated gadget of the year. As Apple competitors scramble to be first to deploy wearables, it is still Tim Cook & Co. who are expected to deliver the most compelling such device.
CEO Tim Cook himself has stressed that Apple prefers to take its time and refine a product to deliver a great experience, rather than rush to be first and risk a backlash from the customer base.
“We care about every detail and it takes us a bit longer to do that. That's always been the case,” he said during the latest conference call with investors (April 23). “It means more to us to get it right than to be first.”
This not only applies to the iWatch and the big-screen iPhone 6 (which many analysts say should have arrived earlier), but also to the rumored Apple-branded HDTV. The company this year will again iterate the box, rather than introduce a full-fledged television set, reports say.
This trio of products is expected to launch around the same time during Apple’s September quarter.
Other things the company has prepared for its faithful customers include (but have not been confirmed) a 12-inch MacBook Air with a redesigned body, new desktop upgrades featuring the latest Intel chips, and new versions of the iPad Air and iPad mini featuring new A-series processors. At WWDC 14 in June, Apple is expected to unveil iOS 8 and OS X 10.10.