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Report corroborates Apple planning to announce new wearable product in October

One of many iWatch concepts.

One of many iWatch concepts.

Re/code’s John Paczkowski is reporting that Apple is set to announce its new wearable product in October, according to sources familiar with Apple’s plans. The site says that the watch will take full advantage of HealthKit and Health, Apple’s fitness and health management app introduced in iOS 8.

Re/Code:

People familiar with Apple’s plans tell Code/red the company hopes to schedule a special event that month to show off the device, which is designed to make good use of the HealthKit health and fitness information-gathering app it recently showed off at WWDC. Could things change between now and fall? That’s certainly possible. But right now October is the target date.

Earlier today, the reputable Nikkei newspaper reported the same timeframe of October, although it was unclear how much of their report was speculation. Apple is expecting to sell u to 5 million units a month, according to the paper.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has been teasing the introduction of a new product category in 2014 for a while now, famously stating last year to expect “new products across all of 2014”.

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Comments

  1. I don’t think I personally have been less excited by an Apple product. I think in my mind I’ve always imagined a smart watch to be powerful, intuitive. Gadget heavy such as cameras, phone, text messages, music library, apps Etc. The iWatch seems to be leaning too close to fitness. Which will be great for others don’t get me wrong. It is also quite an achievement to include all these sensors in such a small device with a screen and self sustaining battery. But personally it just doesn’t interest me.

    • Yes (@AMillah) - 10 years ago

      Because you haven’t seen it yet. No one knows what it will do, what it will look like, or what the appeal will be. Lets wait until we see the thing (if it even exists) before we start declaring it doesn’t interest you. Something imaginary doesn’t personally interest me either, I’ll see what the real thing is before deciding how interesting it is.

      • Mike Retondo (@mretondo) - 10 years ago

        I agree, have no interest and it’s not because I haven’t seen it. Its because I hate things on my wrist. People stopped wearing watches years ago when we all go pocket watches. Unless it’s jewelry no one wears watches,

  2. I like my wearable better. It says Rolex.

    • Eric Sun - 10 years ago

      One day Rolex will make a iOS compatible phone… and Apple takes 30% cut on it :)

  3. chrisvegasiscrazy - 10 years ago

    I do not want to see a bulky 80’s calculator watch look a like. I can’t get that visual of the galaxy gear and how ugly it looked. They showed that commercial of all these old shows using a watch to communicate. They showed Star Trek, Knight Rider, James Bond all those shows and each watch was clunky and big looking but it was the imagination of people in 60’s,70’s,80’s who could not read the future, it couldn’t see thin iPhones and stuff. Yet the galaxy gear looks exactly like these old shows. It was so ugly and unimaginative to me plus it seemed to be a useless device. Why use the watch with your phone in your pocket? So for the Iwatch to be worth getting it has to have two things. First and most important it has to be useful more then just saving the 2 seconds it takes to pull my phone out of my pocket. I think the health tracker is right idea and I believe Apple will accomplish this. The second thing is I don’t want it to look like a clunky watch from 80’s. I don’t want it to look like a watch at all or what we know to be a watch. A circular watch would be nicer but when I see it I wanna see something that is modern, fashionable, and unlike anything else looks wise. Now I’ve seen mock ups that are good, bad and ugly. Nothing to me is as ugly as the galaxy gear even all the mock ups. This will be very interesting, if they can nail the design with all the health stuff this thing will be awesome. The mock up in this article would be disappointing to me looks wise but if it’s useful I may get it and live with it but if it looks like the clunky 80’s calculator watch I’m out. I can’t do it. If it’s a new design like the iphone was when it came out and that simple design that didn’t look like a phone this thing will be a monster. I think apple usually does a great job in design looks so I expect them to nail this and I’m excited to see it.

  4. Richard Smith - 10 years ago

    In my situation (recent heart procedure), I need to check my heart beat regularly. Since I’m 61 years old, I can’t I hear my phone in my pocket for texts, calls, etc.

    The Gear Fit has worked flawlessly for me; heart rate is accurate to within 3-4 beats. I don’t use the pedometer part, but the walking and bicycling are very accurate and I just discovered you can see your exercise history on the Fit.

    As I have both iPhone 5S and Galaxy S4, I am looking forward to the rumored ‘iWatch’, but for now, this setup works great for me…

  5. jakexb - 10 years ago

    Yay new mockup! This one looks more Ive-y

  6. chrisvegasiscrazy - 10 years ago

    Ok, I was looking up iwatch concepts and just saw this for first time, now this is what I wanna see. Something to this effect. Tell me what you guys think.

    http://news.softpedia.com/newsImage/Could-Apple-s-iWatch-Really-Look-Like-This-Gallery-430626-3.jpg/

    • Mr. Grey (@mister_grey) - 10 years ago

      The trouble with that concept, is that it has a strong, modern “look” and lots of people won’t like that.

      This is the essential problem with most of the designs shown so far, they all have a very particular look. The fitness folks are not going to want something that looks and works like clunky watch. The seniors who like “watches” will be disappointed if it’s a fitness band. Liberal, forward thinking people will like the futuristic concepts, but conservatives will hate them. The hard core watch aficionados, won’t accept anything that isn’t as good as their rolexes but anyone under 30 will cringe at the thought of wearing a watch.

      I think this thing pretty much has to be a niche product, and therefore a lot closer to a fitness band than a watch of any kind. I’d be very surprised if it had a discrete screen on it anywhere. I’m pretty sure I won’t be buying it at all.

      • chrisvegasiscrazy - 10 years ago

        I think your dead on it will be hard to make everyone happy. I don’t wear a watch and I really hate the clunky watch look. It’s going to be very interesting to see what they do. I can’t buy a iwatch to save two seconds it would take me to pull my phone out of my pocket to answer a text message. Now the health stuff is a totally different if they can really use advance sensors and stuff to keep track of specific health care stuff I would be interested in that not only for me but for my parents, in laws older people in family who have medical conditions. Has to be more then steps walked and all the stuff iPhone 5s does with m7 chip. I’m thinking the bands in these concepts all tend to be just a regular strap like a regular watch but I got to think they’ll have sophisticated sensors built in. It’s interesting to me and I’m not sure I’ll get one not if it looks like galaxy gear but I’m open to see what apple does and I hope it is awesome I really do. I think WWDC and some new features were big hints at some things we will be able to do on it.

        Oh and I did see another concept today that was the first I’ve seen that made a actual watch look good since I’m not a watch fan this would be tempting. I’ll post the link.

        http://youtu.be/mG2bKnEDrHY

    • jakexb - 10 years ago

      As cool as the tall thin screens look, it’s going to need to be wider. Imagine reading a messages notification across that.

      We all know how much Jony reveres Braun. I beg we’ll see something like Braun’s watches: http://campsite-studio.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/braun_watches_04212011.jpg

      • chrisvegasiscrazy - 10 years ago

        I like the circular watches but I hope Apple doesn’t come out with the iwatch looking like a watch. I know to a certain point they can’t help it. I just want to see a new type design. The galaxy gear really turned me off to a watch, I’m hoping Apple can get me excited about a new product

  7. herb02135go - 10 years ago

    So now 2 rumors now = truth?

  8. Gregory Wright - 10 years ago

    First, let me say what the article reports is probably true. But, ‘corroborates’, that’s a strong word in the context used in this article. It appears to me you have one source supporting a rumor with another rumor. Now, if a named source from Apple who is in the position to know confirmed either of rumors that would be corroboration.

    The only reason that I challenge the use of the word corroborates is because Apple, to date, haven’t acknowledge the existence of an iWatch project. Just saying…

  9. Jason Piebes - 10 years ago

    So are you still calling it a ‘watch’ from lack of vocabulary?

  10. Jason Piebes - 10 years ago

    LOL! I see over there on the 9-5 Toys that the Samsung Galaxy Gear “Watch” is selling for $99, a third of it’s suggested retail….

    There will be no Apple “watch”. We don’t call the Fuel band a watch, so why do people keep referring to this future Apple product as a “watch”??

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Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Benjamin Mayo

Benjamin develops iOS apps professionally and covers Apple news and rumors for 9to5Mac. Listen to Benjamin, every week, on the Happy Hour podcast. Check out his personal blog. Message Benjamin over email or Twitter.