Apple Inc. has been rumored to be throwing its hat into the wearable technology ring for quite some time. The iWatch, a nickname given to the company by watchful people in the industry, and eventually patented by the company in a couple countries including Japan and Russia, is the long awaited device from Apple, which will marry iOS technology with the convenience of a wristband. Despite earlier estimates the device would be unveiled sometime later this year, new evidence suggests consumers might have to wait a bit longer.
The latest word from the Apple rumor mill is the tech giant is still working out some difficult engineering problems that come with building a wearable device. As a result, it is hiring some outside talent to help develop the project.
According to a report from the Financial Times: "The company has begun hiring 'aggressively' for the project in recent weeks, say people familiar with Apple's plans for the wearable device, a move that shows it has stepped up development but which raises questions over the ability of its own engineers to develop wearable technology."
It is important to note, according to GIGaom.com, which despite it looking bad to have such an industry giant run to outside developers for help with a device, it isn't unheard of in Apple's history. When a product is in development that is wholly new to the company, Apple has previously brought in outside help to build the iPod, iTunes and the iPhone. The company tends to do this through small acquisitions. For example, FingerWorks, the company that developed the technology that became the basis for the iPhone's touchscreen, was acquired by the company in this way. In other words, if outside talent can make an Apple device perfect, they'll soon be an inside talent.
While not too much can be inferred from rumors and anonymous sources, one thing is clear. If true, the iWatch is not nearly as far along in development as people previously thought. An unveiling in the fall of 2013 suddenly seems unrealistic. What it is looking like now is a mid-2014 release. Apple has demonstrated a preference for fall releases, with the iOS 7 and likely announcement of the iPhone 5s. Therefore, people who think their wrist is lonely now might just need to wait another year.
