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Apple's iWatch Said to Feature Round Design, Production May Start This Summer

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macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Based on Taiwanese supply chain sources, analyst Brian Blair of Rosenblatt Securities believes Apple's iWatch will feature a round face, similar to a traditional watch (via Business Insider). The iWatch design will resemble Motorola's Moto 360 smart watch, with the Apple version shipping with a slimmer profile.

Balogh-iwatch.jpg
Traditional watch-style iWatch concept based on TRIWA's Havana Nevil Brown watch, by Gábor Balogh​

Apple may begin production of the iWatch in late July, with the goal of producing up to 21 million units in the second half of 2014, claims Blair in a research note to investors. AppleInsider also highlights Blair's claim that Apple may partner with Quanta Computer to produce the smart watch device, instead of Foxconn which may be busy manufacturing the iPhone 6. Quanta's involvement in iWatch production has been rumored since last August.

Blair's sources also believe Apple may be producing multiple models of the iWatch, including one that features a sapphire display cover. This information echoes an earlier report from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who claimed the iWatch may ship at various price points and in a variety of materials that allow the smart watch to compete with both low- and high-end watches.

Apple's iWatch is currently expected to arrive near the end of 2014, with a fashionable design and biometrics that provide basic health monitoring features. It likely will sync with an iOS device sharing data with iOS apps, including the new Healthbook app that is expected to debut in iOS 8. Though an iWatch announcement is not expected for WWDC, Apple will likely unveil some of the early details on iOS 8 at the developer conference next week.

Article Link: Apple's iWatch Said to Feature Round Design, Production May Start This Summer
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/05/28/round-iwatch/
bit_bucket

bit_bucket

macrumors regular
Jul 18, 2002
248
47
Summerville, SC
Love the round design

I hope they stick with a round design. I think this looks pretty good. Moto's sure looked like a nice watch. Of course this will bring on the throngs of "Apple is Copying!!11111!!" when in reality these things are in product dev for a long time.
 
D

dauby88

macrumors member
Sep 19, 2013
39
0
Cincinnati, OH
Public Service Announcement: The mockup in the article is a mockup by someone other than Apple. It is not Apple's design. That is not the iWatch. Please don't talk about how un-Apple the mockup is. It's just a concept. Please. Pretty Please.
 
musika

musika

macrumors 65816
Sep 2, 2010
1,285
459
New York
I definitely think round is the right way to go, unless they were to do a flexible display that could act as a band (with the display around your entire wrist), but that seems highly unrealistic and far-fetched.

As long as it's not a square display.

As for going into production this summer, that makes sense. If this thing does come this year, it'll come in the fall.
 
GoCubsGo

GoCubsGo

macrumors Nehalem
Feb 19, 2005
35,741
153
I really like it. I hope the face isn't obnoxiously huge though. Something more unisex.

BPM is your pulse? Is that like Music is My Hot Hot Sex? (older song from an older Apple ad).
 
Stella

Stella

macrumors G3
Apr 21, 2003
8,837
6,334
Canada
A round surface is less efficient for content. But, may entice the fashion victims… ;-) who think all other smart watches look ugly.
 
GoCubsGo

GoCubsGo

macrumors Nehalem
Feb 19, 2005
35,741
153
dauby88 said:
Public Service Announcement: The mockup in the article is a mockup by someone other than Apple. It is not Apple's design. That is not the iWatch. Please don't talk about how un-Apple the mockup is. It's just a concept. Please. Pretty Please.
Click to expand...

No ****? Really? Come on, that seems incredibly obvious.
 
MartinAppleGuy

MartinAppleGuy

macrumors 68020
Sep 27, 2013
2,247
889
Looks like a watch I would buy. I feel that a lot of companies that have went down the road of producing Smart Watches do not make them look as appealing as a watch someone would actually want to buy and wear. If you make it look as good as a watch someone would buy without the smart features, them you have a good chance of people wearing it all of the time, rather than just when they would use it with their phone (they same way that people only wear a bluetooth earpiece when they are using it).
 
keysofanxiety

keysofanxiety

macrumors G3
Nov 23, 2011
9,539
25,302
"iWatch Said to Feature Round Design"

Well, that covers all bases, really. A strap, conventional wristwatch, big red button like off Logan's Run ...

These analysts with their insanely ambiguous predictions -- who then cry "I told you!" at any guess that could be interpreted as being true -- really grind my gears.
 
kdarling

kdarling

macrumors P6
Jun 9, 2007
17,373
5,924
First university coding class = 47 years ago
One thing that's a pain with most smartwatches that have lots of features, is to swipe between all the different modes and notifications and apps.

I'd like to see someone make the bezel a rotatable control, so you can more quickly zip between section choices. Just turn it to flip between cards.

Sometimes a physical knob just makes more sense than being all-touch, and/or using tiny buttons.
 
Rogifan

Rogifan

macrumors Penryn
Nov 14, 2011
24,124
31,156
Why does MR feel it necessary to show this mockup with every iWatch rumor? This mock up isn't based on any leaked Apple design or schematic. So what's the relevance?
 
nerdAFK

nerdAFK

macrumors 6502
Apr 24, 2014
343
901
Stella said:
A round surface is less efficient for content. But, may entice the fashion victims… ;-) who think all other smart watches look ugly.
Click to expand...

Not if the UI is designed specifically for a round display.
I'm not sure how. But you never know what Apple could do
 
Dades

Dades

macrumors member
May 24, 2010
82
2
Dublin, Ireland
Rogifan said:
Why does MR feel it necessary to show this mockup with every iWatch rumor? This mock up isn't based on any leaked Apple design or schematic. So what's the relevance?
Click to expand...
I wouldn't have bothered my arse clicking on this link only it had an interesting looking mockup.

I find it more interesting than a lot of the comments, tbh.
 
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