There have been very few leaks about Apple’s upcoming wearable device. Aside from a few guesses about announcement date, the public has yet to see even the hint of a leaked part. This is causing a rampant amount of speculation, when it comes to production and release estimates.
Most recently, Digitimes reports iWatch is just now passing the engineering verification tests (evt), where the prototypes are considered ready for production testing. According to this report, sources claim a September 9 reveal is highly unlikely. This is an extremely bold claim, considering both well-connected Re/code and Bloomberg independently confirmed the device would be announced this coming Tuesday.
There is a timeframe everyone seems to agree upon. Unfortunately, it looks like Apple will announce the device sometime this fall, either September or October, but then delay the launch until early 2015. Even a Q1 vs Q2 timeframe has not been alleged by any major source.
Considering the wearable device is being positioned as an iPhone accessory, it makes the most sense for them to debut beside each other. That would peg Tuesday’s event as an iPhone 6, iWatch and iOS 8 launch event. With all three of these working in harmony, the biggest showcase would be launching them side-by-side.
Other speculation surrounds the price point. Most groups seem to be agreeing a $400 target will be the sweet spot, leaving room underneath for a lower device and plenty of pricing options above. Again, with no leaked parts, there is quite a guessing game abreast. Some pundits allege two or three different iWatch versions. With a sporty model coming in at the lowest pricing point, akin to an iWatch c, where the flagship device will be priced at $400 or higher.
Not only is pricing currently anyone’s best guess, the size, shape, aesthetic, material use and functionality still remains completely unknown. If the watch were to release in the near future, historically several parts would have been leaked into the main stream at this time. Only a few devices in Apple’s history have been able to remain completely hidden until launch. The only devices that come to mind are the original iPhone, iPad, and Mac Pro. With a launch potentially months ahead of release, Apple may be beating the leak curve by announcing the device before parts do begin to leak into the general public.
In very stark contrast to iPhone 6, very little is collectively known about the wearable. Apple has hired quite an impressive team to work on a wearable device, including Burberry’s CEO Angela Ahrendts and swiss watch company TAG Heuer’s VP of Sales Patrick Pruniaux. Additional team members include engineers and even doctors whose sole focus was health related tech. In a massive sweeping motion, Apple has for the past few years, amassed a large team to make sure whatever wearable is announced it will be the best sensor laden wearable on the market.
