One of the key new features that Apple unveiled earlier this week at its WWDC 2014 keynote for the upcoming iOS 8 was its new HealthKit platform and Health app. If there was any doubt of how important Apple sees this new functionality, its first ad after the announcement should have dispelled them. One of the Apple devices expected to heavily focus on health and fitness is the oft-rumoured iWatch. Two separate reports, one from Nikkei and the other from Re/code‘s John Paczkowski, now peg the launch of Apple’s first wearable device at around October.
The Nikkei report suggests that the “watch-like wearable gear” will offer functionality that we all expect now from smartwatches. It will measure health-focused data such as calorie consumption, sleep activity, blood glucose and blood oxygen levels and integrated with Apple’s HealthKit platform to make the data available to other devices and services. It will also come with a curved OLED touchscreen display that will be able to display various notifications from connected devices.
Apple also has lofty ambitions for its first wearable device. It is reportedly looking at manufacturing between 3 and 5 million units a month. In comparison, the entire smartwatch market shipped about 700,000 units in Q1 2014. The entire wearable bands market (including both basic and more advanced devices) hit shipments of 2.7 million units in the same quarter.
Re/code reports similar information, citing its own sources “familiar with Apple’s plans.” It adds that Apple is looking to launch the new device at a dedicated event in October.
Recent rumours have suggested that Apple could launch its iWatch in two sizes with a choice of 1.3- or 1.5-inch flexible AMOLED displays. Along with the biometric sensors, it should also come with NFC connectivity, wireless charging, a battery between 200 and 250mAh and a sapphire cover lens.
Note: The image above is a concept of what the Apple iWatch could look like.