Apple may be getting ready to launch a Bluetooth enabled smart watch, which will allow you to send emails and text messages. International media reports speculate that an “iWatch” is being made jointly by Apple and Intel and will be available in stores from mid-2013. It will add to Apple’s portfolio of smart gadgets, such as iPhone, iPad and the iPod. There is complete secrecy over the project. Tech enthusiasts across the internet are referring to a December 2011 report in the New York Times, which had said that a “very small group of Apple employees had been conceptualizing and even prototyping some wearable devices” including a “curved-glass iPod” for the wrist. The watch is apparently ready to be launched.
Gadget enthusiasts in India are looking forward to the watch, but are not sure whether Apple will be able to better the efforts put in by other companies in developing similar watches. Kaustav Bhattacharya, a Delhi-based technology enthusiast and Apple loyalist who owns a Macbook and iPod, says, “There have been such watches before but they were not developed by Apple. They all received bad reviews from users and critics. But I have high hopes from this one, since it’s an Apple product and if there’s anyone who can pull off a smart watch, it’s them.”
Gurgaon-based Aananda Das, who sees himself as a gadget collector, says, “If the rumours are true, then it will be interesting to see what Apple does with this watch. The iPhone is facing a tough time because of Samsung’s Galaxy series. I have seen many Apple lovers turn against the brand. If Apple can do better than its predecessors in this segment, then they might have something special here. Personally, I would love to buy such a watch, even if it’s just for texts and emails.”
Another gadget lover, Pune-based Marshel Mathews, says that his friends are of the opinion that the iWatch will be a nifty new gadget to purchase.
Before this, Microsoft had tried to manufacture a smart watch, but stopped the project in 2008. Sony designed a smart watch with the Android operating system, which was to go with one’s mobile phone. This one too received bad reviews. The only endeavour that received comparatively better reviews was Pebble, which was similar to Sony’s smart watch. Apple’s product, though unconfirmed, would be yet another attempt at such a gadget and gadget enthusiasts are waiting to test it out.
The watch may not reach India right away. There is always a few months’ delay before Apple launches its products in India. However, the gap was negligible in the case of iPad Mini, which was released worldwide on 2 November 2012, and in India on 7 December.