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Sarah Tew and Christopher MacManus/CNET
Will the much-rumored Apple iWatch finally debut later this year? Yes, at least according to one of the latest rumors.
Apple will reportedly unveil its long-awaited smartwatch in the third quarter of 2014, according to Taiwan’s Economic Daily News. Based on an alleged bill of materials, supply chain sources told the news site that Apple is aiming to produce 65 million iWatches by year’s end.
The watch itself will be manufactured by Quanta Computer, say the sources. Richtek Technology will make the chips, while TPK will create the watch’s sapphire touch panels. Further, Apple is developing the watch’s processor but will farm out chip production to Samsung, the sources added.
Samsung and other tech players have unveiled their own smartwatches, so Apple is already fashionably late to this party. But Apple could shake up the smartwatch market with a device that outshines rival products. Beyond pairing with your iPhone, an Apple iWatch reportedly would serve as a health and fitness tracker by tapping into an iOS 8 app called Healthbook.
This latest in a long line of iWatch rumors should certainly be taken with a grain of salt. Reports of an Apple smartwatch have been surfacing for quite a while now. But other recent reports have pegged a 2014 launch for the iWatch.
CNET contacted Apple for comment and will update the story with any further details.
Apple shares were up nearly $3 to about $526.40 in pre-market trading on Tuesday.
(Via MacRumors)
