There's no denying that wearable technology is the current big thing, with Android manufacturers releasing products by the dozen and Google coming up with the Android Wear OS for smartwatches. All of these products just intensify the scrutiny on Apple, with the firm belief that the company must now be ready to launch its much-rumoured smartwatch, the iWatch. Surprisingly, for such a big product there are surprisingly few rumours around, although we've sifted through all of the available information to bring you as complete a picture of the product we can before it's unveiled in a couple of days.
Release date
With Apple gearing up for the iPhone 6 live stream event on the 9th September, the latest information is that the company will spring a surprise and give us our first look at the iWatch then, too. According to Re/code, the iWatch is a certainty for the event, with Apple ready to give us our first look at it. However, it doesn't mean that you'll be able to buy one straight away. Most rumours point to the watch being released early next year, with people able to pre-order one.
Mobile payments
According to the Wall Street Journal, the iWatch will have NFC, allowing it to be used to make contactless payments in stores. This feature will tie into the wallet app that Apple is said to be launching alongside the iPhone 6, which will let people pay for goods using credit cards they have stored on their phone. It makes sense to have the sensor on a watch, as it's quicker and easier to tap with your wrist than to fiddle around with your phone.
Swatch not involved
One of the big rumours was that Apple had turned to Swatch to help with the design of the iWatch, but this has turned out not to be true. "Swatch is not working with Apple on smartwatches," a spokesperson for the company said, refusing to rule out any other partnerships between Apple and Swatch.
We can't say that we're surprised. If there's one thing that Apple is known for, it's the quality of its design and it seemed unlikely that it would need to bring in a third party in order to make an attractive watch.
Sweat sensor
Apple has been working on a sweat sensor for the iWatch, which will have as many as 10 sensors to monitor people's health and fitness. Details of the sensor, leaked on Laoyaoba, link closely with Apple's reported meetings with basketball star Kobie Bryant, with the tech company reportedly testing the iWatch with a number of high profile athletes. The latest reports also suggest the iWatch will come in different sizes, styles and colours.
Design
There have been countless mock-ups of the iWatch ranging from simple bands that wrap around your wrist to fancy, bells-and-whistles wristwatches to devices that look a bit like the iPod Nano.
Apple could well be using Corning curved, flexible glass, with the Gorilla Glass manufacturer stating that it was ready to go curved back in January 2014. Corning's Gorilla Glass is the material of choice for the iPad and iPhone, so it makes sense that the iWatch would also use it. However, Apple has also heavily invested in GT Advanced Technologies to develop and produce sapphire glass, so there's a possibility that the iWatch could use this.
Apple's obsession with simple, slim and seamless design would suggest that the iWatch will follow suit. Rumours have suggested that Apple is a keen admirer of Nike's Fuelband, which is a simple loop that wraps around your wrist. While the iWatch will need to be more complex than that, some mock-ups have speculated that it will be a simple, almost featureless strap.
Apple has also been busy hiring new staff for its wearables division. In early July the company snapped up Patrick Pruniaux, TAG Heuer's sales and retail vice president. The Swiss brand is known for high-end watches with analysts speculating that Apple's latest hire showed its desire for the iWatch to be seen as a quality, high-end product.
According to a recent report in the Taiwanese Economic Daily News Apple is working on different sized iWatches with a 1.6in display and two 1.8in displays in the works. Rumours of iWatch screen sizes have been ten-a-penny with some even suggesting a massive 2.5in screen.
A three year old patent for an Apple smartwatch was recently unearthed, revealing some intriguing details. The patent application isn't for the iWatch but for a device called iTime, with Apple detailing a modular device for running apps and tracking fitness.
The patent explains that iTime will come in two parts - a wristband with integrated electronics and a computer system with a display. The two parts connect to become a smartwatch. When separated the half with the display, which looks a lot like an iPod Nano in the supplied diagram, will continue to operate, albeit without the fitness tracking functionality contained in the wristband.
Features and apps
It has been reported that one of the iWatch will be used to track fitness. It will have a number of biometric sensors to track workouts and monitor sleep, UV light exposure and even your heart rate. Apple is said to be working on a Healthbook companion app for iOS 8, which could link together the iPhone and iWatch to monitor your health and other body stats.
Siri and Maps could also come to iWatch, with Siri a particular focus. Apple has already snapped up Novauris to work on top-secret Siri projects. The company's expertise and technology could make it easier for apps to work with Siri and also make the voice assistant more accurate. Having top-quality Siri support for the iWatch would make sense, as small screens on smartwatches have so far proved fiddly.
There's little doubt that the iWatch will work in conjunction with existing Apple devices, especially the iPhone and probably the iPad too. That means it is very likely to run a modified version of the iOS 8, which is set to be unveiled later this year. While some reports have speculated that the iWatch will run its own operating system similar to the iPod Nano's simple interface, it seems more likely that it will have a version of iOS 8.
That means apps. Expect the iWatch to be able to control music stored on other Apple devices or even stream music from iCloud or Spotify. Like the Samsung Galaxy Gear it has been suggested that the iWatch will primarily act as a companion device for iPhone and possibly even iPad, but rumours have hinted that the iWatch will have more features than Samsung's device.
Bluetooth is a no-brainer, with Apple likely to use low-power Bluetooth to help the iWatch's battery last longer. But what about the battery itself? According to reports Apple is experimenting with new battery technology for the iWatch. In 2009 Apple filed a patent for charging devices by using body movements. The idea is that the iWatch charges whenever you move your arms. Similar systems have been used on conventional watches for some time, but getting enough power to run an iWatch will be a big challenge for Apple.
Apple might also turn to solar power to charge the iWatch, with the company looking at hiding solar panels behind its screen. As reported by the NY Times, Apple is already investigating solar panels. Using this tech the iWatch would charge during the day and then work all night, so there would never be a need to take it off and charge it. There's no doubt Apple is working on the technology, but it remains to be seen if it will be ready in time for the iWatch.
More realistically, the company will look to wireless charging. According to a report on Xueqiu, companies in Shenzen have sent wireless charging coils to Apple for certification, with a view to providing them in volume for the iWatch as soon as they gain approval. This would imply the iWatch will ship with some kind of charging plate, as no current iPhone or iPad includes wireless charging capabilities.
Wireless charging seems like a logical progression for wearables, as currently smart watches have to be docked into a charging cradle every few days to fill it back up with juice. The cradle itself is tiny, fiddly to attach and easily lost - something that wouldn't be an issue with a wireless charging plate.
Previous rumours indicated Apple was aiming to be able to charge the iWatch from up to one meter from the charging plate; this would be a major improvement over existing wireless charging systems, which have to maintain physical contact with a charging plate in order to make a circuit. Battery life in general is apparently a sticking point for Apple, with prototype devices lasting between one and two days but company executives demanding up to five days of use on a single charge.
Price
That's the million dollar question. The Samsung Gear 2 currently costs £300 and you'd have thought that Apple would want to either match that price or be cheaper; you can't discount the fact that Apple isn't afraid to be more expensive, though. As a result, any reports of iWatch pricing are pure speculation – but the price range it falls under will greatly depend on whether it is a high-tech smartwatch like the Samsung Galaxy Gear or more of a fitness tracker like the Nike Fuelband. With that in mind, prices could range from £120 to £300.
According to Cowen & Company analyst Timothy Arcuri, the Apple iWatch could cost just $250. Arcuri said that health insurance companies could subsidise the iWatch as they would benefit from its fitness and health tracking capabilities.
"We continue to believe it is possible the product (iWatch) is backstopped by some sort of insurance subsidisation model similar to the carrier subsidization model for iPhone," he claimed.
Rumours had suggested that the iWatch could cost as much as $1,000, but that seems hugely unlikely.
