A new patent granted to Apple
by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a device called “iTime”
reveals what we might see in the company’s much-anticipated smartwatch
device.
Believed to be called the iWatch (but referred to in a picture as
“iTime”), Apple has patented a wristband wearable device that supports
both arm and wrist gestures and features sensor-filled straps. In
theory, this could allow users to answer an incoming call by flicking or
shaking their wrist.
In one diagram, the device shows it can be removed entirely from the straps and can also serve as a portable media player.
The display is square-shaped (unlike the Moto 360
smartwatch) and alludes to the concept of having an iPod nano serve as
the centerpiece. The patent mentioned accelerometers, GPS modules, Wi-Fi
radios and haptic feedback, which applies vibrations and recreates the
sense of touch and motion to the user.
The patent, first spotted by Apple Insider,
highlights that the connected wearable syncs with iPhones, iPads and
other computers in what it calls a “personal wireless environment”.
While it was first believed the iWatch may get an early fall launch date, production and distribution challenges may push back its debut to late fall.
The device is expected to come with a flexible AMOLED display with
sapphire cover glass, marking the first time the company has integrated
that type of display into a consumer product. Complications related to
“operation circuitry” (and shrinking it down to smartwatch size), as
well as making it a fully waterproof device and redesigning iOS to fit
on a smaller screen, are big indicators that we might not see the iWatch
for another few months.
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