Apple's iWatch delayed until 2015 - but stock hits an all time high ahead of iPhone 6 launch
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Apple's iWatch has been delayed and will not go on sale until 2015, it has been claimed by a Chinese analyst.
It is believed the firm has delayed the watch to ensure the hardware and software is perfect at launch.
However, Apple's stock today hit an all time high ahead of an expected September 9th launch of the iPhone 6.
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Reports have previously claimed Apple's iWatch could double up as an activity tracker. This concept image reveals how the rumoured device and health tool might look. Dubbed the Diet Watch, it could track calories and steps as well as heart rate. It could launch at an event in October, alongside Apple's next iPad range
TWO YEARS OF IWATCH RUMOURS
Speculation around Apple's iWatch began at the end of 2012 and a rumoured release date was initially set for the fourth quarter of 2013.
Chinese websites reported in December 2012 that the computer giant was working with chip-maker Intel on a wrist-worn gadget.
It was said to have a 1.5inch screen and use Bluetooth to communicate with other devices, including an iPhone.
Other rumours suggest the iWatch will feature Siri voice controls that let users dictate messages, rather than use the tiny screen.
The watch could also be used as a remote control to change music tracks or pause video, on the phone or tablet.
In July last year, reports in the Financial Times said Apple was hiring outside help to tackle design problems with its iWatch.
Apple Inc shares rose 1.4 percent to end at $100.53, a closing record high for the tech bellwether when adjusted for the stock's June seven-for-one stock split.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says difficulties with manufacturing the new device will likely be the cause of the delay, according to 9to5mac.
'We reiterate our view that iWatch, as compared to existing products, and as Apple's (US) first attempt at a wearable device, represents a much higher level of difficulty for the company as regards component and system design, manufacturing and integration between hardware and software, he said.
'While we are positive on iWatch and believe that the advantages of the design and business model behind it are difficult to copy, we think, given the aforementioned challenges, that the launch could be postponed to 2015.'
Apple recently poached a senior executive from Swiss luxury watch brand Tag Heuer, which could be to help it with the launch of its iWatch expected this autumn.
Tag Heuer, part of luxury goods group LVMH, said on Friday its vice president for sales, Patrick Pruniaux, who had been with the brand for seven years, was leaving on Monday to join Apple.
It did not say what his new job would be, and Apple declined to comment.
The iWatch will be the closest the U.S. company has come to selling a fashion accessory and marks its first foray into the personal luxury goods market.
The new claims about a rounded design contradict previous reports the iWatch would have a curved screen, as seen in this concept by Todd Hamilton
It is in a race against Samsung Electronics and Google to turn computers into wearable fashion and must-have items as smartphones, increasingly becoming commoditized items, start losing their appeal.
Apple has plucked several executives from the luxury sector in recent months.
Burberry ex-Chief Executive Angela Ahrendts started as its new head of retail and online sales in May, and former head of French fashion brand Yves Saint Laurent Paul Deneve was hired last year to work on special projects.
'I think he was probably head-hunted,' a Tag Heuer spokeswoman said of Pruniaux, adding a replacement had already been found.
Analysts and industry executives say the jury is still out on whether smart watches will disrupt the luxury Swiss watch industry.
The Tag Heuer Mikrotimer watch: It has emerged Apple has poached the firm's head of sales for its iWatch product
'I don't believe that an iWatch will be a threat to luxury Swiss watches,' said Jon Cox, analyst at Kepler Cheuvreux in Zurich.
'But where I do see some potential impact is at lower, for example below $1,000, price points where there could be a temporary dislocation if there is super high demand for iWatches.'
Jean-Claude Biver, head of watch brands at LVMH and chairman of watch brand Hublot, said he believed the threat of smart watches had to be taken seriously by the Swiss watch industry.
'The iWatch will have the same status symbol power as many other Apple products, especially at the beginning,' he said.
'I personally believe it has the potential to be a threat for the industry, and it should not stay with its arms crossed.'
Apple applied for a trademark for the "iWatch" in Japan, a patent official said earlier this week, signaling the iPhone maker could be moving ahead with plans to launch a watch-like device soon.
Google announcement comes just a week after sources revealed Taiwan's Quanta Computer Inc will start mass production of Apple first smartwatch in July, and the much anticipated timepiece will be revealed in October. Pictured is a concept design of what the iWatch may look like
Speculation has been mounting that Apple was preparing to launch an iWatch which would include multiple health and fitness sensors and access to features such as messages and notifications through integration with the iPhone and iPad.
A sweat sensor is believed to one of at least 10 sensors on the watch.
It has also been revealed Apple has signed up a host of sports star to try the wearable - including basketball star Kobe Brant, who was recently spotted at Apple's Cupertino campus.
According to laoyaoba.com, the sweat sensor has been developed in house by Apple.
Although the watch is shrouded in secrecy, players from the MLB, NHL and NBA have believed to have been approached about the fitness aspects of the watch.
One of these athletes is reportedly Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant, who was spotted on Apple's Cupertino campus last month.
According to 9to5Mac's source, Bryant met Apple's design boss Jony Ive and his team, to discuss upcoming products.
Apple is also believed to be working with Los Angeles Kings' Dustin Brown and an unnamed player from the Boston Red Sox, according to 9to5Mac.
However, laoyaoba.com also claims the watch may be delayed as it must be certified as a medical device with the Food and Drug Administration.
Last night, Samsung revealed a new smart wristband and announced plans to let manufacturers use the same core components - much like the mobile phone market. Ram Fish, Vice President of Digital Health for Samsung is pictured displaying the Simband
Apple has already revealed it is working with Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic and the National Institutes of Health on its HealthKit app, which is believed to work in tandem with the iWatch.
Earlier reports say the watch will includes more than 10 sensors to take health measurements and other data.
It is also set to come in multiple sizes - and is expected to go on sale in October.
The much rumoured watch is believed to be about to begin mass production in Taiwan.
The Wall Street Journal also said that Apple is planning multiple screen sizes for the device, and previous rumour have claimed a male and female version will be released.
Rumours still differ as to whether the watch will be round or rectangular.
Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (pictured) was spotted on Apple's Cupertino campus last month, and is believed to have met Apple's design boss Jony Ive and his team to discuss upcoming products - including the iWatch.
Samsung, Sony, Qualcomm and others have already released smartwatches, but the gadgets have mostly functioned as companions to smartphones, offering email notifications, clock functions and the like. Samsung's Gear 2 line, released this year, added fitness-related apps and has a heart rate sensor.
But the market is growing fast, with data firm IDC saying that worldwide shipments of wearable computing devices - a category that includes smartwatches - will triple in size this year over 2013.
Apple has already dropped hints of its plans in this arena, hiring the former chief executive of French fashion house Yves Saint Laurent, a unit of Kering SA, and proclaiming that it will introduce 'new product categories"' this year.
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