Following reports from Bloomberg, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal all claiming Apple is actively working on an Watch, Rene Ritchie of iMore has now added his stamp of approval to the Apple smart watch rumors, stating that iMore has heard the project is moving forward as well.
The iWatch project — regardless of how the device is eventually named or marketed — sounds like its a go. We haven’t heard anything specific about feature sets or timelines yet, but we have heard it’s moving forward.
The report also provides insight on Apple’s iPhone plans, noting that Apple is indeed working on an “iPhone 5S”-like update to the iPhone 5, which will mostly be an internal update to the device. He also mentions that the rumored larger 5-inch iPhone doesn’t seem set to launch in the immediate future, and makes some interesting comments on Apple’s rumored “budget” iPhone.
With the iPhone 5S keeping the focus this year, the bigger iPhone sounds like it’s still more prototype than product. Last month I did the math on how Apple could scale the existing iPhone 5 platform to a 5-inch form factor, and followed up withhow the interface would scale to 5-inches with it. Technically, it all seems solid. In terms of go-to-market, however, it doesn’t sound imminent.
The less expensive iPhone seems like it’s been on the drawing board for years, but so far Apple’s chosen to reduce the price of previous iPhone models instead of introducing new, deliberately less expensive ones. Massive deals with carriers in emerging markets, or the prospect of reducing the iPhone 5 to cheap or free on contract, and the pressure that puts on margins and ASP (average sales price) could be what ultimately causes Apple to change strategies and introduce the less expensive model. Like with the bigger iPhone, the way for Apple to get to a less expensive iPhone seems all worked out, it’s the timing that’s in question.
Also worth noting, Ritchie claims that Apple is also actively working on a redesigned iPhone 5 and an iPad mini with a Retina display
To bring the full-sized iPad casing in line with the iPad mini’s, and to bring the iPad mini display up to the full size iPad’s Retina quality, will take improvements to the efficiencies of the screens, the LED that lights them, the chipsets that drive them, and the batteries that power them. All of those are coming, it’s just a question of when they get here.
Finally, Ritchie notes than an Apple television set doesn’t seem likely for release this year, and is likely still being analyzed and explored within Apple’s lab. Ritchie is typically a very reliable source for information regarding Apple’s operations and products, both present and upcoming, and his comments are well worth taking note of.
Check out the full article over at iMore!
