Apple rumored to be working on iWatch

Could wristwatches once again become a hot and exciting market? If the rumor mill is right, Apple is already testing prototypes of a new watch that will run a version of iOS that integrates closely with iPhone. Apple is reportedly already in discussions with Hon Hai Precision, the parent company of Foxconn, on the manufacturing techniques required to mass produce the device.

Rumored features of the "iWatch" include bendable "Willow Glass" from Corning, Siri integration, calendar and email alerts, app notifications, caller ID, map navigation, and mobile payment support. However, the device is said to be at least a year away from launch due to the immaturity of bendable glass and the required enhancements in battery life. Further details can be read at The Mac Observer.

The battle for wearable computing platforms will also reach users’ eyes through the efforts of the aforementioned Google Glass concept and other projects such as the MEG from Olympus. While early prototypes of smart glasses promise more functionality than smart watches, the more invasive nature of glasses may make watches a likely next step in the evolution of wearable computers, and Apple already has an advantage in that area thanks to third-party contributors to its ecosystem.

“Apple is already in the wearable space through its ecosystem partners that make accessories that connect to the iPhone. This makes Apple potentially the biggest player of the wearables market in a sort of invisible way,” Forrester analyst Sarah Rotman Epps told The New York Times.

Here's a mockup of how such a device may look like: