A Watch Made by Apple Will Run iOS and Will See The Light of Day This Year, Sources Say

More details are emerging about Apple's forthcoming watch, which is targeted for release this year, according to a Bloomberg report this morning and corroborated by our sources. Bloomberg says the watch project has long been a favorite of Apple design chief Jony Ive, who reportedly ordered "boxes" of Nike sports watches for his team to study a few years ago.

That's perfectly in line with what we've heard about the watch project, which we're told is being led by Ive himself with some 100 engineers under him. Interestingly, we're also told that Apple's chosen to rework the full iOS to run on the watch instead of building up the iPod nano's proprietary touch operating system — although the previous nano was already watch-sized and seemed like a great starting point for a watch, Apple's betting on iOS across product lines.

                                                    “APPLE'S BETTING ON IOS, BUT BATTERY LIFE IS A CHALLENGE”

That's apparently leading to battery life issues in development, according to our sources: the goal is to last at least 4-5 days between charges, but the current watch prototypes are apparently only going for a couple days max. We're also Apple also has some work to do with iOS on the iPhone, which currently has several hooks for supporting a watch-like device but lacks the appropriate interface or settings to make it work properly. The Pebble watch, for example, can receive notifications from third-party iOS apps with a slight hack, but it has to be redone every time the Bluetooth connection breaks.

                         “INVESTORS ARE STARTING TO LATCH ONTO THE WATCH AS TV RUMORS FADE”

Obviously Apple has time to resolve these issues, just as it had to when it reworked OS X to work on the iPhone instead of building up the iPod's operating system in the late 2000s. And it should be motivated to resolve these problems quickly: financial analysts are already starting to latch onto watch rumors as a growth opportunity for Apple's battered stock price since the fabled TV project looks increasingly unlikely in the current media climate. (That Bloomberg report is headlined "Apple's Planned 'iWatch' Could Be More Profitable Than TV," in case any investors missed the underlying subtlety.) And Google is promising that its high-concept Glass wearable device will be out this year, lending momentum to a market segment that's remained essentially untapped for years but which has flared to life as indie projects like the Pebble, MetaWatch, and others find success with early adopters.

We're actively digging for more info — we'll let you know more as we hear it. [TheVerge]

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Apple Rumours Tell of a Possible Apple Watch?

According to a report from The New York Times, Apple may possibly be experimenting with wristwatch-like devices made of curved glass in its research and developmental labs. Two people who were familiar with the project reportedly told Nick Bilton (of NYT) that the watch would operate on Apple’s iOS platform and stand apart from its competitors based on the research it is doing on how glass can curve around the human body.

The report goes on to question several things such as whether or not said device will come equipped with Siri, tie into Maps, serve as a wireless payment device, etc. At the same time, it offers a recap on many of Apple’s moves over the years, placing it in a prime position to lead charge for wearable computing devices. Rumors on an Apple-produced smartwatch have surfaced repeatedly over the last few years but the past three months have seen additional speculation on the topic.

The creator of Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines, Bruce Tognazzini, predicted on his blog that Apple would release an iWatch. Calling it “The iWatch,” Tognazzini said the device would be filling a “gaping hole in the Apple ecosystem… [facilitating and coordinating] not only the activities of all the other computers and devices we use, but a wide array of devices to come.” He did give a caveat to his prediction, saying that it was not based on insider information but rather a “solid understanding of Apple, its products, the problem, and the opportunity.”

You can follow me on Twitter, add me to your circles on Google+ or Subscribe to me on facebook or YouTube. You can also check my website and blog to keep yourself updated with what is happening in the ever changing world of technology