Fresh off of this week's big reveal of iOS 8, production of Apple's new and refreshed products is purportedly picking up steam.
And based on new reports coming to light on Friday, the long-awaited iWatch is on the list of gadgets in line to launch this fall in a move that could dramatically reshape the smartwatch hardware landscape.
Since the unveiling of HealthKit on Monday, the writing has been on the wall that Apple is making mHealth a higher priority.
"According to a parts manufacturer, it [Apple] plans monthly commercial output of about 3-5 million units, which exceeds the total global sales of watch-like devices last year," Nikkei reported Friday, adding that plans are in place for an October launch for iWatch.
The challenge for Apple, however, isn't to merely compete in the fast-growing world of wearables, but to contribute meaningfully to the product category and elevate the quality of available devices. According to no shortage of tech industry analysts and fitness proponents, Apple must build upon the progress made by Samsung earlier this year when the Galaxy Gear 2 was launched and began not only tracking but also treating common consumer health problems (Gear 2, for example, integrated Sleep Genius, the world's most advanced sleep program, into the smartwatch, helping users effectively combat sleep deprivation).
The question now is whether Apple can do the same. In the war for wearables dominance, the ultimate winner will be the maker of products that track as well as treat. If the iWatch is merely a catch-all for apps that count calories and track how many hours of sleep a user is averaging, iWatch may dramatically miss the mark. And with so many critics saying Apple has forgotten how to innovate, Apple can't afford to watch the wearables market march right past a disappointing iWatch.
Source: Nikkei
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