Does Apple plan to launch a diamond-encrusted iWatch to
compliment its gold iPhone 5s? Probably not, but well-connected Apple analyst
Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities says that Apple is planning to launch several
different iWatch models in 2014, including a high-end version that will cost
thousands of dollars.
In a research note sent to clients on Thursday morning
that was picked up by MacRumors, Kuo wrote that Apple plans to launch not one
but two main iWatch models in 2014.
The first will be a smaller model with a 1.3-inch display
for users with smaller wrists, and a second larger version will include a
1.5-inch screen. Both models will reportedly feature flexible AMOLED display
panels and sapphire crystal display covers.
The analyst said that Apple’s iWatch will include a suite
of sensors that could monitor things like motion, heart rate and more. He also
wrote that the device will feature deep integration with the iPhone and iPad,
of course, and he claimed it will also include an NFC chip, wireless charging
capability and a “fashionable appearance.”
“Fashion is the name of the game; most expensive model
likely priced at several thousand US dollars,” Kuo wrote. “Referring to the
rules of the fashion market, we predict the iWatch casing and band will come in
various materials. The most expensive model of the iWatch line will carry a
price tag of several thousand US dollars.”
Apple’s iWatch will reportedly launch late in the third
quarter, and Kuo forecasts that Apple will ship 5.5 million units in 2014 and
somewhere between 30 million and 50 million units next year.
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