Apple's iWatch Could Be Incoming As The Company Files For Another Trademark
by Joe White
July 1, 2013
Apple has filed for an "iWatch" trademark in Japan, according to a recent report from Bloomberg, indicating that the company is continuing with its rumored development of a wearable, wristwatch-style smart device.
Bloomberg notes:
The maker of iPhones is seeking protection for the name which is categorized as being for products including a handheld computer or watch device, according to a June 3 filing with the Japan Patent Office that was made public last week. Takashi Takebayashi, a Tokyo-based spokesman for Apple, didn’t respond to a message left at his office seeking comment on the application.The publication continues to reiterate a report published in February, in which it was claimed that Apple has a team of "about 100 product designers" working on the anticipated smart watch. Cupertino's iWatch, Bloomberg believes, will be "a wristwatch-like device that may perform some of the tasks now handled by the iPhone and iPad." Apple is said to have already trademarked "iWatch" in both Russia and Jamaica. In the United States, however, the iWatch name is owned by San Jose, Calif.-based SmartMonitor. Recent analysis has indicated that Apple's anticipated iWatch, if it indeed launches, won't grace Apple Store shelves until 2014. In the meantime, Apple fans looking to grab an iOS compatible wristwatch have the option of taking a chance on Pebble, the Kickstarter-funded wearable smart watch, which can sync with one's smartphone or tablet and provide notifications at the wrist. The Cookoo wristwatch can also connect to an iDevice, and may run for up to one whole year on a single battery. We'll keep you updated with further information on the iWatch as we receive it. See also: For Europe, It'll Cost Less To Use An iPhone Across The EU Starting Monday, Could Apple's Low-Cost iPhone Look Like This?, and The AppAdvice Week In Review: Google Reader's Demise, iOS 7's Rise And Donald Duck.
