Details on Apple's iWatch and New iPhone Emerge
July 1, 2013 — -- It doesn't appear to be a slow summer for Apple, which is working on various new products, according to reports, including having filed for a trademark in Japan on the name "iWatch."
That might be a good name for the Cupertino, Calif.-based company's rumored smartwatch device, which is said to pair with the iPhone and display notifications and other information. The trademark was filed on June 3 with the Japan Patent Office and made public last week, Bloomberg and Reuters first reported.
Apple would not comment on the reports when reached by ABC News, but Apple CEO Tim Cook addressed the wearable gadget category last month at the All Things D conference and said that the wrist was a "interesting" and "natural" spot for a wearable devices, at least in comparison to Google Glass.
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"There are lots of gadgets in this space right now, but there's nothing great out there," Cook said at the technology conference. "But none of them are going to convince a kid that hasn't worn glasses or a band to wear one. There are a lot of problems to solve in this space. It's ripe for exploration." Recently a number of fitness wristbands were released, which pair with a phone and track steps and calories burned.
The iWatch would be a new category or type of device for Apple, but the company is also planning to refresh its iPhone. The iPhone 5S has already been rumored to have the same design as the current iPhone 5, but have aa faster chip and a fingerprint reader. The International Business Times reports that it will launch on September 20. Apple released the iPhone 5 last September 21.
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In addition to the slightly refreshed 5S, Apple is said to be working on a lower-cost iPhone, which will have a plastic shell available in a range of colors. Purported photos of the green version of the phone have emerged on French site Nowhereelse.
Apple previewed the next version of its iOS 7 operating system for the iPhone and iPad last month. The software has been drastically overhauled with a brand new more colorful design and a host of new features. iOS 7 is due out this fall.
