Tuesday, June 10, 2025

July 2, 2013

No Longer A Rumour: Apple Patents “iWatch”

Apple has filed for a trademark of the name iWatch in Japan last month fueling speculation that the company could be developing the much anticipated wristwatch.

Apple has applied to have the name iWatch registered as a trademark. Ownership for the trademark was filed in Japan and this will be the first product the company will produce after Steve Jobs’ era. The application was submitted on 3 June 2013, with the trademark set to cover computers, computer peripherals and wristwatches, according to a patent official.

Excitement mounted last month when Apple CEO Tim Cook made reference to a wearable product calling it “profoundly interesting.” Cook said:

There’s nothing that’s going to convince a kid who has never worn glasses or a band or a watch to wear one, or at least I haven’t seen it.

Google and Microsoft have already started developing “watch-like products”. Senior analyst at Juniper Research, Nitin Bhas, said:

Apple has been hinting for some time that it has a big product in the works, this could be it. But that won’t be enough. Apple won’t offer something that just connects to your smartphone.

[Source: The Guardian, Reuters]