Technology giants Apple and Dell are telling geeks they won’t have to wait long to get their hands on web-enabled watches.
Apple is said to have a team of around 100 designers looking at squeezing some of the functions of the iPhone and iPad in to a wearable watch-sized gadget.
Dell has confirmed they are considering a similar gadget.
Apple is hush-hush about their plans, but CEO Tim Cook hinted new products were on the way this year at a shareholder’s meeting in February.
“We have some great new products on the way in the autumn of 2013 and early next year,” he said at the meeting, but coyly refused to elaborate more.
Core product for Apple
Despite the speculation, employees at Apple are tight-lipped about new designs and product releases and no one is really sure what’s happening behind the sealed lab doors at Apple HQ in Cupertino, California.
An announcement is expected after the summer when the company has secured a supply chain of components.
The team at Dell are a little more forthcoming about future gadgets.
Sam Burd, vice president of personal computing, confirms the corporation is looking at a gadget to wear on the wrist.
“We are definitely exploring this,” he said. “The problem is cost and making the gadget perform worthwhile functions for the user. Undoubtedly computers are getting smaller and if this isn’t ready within a few months, it won’t take much longer.”
The trend for computing products is to increase in power while shrinking in size.
Mobile demand
Sales of desk top boxes are falling worldwide in favour of tablets and smartphones. The problem for businesses is that although handheld technology is great for keeping in touch, they cannot replace the functionality of larger devices for business applications.
Burd explained that Dell still expects demand for desktop computers in five years’ time.
“Technology is continually changing and will continue to do so,” he said. “Static computers will have a market, but the need for mobile devices that perform specific functions will just keep on expanding.
“I’ve been at a lot of meetings in the industry where the discussion has centred on wearable computing devices like Google Glasses and watches. People are not only talking about devices to wear but how they can connect and interact with other devices and the web.”
The latest boost for Google Glasses comes from tech firms looking at ways to integrate the glasses to control home electronics and appliances – and even electric cars.