Apple iWatch to have a round face, may offer wireless charging

Rumours surrounding the highly anticipated Apple iWatch have been hitting the internet again in the past few days, creating even more buzz and hype about the upcoming first true wearable technology device from Apple.

Apple iWatch Mock Up

Based on Taiwanese supply chain sources, following analyst Brian Blair of Rosenblatt Securities’ trip to Taiwan, he is expecting the iWatch to sport a round watch face, much like Motorola’s upcoming smartwatch, Moto 360, as seen above.

With many people previously speculating that the iWatch was to have a rectangular face, Blair’s sources said that the iWatch will have a similar look to Motorola’s circular smartwatch, which is expected to launch in June, but with a “slimmer profile.”

Motorola Moto 360

The analyst also revealed that the iWatch will go into production this summer, around late July, and Apple will be bringing out different “models” of the wearable device, most likely one for women, one for men – rather than some other segmentation scheme.

Orders for the Apple iWatch are also higher than earlier expectations, as Blair forecasts that Apple will make around 18-21 million smartwatches instead of previous estimate of 15-20 million for the second half of 2014.

Other new rumours sourced from a report on Chinese media outlet Xueqiu suggest that Apple could be testing cable-free iWatch charging. The report states that a Chinese manufacturer of wireless charging coils called Luxshare has been sending samples for certification for the approval as part of the Apple iWatch accessory range.

Apple iWatch Mock Up

Most speculation has pointed out that Apple is getting ready to launch the iWatch towards the end of the year. Features such as health tracking sensors which will collect the wearer’s data and store the information in iOS8’s Healthbook app are expected.