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LONG BEFORE APPLE ever revealed its latest iPhones and iPads to the public, we knew almost exactly what they would look like and what kind of features they would have thanks to rumours emanating from Apple’s Asian supply chain.

Now similar sources are gossiping about a new Apple product.

It’s not an Apple TV. It’s a watch.

Two sources tell Tech163.com that Intel and Apple are working on a Bluetooth-enabled iOS watch with a 1.5 inch screen.

Translating, Mobilegeek writes: “The device in question has a 1.5 OLED display with indium tin oxide, or ITO coated glass.”

Obviously, we should all read mysterious reports out of Asia with caution.

But, consider the following…

• “Wearable computing” is a popular concept for futurists.
• Analyst Gene Munster believes its a line Apple might eventually get into.
• Consumers have already interest in the idea of an iOS-enabled watch. As the Next Web’s Robin Wauter’s points out, 70,000 people contributed $10 million in funding toward the creation of an iPhone-connected watch called the Pebble on Kickstarter.com.
• Apple is spending billions of dollars on projects no one outside the company knows about.

The detail that makes us most skeptical in all the reports on this Intel-Apple watch is that, supposedly, Intel came up with the concept and Apple is now “interested” in building it out.

Typically, Apple designs its products and finds suppliers who can fill its orders.

Another question: Apple’s current iOS devices (the iPad, the iPhone, etc) use microchip designs from ARM, not Intel. Why would Apple switch?

Big picture, it makes sense that Apple is working on something like this. As Munster points out, Apple has, in recent years, only become the world’s most valuable company because it is willing to cannibalize its own product lines.

The iPhone ate into the iPod business, and now iPads are replacing Mac desktops and laptops.

Eventually, Apple will find a way to replace the smartphone (or someone else will first). Maybe that’s this watch.

- This story by Nicholas Carlson was reproduced with permission from Business Insider

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