Apple is likely to launch a computerized wristwatch this fall that includes more than 10 sensors to take health measurements and other data, according to a published report, according to Reuters.
The Wall Street Journal also said Friday that Apple is planning multiple screen sizes for the device, which some people have dubbed the iWatch, Reuters reported.
Samsung, Sony, Qualcomm and others have already released smart watches, but the gadgets have mostly functioned as companions to smartphones, offering email notifications, clock functions and the like, according to Reuters.
Samsung's Gear 2 line, released this year, added fitness-related apps and has a heart rate sensor, Reuters reported.
There's been longstanding speculation that Apple has been working on a smartwatch with the main question being when it would come out, according to Reuters.
Apple intensified speculation this month when it said the upcoming version of its mobile operating system, iOS 8, will include tools for managing health data, Reuters reported. The software is expected in September, along with new iPhones.
Apple has been under pressure to release new products, as investors question whether the company that popularized the smartphone and the tablet computer is still able to innovate following the death of co-founder Steve Jobs, according to Reuters. CEO Tim Cook has hinted at new products coming this year, but the company hasn't provided details.
Citing unnamed people familiar with the matter, the Journal said production of the smartwatch is expected to begin in two or three months at Quanta Computer Inc., a Taiwanese company that has worked on Apple's Mac computers, Reuters reported. Sales of the device could begin as early as October.
In a December meeting with Apple executives, the FDA described how it may regulate a glucometer that measures blood sugar, according to an FDA summary of the discussion, according to Reuters.
Such a device could avoid regulation if used for nutrition, but if marketed to diabetics, it likely would be regulated as a medical device, according to the summary, first reported by the Apple Toolbox blog, Reuters reported.
