Apple reportedly hired a slew of famous athletes, including NBA star Kobe Bryant, as endorsers of its upcoming fitness device, the Apple iWatch.
According to sources of 9to5Mac, the Cupertino, Calif.-based company tapped players from the NBA, NHL and MLB to brief them about the product and their possible participation in testing the device in different sports environments.
Testing of the Apple smartwatch is still underway, but experts have started making predictions on its specs and fitness components. Industry experts expect the device will include features such as a calorie counter, heart rate monitor, and more. Apple is also reportedly planning to use advanced sensors to gather data on the wearer's blood pressure, sweat and hydration levels.
Among the athletes selected to test and promote the product is NBA champion Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Kings' Dustin Brown, players from the Boston Red Sox, and others. All the athletes signed non-disclosure contracts to prevent them from speaking about the product's details in public. Bryant and his wife were seen meeting with Apple's design chief Jony Ive on Apple's Infinite Loop campus. Sources said the meeting centered on upcoming products.
In August last year, Apple hired Nike Fuelband developer and fitness guru Jay Blahnik to work on an unspecified project, which some say could be the iWatch. The same year, the company hired Nancy Dougherty from Sani Intelligence, who contributed on the design of small sensors that would work in reading the wearer's glucose and potassium levels. Shortly after Nike released the FuelBand, Apple hired some of the engineers and designers that worked with the FuelBand and other wearable gadgets.
Having Kobe Bryant as an endorser could help boost the popularity of the iWatch. Some of the famous brands he endorses include McDonald's, Nike, Sprite, Nutella, Upper Deck and Spalding.
