Though they’ve never officially announced that they are working on a smartwatch, patents made public overnight have unveiled Apple‘s plans for a new device dubbed iTime. “The invention pertains to an electronic wristwatch,” reads Apple patent paperwork on record with the US Patent and Trade Office.
As Nine News reports, the patent details a wrist band, possibly with a touch screen, configured to connect wirelessly to a mobile device, such as an iPhone. Other features could include sensors for tracking motion and even recognising commands through gestures, according to patent paperwork originally filed late January 2011.
“The central portion can include a touch screen display, control circuitry and a battery,” patent paperwork reads. “The touch screen display can be configured to present visual information to the user and to receive user input.”
Apple chief Tim Cook has repeatedly stated that the tech giant is working on impressive new products and that he sees the wrist as a preferred spot for a wearable computer. Disclosure of the iTime patent has fuelled speculation that Apple’s entry into the smartwatch market will be their next “big thing.”
