Round iWatch predicted to go into production this summer

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Screen Shot 2014-05-28 at 3.24.54 PM

An analyst has traveled to Apple’s supply chain in Taiwan, and he claims to have learned about the rumored iWatch.

While the design of Apple’s upcoming wearable has been a point of contention so far, Brian Blair of Rosenblatt Securities claims that it will feature a round face. He also backs up previous reports that the device will go into production this summer. Based on the increasing frequency of such claims, we may see an actual iWatch materialize by the end of this year.

And that’s not all Blair has learned from supply chain sources.

Apple has been rumored to be working on a curved glass iWatch design for quite some time.  And although that could still be the case, a screen that wraps around a wrist band doesn’t appear to be what Apple is going with.

Blair says the device will look similar to the circular Moto 360 smartwatch, but feature a “slimmer profile,” according to a note relayed by Business Insider.

He also says that there will be multiple models of the iWatch. There have already been rumors that Apple is working on different sizes to market to men and women individually. Respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said that a higher-end model could cost an upwards of “thousands.”

Blair expects Apple to make between 18-21 million iWatches for the second half of 2014, with production scheduled to begin around July or August.

At this point, any sort of iWatch unveiling will likely be saved for the fall. Apple is expected to show off iOS 8, the next version of OS X, and smart home tech at its Worldwide Developers Conference next week.

Source: Business Insider

Image: iWatch concept

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