Despite already having over 100 people working on its upcoming iWatch, The Financial Times reports that Apple is on a “hiring spree” to bring in new expertise to solve what one source calls “hard engineering problems that they’ve not been able to solve.” Apple is reportedly concerned that the launch of its iWatch could still be a year away due to these challenges. Hiring in recent weeks has been described as aggressive.
It could well be that recent hire, Paul Deneve, the former CEO of Yves Saint Laurent, is part of that spree. Hired to work on “special projects,” it could be that the iWatch is one of those projects.
Rumours suggest that the iWatch would run on iOS and could feature a curved glass display (as in the concept device above by Danish designer Esben Oxholm). It could also be the company’s first new major product since the death of Steve Jobs, its former CEO.
Apple is facing some stiff competition to be among the first to bring in new wearable devices to market. A number of competitors, including Google and Samsung, are all looking at launching similar products either this year or next year. Others, such as Pebble (now available through Best Buy in the U.S.) and Sony, already have smartwatches of their own on the market.
Source : The Financial Times