Apple’s smartwatch is one of the most expected and talked about pieces of technology in recent years, but according to a new report the launch of such a device may still be more than a year away.

The Financial Times is reporting that Apple is now “aggressively” hiring people to work on their iWatch project. The timing of these hirings shows that the long-awaited smartwatch is still far from being complete or ready for mass production which pushes its possible launch date towards 2014.

This contradicts earlier rumors that pegged the launch of such a device towards the end of this year. The Financial Times quotes unnamed sources that say Apple has been having engineering difficulties which may have delayed the whole project. According to these same sources the iWatch may not even make it to market as the project may be scrapped if these technical challenges are not solved.

Apple has been heavily criticized for lack of innovation and stagnation since the death of the company’s co-founder, Steve Jobs. Many see the iWatch as a new beginning and proof that the Cupertino company still has what it takes to stay ahead of its competitors. However, this delay and uncertainty for the future has many of Apple’s fans and investors worried.

Apple is expected to launch two new iPhones at the end of this summer, but both of these are rumoured to be simple iterations on the previous design rather than new and exciting projects.

Posted: Jul 16, 2013 2:39 am
Related Forum: Mobile Devices

Source: http://www.neowin.net/news/report-apple-hiring-for-iwatch-project-device-to-launch-in-late-2014