Apple Inc. (AAPL) Developing ‘Smart Wristwatch’ with Intel Corporation (INTC): Rumor

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) rumors have been flying lately, though most concern the company’s plans for a smart TV, a low-cost iPhone, and the usual upgrades to the iPhone 5 and the iPad in 2013.

One particular rumor, though, is adding an extra bit of intrigue to Apple this holiday season.

Originally found by The Next Web, the Chinese tech blog TGbus.com reported that the company is teaming up with Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) to develop a “a Bluetooth-equipped smart wristwatch that can connect to other iOS devices, most notably iPhone and iPod devices.”

While no specific sources are named for this information, they are deemed to be close to Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s “supply chain.”

The report also mentions, periphrastically speaking, that we could see a smart watch release in the next 6-7 months, and that it would “sport a 1.5-inch OLED display with indium tin oxide, aka ITO-coated glass, made by Taiwanese PMOLED panel manufacturer RiTdisplay.”

Does this rumor have any substance?

Well, as PCMag so ardently pointed out, recent changes to the iPod Nano may be an attempt “to displace would-be smartwatch competitors, and thus clear the table for its own, forthcoming smartwatch.”

Various third-party iPod accessory designers, such as Pebble and TikTok, have already shown Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) that its users are interested in strapping iDevices to their wrists.

More intriguingly, PCMag also points out a bit of news that most of us forgot about: Apple paid close to $21 million “to license the iconic watch face design” of Swiss Federal Railway. At the time, this fee seemed a bit hefty, but it may in fact be related to the company’s development of its own watch.

Obviously, Tim Cook and Co. haven’t confirmed any details of a smart watch just yet, so there’s a possibility that this rumor won’t come to fruition.

Still, the potential launch of a smart watch and a smart TV in 2013 has to have Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) investors buzzing, and we already know that future product expectations play a key role in how the tech giant’s stock performs in the present.

Let us know your thoughts on this rumor in the comments section below, and for more Apple coverage, continue reading here:

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