This iWatch concept by Todd Hamilton shows what the mythical device could look like. But with reports of Apple buying a display technology company could it go from concept to reality? Source: toddham.com Source: Supplied
TALK of an Apple iWatch has been pumping through the internet gossip pipes for some time but now we might have been given the strongest signal yet this gadget could be coming our way.
According to industry insiders, Apple has made a move to snap up LuxVue, a developer of micro-LED displays.
An article by Mashable reports LuxVue has been working on a display technology that aims to deliver nine times better brightness while using lower battery requirements.
Of course, Apple could innocently be interested in this technology for any other of its current devices but when word broke of the potential buyout people were quick to add one and one together and harked back to a presentation from last year.
“Also [LuxVue displays] can be on curved substrates, so if somebody was gonna make a really great watch, you might want to use it there,” said John Doerr, a partner at a venture capital company where LuxVue is on the portfolio.
More evidence also starts to fall in place as Doerr was a longtime friend of Steve Jobs and at the presentation was wearing both a Jawbone Up fitness tracker — a similar gadget to the Nike FuelBand, which Apple’s current CEO has been spotted wearing.
Still not convinced? Well, how about the fact LuxVue’s vice president of technology is Kapil Sakariya, who once worked as an Apple engineer on display architecture. And, the fact he filed a patent for a special method to place a tiny display on a device. Could said device be something like a watch? The clues are certainly pointing in the right direction.
While the acquisition has not been confirmed (nor denied) by Apple in typical fashion it is keeping its card close and simply provided Techcrunch with the following quote:
“Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.”
As we see it, there’s no smoke without fire and these hints keep heating up.
