New report says iWatch is set to launch in September

iWatch concept (All, Todd Hamilton 001)

It sounds like Apple is aiming for a fall launch of its so-called iWatch project. According to a new report from DigiTimes, the Cupertino company has taken delivery of samples of flexible circuit boards for the smartwatch ahead of its September debut.

The news comes just 24 hours after Taiwan’s Economic Daily News claimed that Apple was aiming for a 3rd quarter iWatch launch. And while both outlets have somewhat sketchy track records, combined with previous intel the two reports hold weight…

Here’s more from the DigiTimes report:

Flexible PCB suppliers Flexium Interconnect, Zhen Ding Technology Holding and Career Technology reportedly have delivered FPCB samples for use in iWatch devices to Apple for validation, according to industry sources.

Apple is expected to unveil the iWatch wearable devices in September, the sources indicated.

Zhen Ding is currently the largest FPCB supplier for Apple and plans to invest over US$100 million to further ramp up its production capacity in 2014 due in part to increasing FPCB demand from Apple for production of its large-size iPhones and iPad products, said the sources.

Details regarding the iWatch have been fairly scarce, but most industry reports point to a wearable device with various sensors capable of pushing a user’s health data to an iOS device. It’s believed that iOS 8 will include new features for the smartwatch.

iWatch concept (Run, Todd Hamilton 001)Concept by Todd Hamilton

We also don’t know much about what the actual hardware will look like, as we’ve seen zero component/prototype leaks thus far. That will likely change, however, as overseas manufacturers begin ramping up for mass production in the coming months.

What we do know is that the smartwatch market has become awfully crowded since rumors of the iWatch began bouncing around last year. So whatever Apple has planned for the space, it better be enough to top Samsung, Pebble, Google and others.