Apple iWatch staff hiring spree suggests launch still some way off
With rumours abounding that Apple are working on a smart, connected wristwatch frequently referred to as the iWatch, many had hoped that the device’s launch was just around the corner. No smoke without fire and all that. However, a new report from the Financial Times suggests that any such launch may yet be some way away.
According to the newspaper, the Cupertino company is currently embarking on a hiring spree on the hunt for watch and connected accessory experts to bolster the iWatch team. Such new additions to the team would suggest the watch could still be in the design or prototyping stages, making it some way off from a full release.
Quoting sources familiar with Apple’s plans, the FT claims the company are “aggressively” hiring new team members over recent weeks. With the team already said to number over 100 members of staff, this is proving quite an undertaking for Apple, and one that’s potentially proving problematic too.
The Financial Times’ sources have stated the current hiring spree is because Apple’s product development teams have run into “hard engineering problems that they’ve not been able to solve.”
Apple, notorious perfectionists that have no qualms about delaying the release of products until they meet exacting standards, may well now be pushing back a previously planned launch date. With investors breathing heavily down CEO Tim Cook’s neck, hoping for visionary products to match those of the late Steve Jobs’, an iWatch is likely an imperative launch this year.
Apple recently began securing trademarks for the iWatch around the globe, adding further fuel to the fire that the device may have been nearing completion. This latest report suggests that was not the case.
