Apple Inc (Cupertino, Calif.) has applied for a trademark for “iWatch” in Japan.
The trademark application, submitted on June 3 and released on the Japan Patent Office website on June 27, would cover computers, computer peripherals and wristwatches.
Apple ceo Tim Cook told a gathering of tech and media executives a month ago that wearable products were ripe for exploration, but added he was skeptical.
Talking about Google’s recently unveiled Glass, which combines a mobile computer and eyeglasses, Cook said, “There’s nothing that’s going to convince a kid who has never worn glasses or a band or a watch to wear one, or at least I haven’t seen it.”
Cook had been promising a “next big thing” for Apple for several months. Samsung Electronics (Seoul), which has leapfrogged Apple as the world’s leading smartphone maker, is also developing a wearable device similar to a wristwatch, a source told The Reuters News Agency.
The pressure is on smartphone makers to come up with something new. Last week, BlackBerry (Waterloo, Ont.), once the leading smartphone maker, reported a surprise quarterly loss and lower-than-projected sales, hurt by sluggish demand.