Apple has reportedly filed for ownership of the 'iWatch' trademark in Russia, sparking further rumours that the company is working on a smart watch device.
According to Russian news site Izvestia, Apple has filed for the 'iWatch' trademark in the country. iWatch is rumoured to be the name of an upcoming wearable device from Apple.
While this news suggests that Apple could be preparing to launch a smart watch that goes by the name of 'iWatch' in the future, it is worth noting that Apple may have several potential names lined up for the product, trademarking multiple options in order to prevent trademark battles from occurring should the decision be made to launch a product under that name.
In the US, the name the iWatch trademark has filed by a different company, 9To5Mac highlights.
Evidence that an Apple smart watch is coming has been mounting this year. This week, we reported that Apple has been awarded a patent for a curved battery, and there is speculation that this could be very useful should Apple ever launch the iWatch.
Previously, in February of this year, a separate Apple patent application was published, describing a wearable computer with a flexible display that can snap around the wrist to become a smart watch.
In addition to Apple's patents, a report from Bloomberg in February claimed that Apple has a team of around 100 people working on an iWatch device.
Some reports even suggested that the device spotted on the wrist of the actor in this iPhone 5 ad at around the 30-second mark could be our first look at the iWatch.
In May, a report said that Foxconn had begun trial production of Apple's iWatch.
However, we might not see an iWatch hit the shelves until 2014, though, according to respected KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. He says that an iWatch version would require major changes that could take Apple a long time to develop.
Kuo's predictions line up with Apple CEO Tim Cook's comments in April, when he revealed that Apple is working on "amazing new products" and "exciting new product categories" for 2014.
When Cook took to the stage at the D11 conference in May, he also touched upon the idea of wearable computing, which he says is a market "ripe for exploration." However, he also took the interview as an opportunity to snipe at Google Glass, saying: "I wear glasses because I have to. I don't know a lot of people who wear them that don't have to."
For more, visit our iWatch release date, rumours and leaked images roundup.
