Wearing a watch protects your wrist from sunburn, but if Barclay's analyst Blayne Curtis is right, Apple's iWatch will be able to protect your entire body. It doesn't cover your body or coat you in sunscreen; instead, he thinks the iWatch will include a UV sensor that can help monitor your sun exposure to avoid sunburns.
Analyst thinks iWatch will include a UV sensor
In a note to investors, he said,
Silicon Labs recently announced a family of products featuring the industry's first digital ultraviolet index sensors. These chips measure UV exposure to aid those with elevated risk of sunburn or just a general concern about excessive sun exposure, and we believe they may be of appealing to OEMs looking to differentiate in a crowded market. To that end, while these products have seen little public hype thus far, we believe SLAB has a win in Apple's upcoming iWatch.
The iWatch is Apple's rumored first entry into the wearable technology market. It's expected to offer health and fitness tracking features much like Fitbit and Nike Fuelband, but with a market changing design. Assuming Mr. Curtis is right, it'll help you avoid prolonged sun exposure, too.
He expects the iWatch will ship some time in late 2014 or early 2015. Assuming it hits store shelves this year, Mr. Curtis thinks it will expects consumers will buy somewhere between 5 million and ten million units.
Apple hasn't confirmed it is working on a smartwatch, but company CEO Tim Cook has expressed a strong interest in the market. Apple has also been on a health and fitness expert hiring spree over the past couple years, which adds a lot to the notion that wearable tech from the company is on the way.
[Thanks to Barrons for the heads up]