[NewsPoster]

The iWatch will ship in October with a curved OLED touchscreen and a modified version of iOS 8, sources tell Japanese business publication Nikkei. The people say that Apple is finalizing the device's specifications, and back claims that the watch will use an array of biometric sensors to track factors like sleep, calorie consumption, and even blood oxygen and glucose levels. One parts manufacturer says that Apple is planning to manufacture somewhere between 3 and 5 million iWatches per month, which could make it the most prolific watch in the world.

The October timeline contradicts a forecast made this week by Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Brian White, who is calling for a September date alongside the iPhone 6. Apple could, however, simply announce the iWatch at the same time as new iPhones but launch a few weeks later. More significantly the Nikkei account appears to dismiss notions that the iWatch will have a round face, since it's unlikely that the display would be both circular and curved around the wrist.

To fit the dimensions and storage limits of a watch, iOS 8 may have to be radically scaled down. It's still uncertain whether Apple will support third-party apps on the device, or just allow iPhone apps to access data.

[kerryb]

Who will buy or be interested in a device which monitors all these body statistics other than athletes or people afflicted with illness which need constant monitoring? How does a watch keep count of caloric intake unless the person wearing it inputs that information? The same for blood sugar, how is this information monitored by a watch?

[robttwo]

@kerryb People interested in their health. Which is usually wealthy, young-mid professionals. Pretty good market if you ask me.

[coffeetime]

I think this watch will be more of a niche. If this watch can pack all the athlete essentials without extra hardware, then it will be a hit. It should be more of practical usage or activity specific usage vs jam pack everything into a watch like the giant Samsung watch.

[climacs]

kerryb, first of all that's quite a few people who are physically active who will be interested. Just because YOU are a couch potato, doesn't mean everyone else is. There are quite a few diabetics in the US (and always more because so many people here eat so terribly) who will be interested. I think that people who are not athletes or have health issues will discover uses for it too. I doubt it's going to be another earth-shaking product like iPod or iPhone but it's not going to be a niche either.