The latest rumor on Apple's iWatch suggests just one of the model options that will be made available to consumers will pack a scratch-resistant sapphire screen, MacRumors reports.
A new update from the Economic Daily News (spotted first by GForGames) tips two size options for the device - one at 1.6 inches and another at 1.8 inches with the sapphire display. Furthermore, the report adds that the use of the sapphire on the smartwatch could "pave the way" for future iPhones - like the iPhone 6S or iPhone 7 - to use a sapphire display; suggesting rumors of a sapphire iPhone 6 are untrue.
Earlier this week, analyst Ming Chi Kuo of KGI Securities claimed release date schedules suggesting a late September mass manufacturing start and October launch for the device are incorrect, as the iWatch warrants "a new level of difficulty for Apple in regard to both hardware and software development."
Kuo added that supply constraints indicate expectations of 10 million units shipped by the end of 2014 are unlikely, with 3 million units serving as a better figure.
Sources "familiar with the matter" previously told The Wall Street Journal several sizes and model designs would be offered.
The publication reports that the Apple smartwatch will come with 10 sensors - including ones for health and fitness - with the intention to offer an experience that will differ from the iPhone by providing functions users won't be able to get in any old or new smartphones designed by the tech giant. The various designs, meanwhile, would help Apple better compete with the smartphone offerings from rivals such as Samsung and Google.
According to Reuters, the iWatch will feature a 2.5-inch display with a design that will be "slightly rectangular." The Reuters source added that the device's face will "protrude slightly from the band," with wireless charging and a touch screen among the anticipated features.
