X

iWatch name registered by Apple in two more countries

Apple has registered the iWatch trademark in two more countries, speeding up the countdown towards the time of the smart watch.

Richard Trenholm Former Movie and TV Senior Editor
Richard Trenholm was CNET's film and TV editor, covering the big screen, small screen and streaming. A member of the Film Critic's Circle, he's covered technology and culture from London's tech scene to Europe's refugee camps to the Sundance film festival.
Expertise Films, TV, Movies, Television, Technology
Richard Trenholm
2 min read

I watch, you watch, we watch the iWatch! Apple has registered 'iWatch' as a trademark in two more countries, speeding up the countdown towards the time of the smart watch.

Apple has registered the iWatch name in Mexico and Taiwan, as well as in Japan as previously reported. It's emerged that Apple filed for the trademarks last month, bagging the name for an as-yet-unconfirmed product tagged under the categories of a computer, a peripheral device and a personal digital assistant.

Apple has allegedly also tried to grab the 'iWatch' name in Russia.

Registering for a trademark in Mexico takes no longer than six months, suggesting that the iWatch could arrive before the end of the year. Then again, Apple could be securing the trademark to stop rivals using it. Or of course the folks at Cupertino could just be winding us up.

Winding us up, geddit?

Rumours are gathering that the next big thing will be wearable technology, spearheaded by the smart watch: a wrist-worn device that talks to your phone, perhaps via NFC, perhaps displaying notifications or other information on the small screen.

Watch this: iWatch Rumours

The mythical iWatch is the most-trumpeted of the possible wrist-worn wonders, but Google, Microsoft and Samsung are all reported to be getting in on the action. Sony is way ahead of the game -- now there's a sentence you don't hear very often -- unveiling the Sony SmartWatch 2 last week.

Watch this: Is the iWatch the new iPad, we ask in Podcast 345

Are you excited about the coming of the smart watch? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or tell us what time it is on our timeless Facebook wall.

Image: Adr-studio