Following
recent news that Apple is prepping an iWatch for release this fall, a
new report claims that the company has enlisted several professional
athletes to test the still-unannounced device.
Top
players from U.S. professional sports leagues, including Major League
Baseball (MLB), the National Hockey League (NHL) and the National
Basketball Association (NBA), are testing the device's "fitness
capabilities in intense training environments," according to 9to5Mac.
Among
the athletes testing the iWatch are Lakers star Kobe Bryant and Los
Angeles Kings player Dustin Brown. In addition to citing sources with
knowledge of the collaboration, the report said Bryant was seen on
Apple's Cupertino, Calif. campus last month to meet with the company's
design chief Jony Ive.
While
Apple appears to be covering all of its bases by involving nearly every
professional U.S. sports league to test its new device, it's easy to
see why the company is singling out Bryant in particular.
Listed
as the world's fifth-highest-paid athlete, according to Forbes, Bryant
would also be the perfect brand ambassador to introduce the device to
western sports fans, as well as those in China, where he has an enormous
fan base. What's more, Bryant has had a long endorsement relationship
with Nike, one of Apple's partners rumored to be part of the development
of the iWatch.
Reportedly
powered in part by Apple's new Healthkit app, the wearable device could
serve as a major new tracking and diagnostics tool for professional
athletes and amateur fitness enthusiasts alike.
Sources claimed that the device, which reportedly has a curved screen, is already in production, and will debut in October.
Posted by : Gizmeon
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