Rumors about an Apple iWatch have been making the rounds for about two years, but it has not yet made an appearance at any of Cupertino's high-profile press events.
According to a new report from the New York Times, an iWatch is indeed in the works, but we might not see it anytime soon. The story, which focused on battery technology, said that Cupertino has been experimenting with new ways to charge its smartwatch - including wireless technology like that seen on Nokia devices.
"Apple has also experimented with new power-charging methods for a potential smartwatch, people close to the efforts said, though such experiments are years from becoming a reality," the paper said.
As 9to5Mac noted in September, Apple was on the hunt for an engineer with experience with solar technology.
But as PCMag's Sascha Segan pointed out last year amidst reports of a larger-screen iPhone, Apple (and its rivals) likely experiments with a number of technologies. But just because it has a smartwatch or a phablet or a unicorn in its labs doesn't mean those devices will ever end up on an Apple Store shelf.
During a May appearance at the D11 conference, Apple chief Tim Cook said that the wearables market "is incredibly interesting," but he's not convinced that anyone has gotten it right just yet. As a result, the wearables segment is "ripe for exploration," though he declined to say if Apple would be one of the firms jumping into that exploration. When pressed specifically about a wrist-based gadget, Cook said "the wrist is interesting" and "somewhat natural."
Thus far, Apple rival Samsung has already released its smartwatch, the Galaxy Gear , though it leaves something to be desired. There's also the Kickstarter-backed Pebble smartwatch, which recently got a makeover (see the slideshow above) and will introduce its app store today.