Apple is reportedly going to release multiple versions of the iWatch

Apple is reportedly getting close to launching its much-rumored smartwatch. The Wall Street Journal reportsthat the tech powerhouse is working on a new device that will be available in “multiple screen sizes” and will pack “more than 10 sensors” to track users’ fitness. A flurry of reports suggest the device will be different from the company’s other gadgets in that it will be able to collect data without the need for a tethered mobile device. The newest rumor adds to a recent New York Times report which indicated that Apple was testing new ways to charge its wearable without plugging it in. TheWSJ suggest that production may begin in the coming weeks ahead of an October launch.

Apple Inc. is planning multiple versions of its smartwatch, likely to be launched in the fall, people familiar with the matter said, as the company tries to counter wearable devices from rivals such as Google Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. The new wrist device from Apple will include more than 10 sensors including ones to track health and fitness, these people said. Apple aims to address an overarching criticism of existing smartwatches that they fail to provide functions significantly different from that of a smartphone, said a person familiar with the matter. Apple showed its interest in health and fitness-tracking last month with a new app called Health, designed to collect all of a user’s fitness and health data in one spot. However, Apple didn’t introduce its own device to collect that data, fueling speculation that the company would unveil a sensor-laden wearable device at a later date. Apple’s smartwatch could launch as early as October with production to begin in two to three months at Quanta Computer Inc., a Taiwanese manufacturer that has long been Apple’s supplier for Mac computers, said the people familiar with the matter. Quanta will begin some trial runs next month.