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| One of many mock-ups of how Apple's iWatch might look |
The trademark application, which was filed under product
category for a computer or watch device, was submitted on June 3 and made
public by Japan's Patent Office on June 27, though its unknown how long the
application process will take.
Russian newspaper Izvestia reported last month that Apple has
filed for a trademark on the term "iWatch" in Russia, but the
technology giant does not seem to have registered the name in Europe.
Registering for a trademark is a key step ahead of launching a
product, and there is growing speculation that Apple is developing a
watch-based computer to compete with rival Google's wearable product Google
Glass.
In May, Apple CEO Tim Cook did not rule out the possibility of
Apple developing a wearable product when he spoke at AllThingsD conference.
He said: "It's an area that's ripe for exploration, it's
ripe for us to get excited about. Lots of companies will play in this
space."
But Mr Cook was less excited about competitor's Google Glass
product.He said: "I'm interested in a great product. I wear glasses
because I have to. I don't know a lot of people who wear them because they
don't have to."
Samsung
have also announced that they are working on a similar computer device that
would be worn as a wristwatch .Earlier this year, Lee Young Hee, executive vice
president of Samsung’s mobile business, said: “We are working very hard to get
ready for it. We are preparing products for the future, and the watch is
definitely one of them.”
In
March, one of Apple's suppliers, who develop the Willow glass expected to be
used in Apple's iWatch, said the product would not be ready for at least three
years. But unnamed sources have also claimed that a team of 100 Apple staff
have been assembled to work on the iWatch, suggesting the designs are beyond
the "experimentation phase".
Apple declined to comment.
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