Apple's iWatch Pegged For October 2014

In roughly 10 months, consumers could get their hands on

first smart watch. According to

translation of a report by Chinese-language site

(via

), the iWatch will launch alongside the next iPhone in October 2014. In addition to the unusually specific release date, the report also claimed that the device features a 100 mA battery and can be charged wirelessly. The latter feature may be designed to compensate for the device's weak battery life. Samsung's Galaxy Gear contains a larger battery (315 mA) and it needs to be charged

.

According to C Technology, the iWatch will need to be within one meter of a charging pad in order to charge. If the watch is further away, it won't charge. This could present some difficult challenges for Apple. But the report is based on two prototypes that Apple has supposedly tested. By the time the device comes out, Apple may have implemented a better battery, a superior charging mechanism, or both.

Benzinga reported in November that Apple's next smartphone (presumably the iPhone 6) could feature two radical changes: a curved screen and a

. This week, Benzinga learned that Apple had been granted a patent for a

. At first glance, this might

like the ultimate confirmation. If Apple wins a patent for a curved touch sensor, the company must be adding one to the next iPhone -- right? Not necessarily. Apple has filed for and received several

. While some companies claim that patents are rubbish, Apple and other tech firms file them anyway to protect their

. Few companies take advantage of every patent that they file, so it is wholly possible that Apple will never release a curved display. Disclosure: