Apple iWatch 'Could Launch This Year'

Apple is reportedly planning to launch its strongly rumoured smartwatch this year.

The computer giant is claimed by business news service Bloomberg to be rushing into production with the "iWatch" in a bid to calm jitters among investors.

Apple's stock has fallen by a third since last year and there has been criticism from some analysts that it has failed to be sufficiently innovative.

Citigroup analyst Oliver Chen told Bloomberg that the global watch market is worth around £40 billion - with high gross margins.

He said: "This can be a $6 billion opportunity for Apple, with plenty of opportunity for upside if they create something totally new like they did with the iPod - something consumers didn't even know they needed."

Apple is understood to have a large team of around 100 product designers working on its watch - which is expected to have a curved glass display and could sync with another Apple device about the person.

And another analyst, Marshal Cohen at NPD Group, said that Apple could overcome the barrier to entry of fashion to the watch market.

He claimed the company has the ability to "merge fashion with function".

"An Apple watch could triple the size of the watch business in a year or two. They have the opportunity to get everyone that owns a cell phone to go out and buy another watch."