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In talks with investors, Tim Cook has admitted that Apple is considering new product categories despite remaining tight-lipped on what they could be.
During an annual investor’s meeting, Cook reportedly told those present that Apple is well aware of what its competitors are working on and is constantly exploring products outside of the firm’s current offering.
"Obviously, we’re looking at new categories," said Cook, as reported by CNBC. "We don’t talk about them, but we’re looking at them."
The claims will no doubt continue to fuel speculation surrounding Apple’s rumoured work on a potential smartwatch device, aptly named the iWatch.
Cook’s words would certainly indicate that the firm is considering such a device, even if not already working on it – and so they should.
Research from vouchercodes.co.uk found that one in five consumers have already expressed their desire to buy a smartwatch, whilst one in ten confessed they would happily pay over £200 for such a device.
Ahead of a potential reveal, consumers have voiced what feature they would most value in an iWatch, with 21 per cent wanting health monitoring technology, whilst 24 per cent hope for text functionality and the incorporation of Apple’s Siri voice-control feature.
Duncan Jennings, co-founder of VoucherCodes.co.uk, said: “Despite Samsung stealing a march on Apple of late, this research shows its products still have a devoted customer base, with fans already looking forward to getting their hands on the first piece of wearable tech from the brand."
"However, with price points predicted to be in the region of £200 to £300, the majority of tech fans will need to wait for the iWatch to come down in price or start saving if they want to get their hands on one.”
Whilst tech-lovers continue to anticipate Apple’s next move in the market, the firm is firmly focused on damage control as the firm’s share price sits at just $444 – a long way off the $700 it had back in September 2012.
Despite the slump, Cook remained positive and brushed off any claims the firm is slipping into dangerous territory.
"The real market share numbers are hard to come by," said Cook. "It is clear that Android is on a lot of phones. It is probably true that iOS is on a lot more tablets."
"We’re really aware of the competition as well," continued the CEO. "We don’t have our heads stuck in the sand. There’s a button or two we could press to make the most, but that would not be good for Apple."
