First it was smartphones, then it was tablets, and now it seems that wearable technology is the next big thing. It seems that Intel are ready to show their hand at CES 2014.
The idea of wearing technology, whether that be in the form of a smartwatch, bracelet, or footwear, to track certain parameters or alert the user of events, is something that has been rumoured for a long time. Most notably the iWatch from Apple, which has been rumoured for years but never actually surfaced. Instead, it was Samsung who got in there first, taking what everyone thought the iWatch would offer, together with what the Pebble smartwatch already offered, and began putting it on peoples’ wrists.
According to Intel CEO Brian Krzanich, Intel will be launching a number of wearable products at CES 2014.
“What you will see at CES is that we [Intel] are actually going to bring some very innovative wearables to the show that are developed and manufactured here.”
Intel at CES 2014
Krzanich continues to state that the wearable technology industry is wide-open, with no player really having cracked it yet. The announcement of wearable technology at CES 2014 is set to be accompanied by the announcement of a new addition to the Quark line of chips it debuted earlier last year.
“Our view is that Quark can make almost everything smart,” Krzanich said. “We’ll show you some things that you would never have thought could become smart and communicate.”
He believes that Intel are not yet out of the market, and has his eyes firmly set on conquering the wearable technology market, as well as the tablet market.
“What you will see at CES [are] tablets that are doing some things that you didn’t think possible,” he said. “We’ll bring some new innovations in imaging, for example. That’s about all I can tell you for now.”
The details (obviously) remain scarce at this point, and quite what Intel are planning with their new Quark chips to make such claims will definitely be interesting to see. It’s clear that Intel want to make a name for themselves once again, and they see the wearable technology industry as a way of doing it.
Will we see an Intel smartwatch at CES 2014?