Apple (AAPL)’s latest hiring pattern, points to the building of a team of medical technology experts, according to Reuters. The company is believed to be hard at work on its widely expected iWatch, which is currently rumored to be carrying a range of medical sensors and health apps, and other wearable products.
Through the monitoring of LinkedIn (LNKD) accounts and interviews with industry insiders, Reuters concluded that Apple has hired at least half a dozen prominent experts and researchers from biotech companies. One prominent researcher moved two weeks ago, and Apple is recruiting other medical professionals and hardware experts, two people familiar with the hiring told the publication.
The iPhone maker has also poached talent from companies like Masimo Corp, O2 MedTech, Sano Intelligence, and Vital Connect, among others. According to Reuters, one unnamed executive who recently met with Apple’s biomedical engineers said Cupertino “has aspirations beyond wearable devices, and is considering a full health and fitness services platform” that would resemble the App Store.
Apple is under pressure to deliver on Tim Cook’s promise to introduce new product categories this year. The tech giant has not launched a new type of product since the iPad in 2010, a fact that weighs on investors’ minds. That said, on lack of new product launches Cook has also said that Apple did not “ship the first MP3 player, nor the first smartphone, nor the first tablet.”
“It means much more to us to get it right than to be first,” he said last month.
Apple shares are up around $6 today, trading at $598.64 as of 2:33 PM ET. The ticker remains well off its all time highs despite a series of buybacks and dividend payouts.
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