Apple Will Unveil Two iWatch Models With Different Screen Sizes Next Week, Analyst Says

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has big plans for your wrist. While a steady stream of parts leaks have tipped off the world on Apple's plans for the iPhone 6, plans for the also-rumored iWatch have been more vague due to the lack of physical evidence surfacing this summer.

There still aren’t any parts photos and it may not even launch this year, but we now know that Apple plans to ship the wearable device in two sizes.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in a research note Thursday he expects the iWatch to come in two sizes featuring a 1.3-inch and 1.5-inch screen. This falls in line with several iWatch rumors that have surfaced over the summer regarding the iWatch, suggesting Apple plans to release the device in multiple sizes and colors, including a gold option.

Kuo suggests that Apple’s iWatch may also contain 8GB of storage and 512MB memory, according to 9to5Mac. While this is a small amount of storage in comparison to the iPhone that starts at 16GB, the iWatch’s storage is double the capacity of the Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (KRX:005930) Gear 2 smartwatch.

The iWatch is said to contain a number of health and fitness sensors, including a heart-rate monitor, but that is not the only special function it will have.

The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday the iWatch will also contain a curved OLED display and near-field communication or NFC, a wireless technology that could be used for mobile payments and other applications. This would considerably expand the iWatch’s widely perceived role as a health and fitness monitoring tool.

While the smartwatch is expected to debut next week, Kuo still believes that the lack of current mass production could push iWatch shipments to 2015.

Kuo also the company to unveil two new iPhones, according to AppleInsider. However, he believes the 5.5-inch iPhone 6L may not ship until October or November. Both iPhone models are expected to be offered in 128GB versions, doubling the capacity of Apple’s largest model, the 64GB iPhone 5S.

Kuo also expects the iPhone 6 to sport a barometric pressure sensor to aid with indoor navigation and health functions, along with a power button that can be programmed for different uses.

One feature that Kuo expects to be missing from both the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6L is a sapphire screen. The feature had largely been rumored after Apple announced its partnership last year with Merrimack, New Hampshire-based crystal manufacturer GT Advanced Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:GTAT) to build and operate a sapphire manufacturing facility in Mesa, Arizona. Sapphire is currently used on the iPhone 5S Touch ID fingerprint sensor and the rear-camera lens cover.

Unfortunately this is one feature where rumors have largely remained inconsistent throughout the Apple rumor season. Some reports have indicated that all iPhones will receive sapphire screens while others believe the feature will be exclusive to the iPhone 6L and the iWatch.

Rumors also indicate that Apple plans to unveil the iPhone 6 with NFC, which will enable mobile payments with a new mobile payment system.

Prices for the iPhone 6, iPhone 6L and the iWatch have yet to be confirmed, though analysts believe the iPhone models will likely start at $199 and $299 with a two-year contract and $700 unlocked and contract-free.

It is widely believed that Apple plans to launch the devices at its Tuesday media event in Cupertino, California. The company is expected to begin selling at least one of the iPhone 6 models on Sept. 19.