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An iCar Might Be In The Works
Last month, Google branched out into creating contact lenses for diabetes sufferers. Now, in the latest intersection of tech giants and unexpected products, Apple is apparently looking to get into the car business: On Sunday, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Apple is considering buying Tesla, the electric-car giant. Apple's top dealmaker, Adrian Perica, apparently met with Tesla chief Elon Musk last year, and expressed interest in acquiring the company. And that's not all: According to the Chronicle, Apple is also considering investing in heart-monitoring technology, possibly to integrate in its rumored iWatch.
So why on earth would Apple be considering manufacturing electric cars and heart monitors? Well, according to some tech analysts, it's all in the hope of producing new, innovative technologies that will help Apple stand out from the crowd again. Apple hasn't actually put out an entirely new product since the iPhone, meaning absolutely zil new products since the Steve Jobs era — now, Apple only produces sleeker, thinner, faster versions of its tablets, smartphones, and laptops.
The Chronicle writes that Apple is "heavily exploring medical devices," much like Google before it; Google announced in January that it's trialling a contact lens that would measure the glucose level of diabetes sufferers. Whatever Google does, Apple is keen to do better: the two are constantly vying for greater share in the laptop, tablet, and smartphone operating-system markets.
Allegedly, Apple is also exploring new technology that could, theoretically, sense heart attacks — and since cardiac disease is the number one cause of death in American women, it's easy to see how developing a means of prevention could restore Apple's reputation as innovative. (Not to mention, the huge monetary gain from producing such technology.) It's thought that Apple's smartwatch, which has long been in the pipeline, could use the cardiac technology to predict cardiac trouble in its users.
Taken together, Apple's potential forays into automobiles and medical devices, two industries worlds away from consumer electronics, underscore the company's deep desire to move away from iPhones and iPads and take big risks.
Still, we should take these rumors with a pinch of salt: There's no indication that a merger or buyout between Apple or Tesla is in the works, and every meeting that Apple's chief dealmaker goes into will spark speculation. Still, the deals would, theoretically, make sense, since it's no secret that tablet and laptop sales are slowing, and Apple has fallen behind in recent years when it comes to innovative new technologies.
On the other hand, Apple has historically avoided huge acquisitions, instead developing its products in-house and utilizing smaller, newer companies. And make no mistake: Tesla would be a huge investment.
Still, can you imagine? The clean, sleek-lined iCar. The iCardiacMonitor. What's next?
