As iPhone and iPad growth has dwindled in recent months, Apple is dreaming bigger. And more diversified.
The storied tech giant's signature “i” moniker may soon appear before a broad and unexpected crop of new product categories extending far beyond its long-rumored watches -- including cars and medical devices, according to reports.
Not only did Apple executives meet with Tesla founder Elon Musk at its Cupertino headquarters last spring, confirms the San Francisco Chronicle, but the company is also said to be dipping its toes into the healthcare realm -- specifically in hopes of developing technology that can predict heart attacks.
Related: PHOTOS: This Is Supposedly the iPhone 6
While rumors have swirled for months that Apple might acquire the electric car-maker Tesla, the reported summit between Musk and the utmost echelons of Apple’s leadership -- including Adrian Perica, head of mergers and acquisitions, and Tim Cook, CEO -- suggests serious interest.
Both brands are famed for their trailblazing technology marked by sleek design, as well as a self-owned retail model. If an acquisition isn’t still in the cards given Tesla’s increasing Wall Street appeal, The Chronicle speculates that the partnership could result in an Apple touchscreen on Tesla dashboards.
Related: This Apple iWatch Concept Design Is Simply Incredible
In the medical realm, it would seem as though Apple’s senior vice president of operations, Jeff Williams, is leading the company’s charge into mobile medical apps. Williams met with Food and Drug Administration chiefs, and the company has also requested several patents in the field, including technology that could potentially unlock electronic devices by identifying unique signals from owners’ hearts.
Finally, Apple has tapped the renowned audio engineer Tomlinson Holman to study the noise related to blood flow so that the company may one day develop software and sensors to predict heart attacks, reports the Chonicle.
A tool that might identify the sound that blood makes as it moves through clogged arteries could mark a revolutionary foray into the medical device market, analysts said.
Related: China Mobile Starts Selling iPhones, But No One Seems to Care