Wearable Computing: Apple's Next Hardware Play?

Of course, a significant hardware update isn't entirely out of the question. If the rumors are true, we may be getting an iOS-powered smart watch alongside the next iPhone. If executed as well as Apple is known to do things, the so-called iWatch could make up for an otherwise lackluster refresh on the iPhone 5S. A successful foray into wearable computing by this fall could give Apple a leg up over Google, whose ambitious Glass device doesn't launch until the end of the year and is already marked by legitimate privacy concerns and potential social stigma.

An iWatch could succeed in snapping consumer excitement about Apple firmly back into place and keep the masses happy until the iPhone can get a proper hardware refresh. But even with a sleek, wearable gadget, Apple needs to push its software forward. iOS 7 needs to be indispensable.

Apple's World Wide Developers Conference is still a few months away. What features would you like to see in iOS 7 when it's announced? Let us know in the comments.