Apple is said to be "aggressively" hiring specialists from outside the company to join its wearable "smartwatch" technology project, dubbed the "iWatch".
According to the Financial Times, a senior team member had to be persuaded to stick with the project with a large pay rise, while the company is now approaching outsiders "familiar with Apple's thinking", as the FT puts it, to help with development.
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The FT also claims that Apple CEO Tim Cook is still considering shelving development of the wearable device.
A source told the FT that the main issue with the device is "hard engineering problems that [in-house Apple staff] have not been able to solve".
Sources suggest the device will not appear until "the latter part" of 2014.
Microsoft, Dell and Google are all still rumoured to be working on their own smartwatch project, as Google's wearable Glass project continues selective testing and heads towards market. It's conceivable that if Apple doesn't stay ahead of the curve, it could find itself releasing its wearable too late to find a ready audience.
In the meantime, a fifth generation iPad – thought to be up to 30 per cent lighter than the current model – is expected to ship by September, while a new iPad Mini is also thought to be in the pipeline.
The new 7.9in Mini will feature the A5 processor, with the top model expected to use the new A6X chip.
Device software platform iOS 7, meanwhile, is due to arrive "this fall".
