APPLE chief Tim Cook says he sees promise in computers shrunk down and worn like watches or other accessories, but drew the line at internet-linked eyewear such as Google Glass.
Google Glass is "not likely to be a mass market item", but Apple is "incredibly interested" in the broader area of wearable computing, Cook said in an on-stage interview at an AllThingsD conference in California on Tuesday.
He predicted there will be "tons of companies playing" in the wearable computing sector but sidestepped a question as to whether Apple would be among them with the creation of a rumoured "iWatch" device to be worn on the wrist.
"I don't know a lot of people that wear (glasses) that don't have to," a bespectacled Mr Cook said in a sideways shot at Google Glass.
"The wrist is interesting," he continued in comments live-blogged by AllThingsD. "You still have to convince people it is worth wearing. Most young people don't wear a watch."
Mr Cook rejected the notion that Apple has lost its cool factor and said he was not worried about pressure from competitors such as Samsung, which has seized the crown as the world's top smartphone maker.
"Absolutely not," Mr Cook coolly replied when asked whether the California company was in trouble. "We've always had competent rivals. We've always suited up and fought."
Mr Cook contended that Apple has "several more game-changers" in it but declined to give details. He said the company was still committed to its Apple TV set-top boxes for streaming online content to big screens.
Apple has sold 13 million Apple TV devices, about half of those in the past year, according to Cook.
