Fortunately we don't always have to rely on the rumour mill when it comes to speculating about the future of technology: we can glean information from official court documents too.
As Business Insider reports, Apple's spat with A123 Systems over employee poaching have shed some new light on its plans in the automotive market, thanks to court filings registered by company lawyers.
"Apple is currently developing a large scale battery division to compete in the very same field as A123," reads one document. What's more, all of the individuals involved are "working in a field of battery science, technology, and/or products that is substantially similar if not identical to the field they worked on in at A123."
Market forces
A123 Systems develops electric batteries, primarily for cars, so it sounds like Apple is doing the same. Motor vehicles aren't expressly mentioned but one of the employees it's accused of poaching has a long and established background working with car manufacturers.
Last week the CEO of Fiat-Chrysler said that Tim Cook was planning an "intervention" in the auto industry - whatever that means - and taking all of these bits of evidence together seems to point to an electric vehicle of some description in the pipeline.
Whether it will follow the trail blazed by Google's self-driving cars remains to be seen, but with Tesla also making strides with its own technology this is obviously a market that Apple wants to get involved in. Will the iCar work with Android phones? We'll have to wait and see.
