Apple Watch Series 7 could be delayed due to production issues

Apple is tipped to be hosting the iPhone 13 launch event sometime this month. It is rumoured to take place on September 14. Alongside the iPhone 13 series, the company is said to launch its Apple Watch Series 7, AirPods 3 and a new iPad Mini. However, a new report claims that The next-generation Apple Watch might be facing production issues. Separate reports from Nikkei and Bloomberg, claim that Apple is experiencing manufacturing issues with the Watch Series 7. It could lead to the product being released later than expected. Although, we expect Apple to still showcase the Watch 7 at the iPhone 13 launch event.

As per the reports, manufacturers of the device began small-scale production last week. But they have encountered critical challenges in reaching “satisfactory production performance.” It is being said that the current disappointing production quality could be attributed to the complexity of the design. For reference, the Apple Watch Series 7 design is said to be different from that of previous generations of the watch. The upcoming device could feature bigger screens and flat sides. The assemblers are said to have found issues when putting together electronics modules, components and displays. Hence, the production of the new watch has been “temporarily halted.”

As per the report, Apple and its suppliers are trying to sort out the problems and further certify the designs before going into mass production. "All assemblers are facing similar problems in reaching satisfactory production performance based on the current industrial designs," one of the people with direct knowledge of the matter told Nikkei Asia. The report goes on to add that Apple has also asked component suppliers to delay some shipments to assemblers.

The Apple Watch Series 7 is tipped to come in new sizes of 41mm and 45mm. It could feature an all-new design inspired by the iPhone 12’s flat sides. Further, the device could come with a faster processor as well as include a flatter display. While a report earlier said that the Watch 7 won’t have any big health upgrades “until at least next year,” the Nikkei report says that the upcoming wearable will add new features “such as blood pressure measurement.”