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iWatch production delay confirmed by most solid source yet

Published Jul 31st, 2014 3:38PM EDT
Apple iWatch Release Date
Image: Nickolay Lamm

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Were you hoping to get an iWatch this fall? If so, then you might have to hold out until Christmas. AppleInsider points us to a new research note written by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a very solid track record with Apple rumors and who now says that Apple will start mass producing the iWatch in the second half of November and not in September as he previously reported.

This means that Kuo has decided to significantly cut his iWatch shipment projections for the year down to just 3 million, whereas before he believed Apple would ship around 5 million of the devices. Although no explicit reason was given for the delay, Kuo did say that Apple is facing difficulties in producing enough sapphire displays for its first wearable computer, which means that around half of the iWatches shipped this year will have standard glass displays.

Our first hint that the iWatch might be delayed came earlier this week when we learned that iWatch component supplier TPK recently warned investors that its third-quarter profits might not be as strong as expected because Apple has delayed mass production of its first wearable computer until Q4 2014. All things told, it’s looking like Apple is really having difficulty mass producing the device, although the company’s products seem to always be hit with production woes of one kind or another.

Brad Reed
Brad Reed Staff Writer

Brad Reed has written about technology for over eight years at BGR.com and Network World. Prior to that, he wrote freelance stories for political publications such as AlterNet and the American Prospect. He has a Master's Degree in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University.