Initial production has apparently been halted while Apple tries to solve the complicated design problems.
The Apple Watch Series 7 is expected to have a significantly different design than the Series 6, to the point where manufacturers are struggling to make it.
As Nikkei Asia reports, the Series 7 design is “complicated,” and three sources have reported that the added complexity is making it hard to assemble each smartwatch. It’s proving so difficult that initial production runs have now been stopped, and Apple is working with its suppliers to overcome the problems.
Apple isn’t one to share details about new products ahead of launching them, but the additional complexity of the design is thought to come from more features being packed inside the tiny watch body. To do this, the Series 7 is expected to have a new layout of electronic modules, which manufacturers need to learn how to put together using a process fast enough for mass production while ensuring low failure rates.
Mass production was expected to start in mid-September, but one source told Nikkei that “Apple and its suppliers are working around the clock trying to solve the issues, but currently it is hard to tell when the mass production could begin.”
Originally published at https://www.pcmag.com.
