Apple Watch Series 6 in blue
Todd Haselton | CNBC
Apple has delayed production of new Apple Watch models because it has trouble making them, according to a new report released Tuesday in Nikkei Asia.
After starting small-scale production, according to the report, the company found disappointing quality after finishing assembly. People who spoke with Nikkei attributed the production delay to a complicated new design, which included a new blood pressure sensor and water resistance features.
Apple typically launches new Apple Watch and iPhone models in September or October, though the company has yet to announce any launch events for this year. Apple does not release Apple Watch sales numbers, but it is the most important component of Apple’s portable products division, which recorded sales of $ 30.62 billion in 2020.
The report highlights the engineering challenges Apple faces each year as it increases mass production lines before a fall launch to ensure there is enough supply of new devices to meet Apple’s prodigious demand after launch, while keeping their product launch plans secret.
The Nikkei report gave no indication that Apple could postpone its new Apple Watch launch, although it said it could affect Apple’s plans after the introduction of the new watches.
Apple has a rigid prototype production system that continuously generates a greater number of unreleased products to solve assembly problems in the months leading up to the launch of new products. After Apple designs a new product, its engineers go out to contracted factories in Asia to solve manufacturing problems to ensure the company can build millions of devices in short periods of time following the company’s quality standards. .
Apple has faced production issues in the past that have affected fall launches, though the company doesn’t usually comment on its operations.
Last year, during the pandemic that made a big trip to Asia, two iPhone 12 models were launched in October and two other models in November, two weeks later than the typical Apple cadence. In 2017, Apple released a major redesign of the iPhone called the iPhone X, which was missing in the weeks after the launch in November after reports suggested there were production issues with its facial recognition camera called Face ID.
Shares of Apple fell flat during trading on Tuesday. Suppliers of parts for the Apple Watch mingled. Qualcomm, which sells mobile modems to Apple, rose less than 1%.
Apple declined to comment.