While most rumors about Apple’s “iWatch” have indicated fall of this year as the wearable’s launch date, and see mass production starting in July, well-connected KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has revised his own estimate of a September date for mass production to begin, instead pushing the date back to mid-to-late November, citing difficulties related to the production of the product.
Kuo, via MacRumors:
We believe developing the hardware and OS of iWatch will be a much more difficult task than for Apple’s existing products.
Kuo cites new hardware technologies, such as a flexible AMOLED screen, a sapphire crystal screen cover, and a smaller form factor with higher waterproof standards than other Apple devices. He also notes that adapting iOS for the iWatch could be proving more difficult than the company thought.
While Kuo estimates mass production of the device will start in mid-to-late November, he claims large-scale manufacturing would begin in late-September. He believes Apple is unlikely to meet market expectations of 10 million shipped in 2014, saying instead about 3 million iWatches will go out the door by the end of the year.
Although there have been no reports on what the actual device looks like, reports have speculated about multiple versions of the wearable, which would allegedly sport up to 10 health-related sensors, and a 2.5-inch screen. Apple has also been reported to have been working with professional athletes to test the device’s fitness capabilities.
