Rumors of delays to production of the Apple Watch Series 7 are greatly exaggerated, according to reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. We’re now expecting to see the new iPhone 13, the AirPods 3, and the Apple Watch Series 7 launch simultaneously at tomorrow’s “California Streaming” event. While there were some concerns about issues with mass production, Kuo says that production will continue as scheduled. In other words, there will be no delays in getting the latest Apple gear.
The latest word from Kuo goes against a Nikkei story at the beginning of this month that stated Apple was facing serious production delays due to the complexity of assembling the Series 7. “The current disappointing production quality could be attributed to the complexity of the design, which is significantly different from that of previous generations of the watch, and assemblers found issues putting together electronics modules, components, and displays.”
This isn’t surprising since smartwatches are increasingly packing in sophisticated fitness- and health-tracking features related to blood pressure, blood oxygen levels, body mass index, and more. According to Nikkei, engineers also ran into issues with requirements for water-resistance performance. That’s not to mention that the Apple Watch Series 7 is the first model to get a serious redesign, which raised some concerns on our part. Coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic wreaking havoc on supply chains all across the globe, it seemed almost inevitable that there would be a delay in shipments.
However, according to the statement by Kuo, Apple lovers everywhere will have nothing to fear as the September 14 event is set to go ahead as scheduled and will still include the release of the Series 7. According to Bloomberg, the Apple Watch Series 7 will be 45mm, with an increased pixel density of 16%. We’ve also seen rumors that it may use the new S7 chip, feature increased battery capacity, and have new sensors for measuring body temperature and blood sugar levels.
You can watch the “California Streaming” event livestream at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET on Tuesday, September 14, on Apple-TV compatible devices or YouTube. Aside from the iPhone 13, we’re also anticipating the AirPods 3 and potentially an iPad model as well. We’ll be covering everything that gets announced, so be sure to follow along.