UPDATE 9/10: Over the past week, Apple has resolved the production problems facing the Watch Series 7, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, as reported by MacRumors.
Kuo explained in an investor note: “The production issue of the Apple Watch 7 is mainly related to the panel side. However, it has been resolved, and mass production of panel modules will begin in mid-September.”
The manufacturing problem was apparently being caused by the new display panel, which replaces the existing cable connection with a “contact design.” It means Apple has switched to requiring low injection pressure overmolding (LIPO) in the Watch for the first time. There was also a reliability issue when producing the new OLED display, resulting in blinking panels and touch insensitivity.
Apple was expecting mass production of the Series 7 to start in mid-September, but with the panels not available until then, Kuo believes that will now happen later in the month. Ultimately, it means the manufacturing delay only ended up being a couple of weeks.
Original Story 9/1:The Apple Watch Series 7 is expected to have a significantly different design compared to 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.”
