Initial iWatch Shipments May Be Limited Due to Sapphire Issues, Half of Devices May Use Glass Displays

Echoing his earlier iWatch predictions, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today suggested (via AppleInsider) that Apple's iWatch will be available in limited quantities in 2014, with only three million devices hitting store shelves before the end of the year.

Kuo says that while market predictions point towards shipments between 5 and 10 million smart watches before the end of 2014, his own prediction based on supply chain checks is at three million units due to the iWatch's late production date.

Balogh-iwatch

Traditional watch-style iWatch concept by Gábor Balogh based on TRIWA's Havana Nevil Brown watch

Earlier this month, Kuo released a report pointing towards a November production date for the iWatch. Difficulties developing the screen for the device as well as its sapphire crystal cover are said to have slowed development on the iWatch, pushing back targeted production dates. "We believe developing the hardware and OS of iWatch will be a much more difficult task than for Apple's existing products," Kuo wrote.

Kuo believes that continued problems with the sapphire display for the iWatch may lead Apple to produce some of the devices with glass covers instead of sapphire. In the note, he also points towards TPK as the supplier for the iWatch's touch module. TPK's recent earnings report has suggested iWatch production has been delayed and will not begin until until the fourth quarter.

Apple is said to be aiming to introduce the iWatch at an October event, which means it may debut before production even begins. In the event that the device does not enter production until November, Apple may launch the device well after it is first introduced, much like it did with the Mac Pro. As a result, the iWatch may be available in very limited quantities in 2014, with availability increasing in early 2015.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch Series 9
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)

Top Rated Comments

CrazyForApple Avatar
120 months ago
That's odd that half could be glass, that doesn't really make sense to me. They will probably just wait until they have enough sapphire.
Score: 45 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WilliamG Avatar
120 months ago
And due to a shortage of iPhone power supplies, some iPhone 6 devices won't ship with power supplies. Or boxes. Or phones.

I'm all for rumors. But seriously, some of these rumors are just... madness.
Score: 41 Votes (Like | Disagree)
farewelwilliams Avatar
120 months ago
So...it's the Retina Macbooks all over again. Either you get the cheesy ghost-y LG displays, or you get the awesome Samsung displays with no ghosting at all!
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Yojimbo007 Avatar
120 months ago
How much baseless bs are these analysts going to get away with?
There is no true reporting anymore... It is all about payola and manipulation.
Pathetic... And i see no end in site..........
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rogifan Avatar
120 months ago
nothing comes out for almost the whole year and still every new device seems to have production issues. jikes
You mean RUMORED products are RUMORED to have ALLEGED production issues?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
omenatarhuri Avatar
120 months ago
On balance, I tend to agree with your comment about madness. That said, the more months that pass by w/o any exciting, new, innovative, __________, fabulous pipeline releases the more credibility even the "madness" rumors will have.

For over a year now I been very critical of Tim Cook and his leadership group for all the reasons previously stated. My investment dollars (not a trader) have remained primarily with AAPL, which is a vote of confidence that the old culture of Apple will propel some great stuff through that pipeline that Cook keeps touting.

Only a few more months and the rumors will hopefully give way to some positive reality or confirm that there is a big problem at the top.
I might have agreed about a year ago but now the stock has rebounded to previous highs and the company has great momentum. Yosemite and iOS8 have awesome features and Apple is expanding to interesting areas like home, car and health. Hopefully finance by winter. Beats could prove a great deal of Apple can crush Spotify with it. Swift is greatly appreciated by devs who are new to Appleland like myself.

I miss having Steve as head of the company but I think the new guys Craig Federighi, Jony Ive and Cook are doing a great job honestly.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

BMW Logo iPhone 15 Pro

Warning: BMW Wireless Charging May Break iPhone 15's Apple Pay Chip

Sunday October 1, 2023 6:14 am PDT by
If you have an iPhone 15 and drive a BMW, it might be best to avoid charging the device with the vehicle's wireless charging pad for now. Over the past week, some BMW owners have complained that their iPhone 15's NFC chip no longer works after charging the device with their vehicle's wireless charging pad, according to comments shared on the MacRumors Forums and X, formerly known as Twitter. ...
Multi Display CarPlay 1

All-New Apple CarPlay Launching Later This Year With These 5 New Features

Friday September 29, 2023 11:29 am PDT by
At WWDC 2022 last year, Apple previewed the next generation of CarPlay, promising deeper integration with vehicle functions like A/C and FM radio, support for multiple displays across the dashboard, personalization options, and more. Apple said the first vehicles with support for the next-generation CarPlay experience would be announced in late 2023, but it has still not shared any additional...
Apple Watch Edition Gold 2015

Original Apple Watch is Now Obsolete, Including $17,000 Gold Model

Monday October 2, 2023 9:15 am PDT by
All first-generation Apple Watch models released in 2015 were added to Apple's obsolete products list on September 30, according to an internal memo obtained by MacRumors. As a result, these outdated "Series 0" watches are no longer eligible for repairs or other service at Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Provider locations. The list of obsolete models includes the first-generation...
iPhone 15 Pro lineup

Apple to Address iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Issue With iOS 17 Update

Saturday September 30, 2023 9:28 am PDT by
Apple plans to release an iOS 17 update to address a bug that may contribute to the reported iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max overheating issue, according to a statement the company shared today with MacRumors and Forbes reporter David Phelan. Apple also says some recent updates to third-party apps have overloaded the system and contributed to the overheating issue. The report notes that...
Apple Logo Spotlight

Mac Trade-In Changes May Indicate New Model to Launch This Month

Tuesday October 3, 2023 6:30 am PDT by
Apple may be proceeding with plans to release a new Mac model this month, according to potentially related information obtained by MacRumors. Details pertaining to imminent changes to Mac trade-ins provided to MacRumors by a verified source suggest that Apple will likely begin accepting new models for trade-in this month. Similar changes in June coincided with WWDC, when Apple began accepting...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Details: Action Button, USB-C Port, Face ID, and More

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:34 pm PDT by
Significant changes are expected to arrive with Apple's fourth-generation iPhone SE, in terms of both design and hardware, MacRumors has learned. The iPhone SE 4, known internally under the codename Ghost, is expected to receive a new design derived almost entirely from the base model iPhone 14. According to our sources, the iPhone SE 4 will use a modified version of the iPhone 14 chassis...