Apple Watch Series 7 Production Reportedly Delayed Due to Quality Issues [Updated]

Production of the upcoming Apple Watch Series 7 has been delayed due to the upcoming watch featuring a "complicated design," according to a report by Nikkei Asia.

Apple Watch 7 Unreleased Feature
According to the report, Apple suppliers began small-scale production of the watch last week, and during which, employees "encountered critical challenges in reaching satisfactory production performance."

Manufacturers of Apple Watch 7, as the device is expected to be called, began small-scale production last week but encountered critical challenges in reaching satisfactory production performance, multiple people familiar with the situation said.

Three sources said the current disappointing production quality could be attributed to the complexity of design, which is significantly different from that of previous generations of the watch, and the assemblers found issues when putting together electronics modules, components and displays.

As a result of the complex design, which is rumored to come in the form of flat-edges and larger displays, Apple suppliers have "temporarily halted" production of the new watch as engineers attempt to "further certify the designs before going into mass production."

The Apple Watch Series 7, according to Nikkei Asia, will come with blood pressure measurement capabilities, an apparent factor in production being halted. Specifically, hardware to enable blood pressure measurements must "meet requirements for water-resistance performance, further increasing the engineering and production challenges."

Apple is widely rumored to be planning an all-digital event for the middle of next month, where the company is expected to announce the iPhone 13 and Apple Watch Series 7. Today's report, however, citing sources, says those plans might be impacted due to the production issues. While production of the watch may be experiencing issues, those issues may only result in delayed shipping of the device rather than a delay in its announcement.

For example, Apple suppliers earlier this year were battling with production constraints related to mini-LED displays used in the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro. While the new iPad was announced in April, it didn't begin shipping until later in May due to production issues. A similar scenario may be in play with the Apple Watch Series 7 if today's report is true.

Update 9:42 am: Bloomberg is hearing similar information that the launch is likely to be delayed.

Apple Inc.’s upcoming smartwatch is suffering production snags as manufacturers adjust to a new design, likely leading to delays, according to a person familiar with the situation.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Monday June 30, 2025 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are less than three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
A18 Pro Chip

New MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Spotted in Apple Code

Monday June 30, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
Apple is developing a MacBook with the A18 Pro chip, according to findings in backend code uncovered by MacRumors. Earlier today, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. The machine is expected to feature a 13-inch display, the A18 Pro chip, and color options that include silver, blue, pink, and yellow. MacRumors...
iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Magsafe

iPhone 17 Pro's New MagSafe Design Revealed in Leaked Photo

Wednesday July 2, 2025 8:37 am PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to have a slightly different MagSafe magnet layout compared to existing iPhone models, and a leaked photo has offered a closer look at the supposed new design. The leaker Majin Bu today shared a photo of alleged MagSafe magnet arrays for third-party iPhone 17 Pro cases. On existing iPhone models with MagSafe, the magnets form a...
Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
macbook air spacegray purple

Apple Planning to Launch Low-Cost MacBook Powered By iPhone Chip

Monday June 30, 2025 3:20 am PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In an article published on X, Kuo explained that the device will feature a 13-inch display and the A18 Pro chip, making it the first Mac powered by an iPhone chip. The A18 Pro chip debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro last year. To date, all Apple silicon Macs have contained M-series...
iOS 18

Apple Releases Second iOS 18.6 Public Beta

Tuesday July 1, 2025 10:19 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to public beta testers, with the betas coming just a day after Apple provided the betas to developers. Apple has also released a second beta of macOS Sequoia 15.6. Testers who have signed up for beta updates through Apple's beta site can download iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 from the Settings app on a compatible...
Wi Fi WiFi General Feature

iOS 26 Adds a Useful New Wi-Fi Feature to Your iPhone

Wednesday July 2, 2025 6:36 am PDT by
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 add a smaller yet useful Wi-Fi feature to iPhones and iPads. As spotted by Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach, sign-in details for captive Wi-Fi networks are now synced across iPhones and iPads running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. For example, while Weinbach was staying at a Hilton hotel, his iPhone prompted him to fill in Wi-Fi details from his iPad that was already...
maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
replay all time playlist apple music

Apple Music Debuts All-New Personalized Playlist

Monday June 30, 2025 7:16 am PDT by
As part of its 10-year celebrations of Apple Music, Apple today released an all-new personalized playlist that collates your entire listening history. The playlist, called "Replay All Time," expands on Apple Music's existing Replay features. Previously, users could only see their top songs for each individual calendar year that they've been subscribed to Apple Music, but now, Replay All...

Top Rated Comments

calstanford Avatar
50 months ago
Small scale only last week? For a roll out in September?
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ericg301 Avatar
50 months ago
i call bs. they only started making these in the last two weeks?

odds are that there are warehouses of these, under lock and key, that have been manufactured since May.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HeavenDynamic Avatar
50 months ago
I don't believe Apple would start mass producing a new product only two weeks before announcing it and even if that was the case, this report would probably mean a launch on time but with limited quantities rather than a delay.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
whoknows2597 Avatar
50 months ago
Sigh. Don’t we hear about production issues a few weeks leading up to the event??? In July we hear about production issues for iPhone, then late August it’s a specific issue which will cause a delay. This happens every year only to find out that things are running smooth before the main event…
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
now i see it Avatar
50 months ago
Limited supply! Hurry hurry, order immediately on launch day!
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
seanmills1020 Avatar
50 months ago
Integrating the James Bond-like laser has been a challenge.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)