Apple Watch Production Delayed Due to Complicated Design: Report

Apple's latest smartwatch production has been delayed due to its complicated design, the Nikkei reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Manufacturers of Apple Watch began small-scale production last week, but they faced difficulties in reaching satisfactory production performance, the report said.

Production of the smartwatch has been temporarily suspended as the iPhone maker and its suppliers try to sort out the issues and certify the designs before going into mass production, according to the report.

The company was scheduled to unveil the smartwatch along with the latest iPhone models in the coming weeks, but the challenges might affect its shipment plans following the unveiling, the report said.

Apple declined to comment.

As per a recent Counterpoint report, Apple Watch has remained a leader in terms of global smartwatch shipments in Q2 2021 and its active user base has now surpassed the 100 million mark.

Counterpoint said that Apple maintained its lead in terms of shipments, but its market share declined to 28 percent in the second quarter from 30.1 percent reported in the same quarter last year. One of the key reasons said to be behind the decline was the “intensifying competition” created by Chinese and Indian brands in the last few months.

Despite the slight dip in market share, Apple Watch has managed to grow its user base to over 100 million for the first time. Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE were also reportedly the top-selling smartwatches globally in the second quarter, followed by the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2, Apple Watch Series 3, and Imoo Z6-4G.