This morning, Ming-Chi Kuo released an analyst note that acknowledged Apple faced manufacturing issues when ramping the production of the new Apple Watch, set to be unveiled on Tuesday at the September 14 Apple event.
However, Kuo says Apple and its suppliers have now overcome those issues, and mass production will be beginning soon. The analyst expects the new Watch lineup to be released in late September.
Unsurprisingly, Kuo says that the biggest feature for the Series 7 will be the ‘dramatic change in design’, as Apple is preparing an iPhone 12-esque look for the Watch with flat sides and squared off edges.
The size of the displays are expected to increase noticeably, and surrounding screen bezel will be reduced compared to current models. Bloomberg previously reported that the 45mm Apple Watch Series 7 will sport 16% more pixels than the current 44mm model it replaces.
Kuo indicates that the early production issues were mainly caused by the new display assembly approach. As much as the design is changing externally, Apple is also employing many new production processes for the internal components.
Kuo says the first batches of Series 7 watches were afflicted by blinking panel and touch screen sensitivity problems. However, the analyst believes Apple and its suppliers have recently resolved the panel module issues and are now ready for imminent mass production, with mass shipments coming later in the month.
Stay tuned for the official announcement of the Apple Watch Series 7, along with the iPhone 13 unveiling and more surprises, at Apple’s September 14 event. 9to5Mac will of course bring you full coverage of all the announcements.
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