According to a report from yesterday, it was suggested that Apple could only begin shipping the iWatch this December. This is apparently due to production issues that apparently caused the delay and potentially limited quantity as well. This has recently been “confirmed” by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who estimates that Apple will most likely ship 3 million iWatch units by the end of this year.
This is compared to his earlier estimation where he estimated between 5-10 million iWatch shipments by the end of 2014, so safe to say that his new estimation is a sign that supply of the iWatch could be severely constrained. Kuo also seems to believe that Apple will be turning to the use of sapphire for the iWatch covers.
This goes against previous rumors which has suggested otherwise. However according to Kuo, production issues with sapphire could force Apple to turn to the use of glass for half of the iWatch shipments. Given that glass and sapphire are different in terms of their durability, it does seem a little unfair for customers to pay the same price, but then again this is just a rumor and we won’t know for sure.
In any case take it with a grain of salt for now, but last we heard, Apple could be planning to announce the iWatch in the next couple of months, possibly in October, but do check back with us in the coming weeks and months for the details!
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