Apple Watch production delayed as engineers wrestle with quality issues

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Technology/Apple-Watch-production-delayed-as-engineers-wrestle-with-quality-issues

by gmays • 5 years ago

142 109 5 years ago

asia.nikkei.com

twoodfin• 5 years ago

This is strange to me: We’re likely less than two weeks out from this device being announced alongside the new iPhones. How can “small-scale” production only be beginning now?

I think the reporting is confusing issues with 2022’s Apple Watch & the upcoming 2021 edition.

wmf2• 5 years ago

If this report is true, Apple will delay the announcement. They're not going to pull an AirPower with a product as important as the Watch.

krono2• 5 years ago

Why not? They do it with their Macbook all the time

ErneX2• 5 years ago

They can announce mid September and release in October. Maybe the rumor is surfacing now but the production issue happened weeks ago.

NoPicklez3• 5 years ago

I wouldn't be so sure, the device is being announced in two weeks but it is unlikely that we will be able to buy it straight away.

We might find that the release date for purchase is some time away.

Edit: Actually the article refers to blood glucose monitoring, which points so it being the 2022 model. However, the article does say there is a complete resign, which is also rumoured for this year model. Who know.

Hamuko• 5 years ago

If the Apple TV 4K is any indication, there's at least a month lag between announcement and shipments.

iamacyborg8• 5 years ago

Blood glucose monitoring is defined going to be interesting to watch. I wonder if they're planning on doing it in a similar way to supersapiens.

wholien3• 5 years ago

mentioning the blood pressure sensors is probably a sign that this isn't the 2021 Apple Watch

NoPicklez3• 5 years ago

The article also says that the watch has a complete redesign, which as we know is rumoured to occur this year? So that adds more confusion.

wholien3• 5 years ago

Hmm, some of the details of this story doesn't seem to agree with most Apple-watchers (as in people who try to figure out what the new features on the new products will be).

For example, the story mentions the addition of blood pressure sensors as a reason for the issues:

The next Apple Watch will come with new features such as blood pressure measurement, they said, which means production involves fitting a greater number of components into a similar size body.

Mark Gurman of Bloomberg says there is "no chance" [0] that the Apple Watch 7 will have blood pressure sensors. He points to his story with Debby Wu [1] instead:

The new watches also have screen technology that brings that display closer to the cover glass using a different lamination technique, Bloomberg previously reported. That display layer may be causing some of the production woes, the person said.

It's probably a combination of larger watch sizes, new techniques/technologies, the usual upgrades, COUPLED with covid-related disruptions that are causing the delays!

---------------------------

0: https://twitter.com/markgurman/status/1432798940676730886

1: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-31/apple-s-n...

NoPicklez3• 5 years ago

The article also says that the watch has a complete redesign, which as we know is rumoured to occur this year? So that adds more confusion.

ksec• 5 years ago

some of the details of this story doesn't seem to agree with most Apple-watchers

This is Nikkei, they have an exceptionally poor track record on anything Apple, as a matter of fact I cant even remember single decent signal coming from them. They are even worst than Digitimes.

Basically a few years ago every single news media saw Apple headline drive click rate, and they decide to join the rumour race. And you mention Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, but before ~2015/2016 he was at 9to5mac.

baybal22• 5 years ago

This is Nikkei, they have an exceptionally poor track record on anything Apple, as a matter of fact I cant even remember single decent signal coming from them. They are even worst than Digitimes.
worse than Digitimes

What's wrong with digitimes?

My own guess though is that manufacturing in Vietnam not working out for them.

numpad0• 5 years ago

Nikkei weaponizes headlines. Not a tabloid but highly politicized. They run "weather balloon" articles and partially fabricated leaks all the time.

ChemSpider• 5 years ago

The new Samsung Watch 4 can measure blood pressure, but only after calibration with another device.

iamacyborg8• 5 years ago

I wonder what the accuracy of that is vs on-wrist measurement of something like SpO2. If it’s anything like the latter then it’s essentially nothing more than a worthless gimmick.

samizdis• 5 years ago

Re potential features such as blood pressure, there's an ArsTechnica article [1] today that might be useful - if you like Ars, that is.

Headline and sub-head read:

Report: Big new health features are coming to the Apple Watch—just not this year
Temperature and blood glucose tracking could arrive as soon as 2022.

Ars refers to the conflicting analyst reports in its intro:

Analysts and reporters have published conflicting reports about what to expect from the next Apple Watch. Some, like Nikkei, claimed it will have new health sensors, but others like Bloomberg's Mark Gurman have said that this year's model will offer no major new hardware features amidst production constraints.

[1] https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/09/report-big-new-healt...

wholien3• 5 years ago

nice find! No real opinion on Ars, though Nikkei is probably towards the bottom of trustworthiness for this kind of stuff

baybal22• 5 years ago

It's probably a combination of larger watch sizes, new techniques/technologies, the usual upgrades, COUPLED with covid-related disruptions that are causing the delays!

I believe the explanation is much simpler, and it is they havent't yet finished moving manufacturing to Foxconn's Vietnam factory

flemhans• 5 years ago

I wonder how many engineers quit because of the client-side CSAM scanning, and whether it delays things at Apple.

I know one Apple employee (albeit not an engineer) who already quit, and another two who started looking for other jobs.

threeseed• 5 years ago

Apple has likely been doing server side scanning for years.

So if they want to quit because now it’s client side to improve privacy then good luck to them.

playcache• 5 years ago

I just don't see any appeal in a smart watch, I already have my phone pinging me all the time wanting my attention why would I want a second source of that as a wearable. The only thing I can think of is health monitoring / fitness and I would rather have a Garmin there where the sensors are far better.

yeswecatan• 5 years ago

Same here. I got a Garmin watch several months ago, and so many people have asked "why didn't you just get an apple watch?" Then I have to give them my whole spiel about hating the constant distractions and oh by the way, have you ever tried turning off notifications on your phone...

krisoft• 5 years ago

have you ever tried turning off notifications on your phone...

Yes. I have them turned off. Could you please expand on what you mean there? Thank you.

mvanbaak• 5 years ago

Then I have to give them my whole spiel about hating the constant distractions and oh by the way, have you ever tried turning off notifications on your phone

oh by the way, have you ever tried turning off notifications on your watch? It's as easy as on your phone.

Bud• 5 years ago

Have had an Apple Watch since 2015. Took me about 30 seconds to permanently disable all unwanted sounds and notifications then, when I first got one. It's been six years now. They're all still disabled.

So frankly? This isn't a real issue.

iamacyborg8• 5 years ago

Garmin make great fitness watches but they’re not a replacement for an Apple watch if someone is looking for a smart watch.

The multiple days-long battery life sure is nice though.

bakuninsbart2• 5 years ago

What are the capabilities of the Apple Watch beyond Garmin Vivoactive? Especially for people not already in the Apple ecosystem

hexa22• 5 years ago

It’s not a second source, it becomes the only source as it turns off your phone notifications. It also leads in shorter distractions as you can quickly check if a message is important without pulling out and unlocking your phone.

It also does a billion “nice to have” things like card payments which work with your mask on, walking directions with convenient and easy to read arrows, and so much more.

It’s certainly not essential but I have worn mine every single day as it certainly provides value.

aleph_naught• 5 years ago

That's what I thought when it came out initially, but after the series 4 release, I decided to get one, and I use it many many times a day:

* Apple Pay on the watch is the fastest way to pay on any NFC enabled POS; now works on Caltrain as well. * Silent haptic alarm, which doesn't wake up your partner * Passwordless macbook unlock * Automatic phone unlock when using a facemask * Overnight HR measurement, if you want to track how overtrained/rested you are * I use it to open my front door and garage door via siri when coming back from a bike ride or run (I don't need to carry my phone for this). I don't carry keys with me. * Listen to music/podcast while on a run without my phone. * Control media without taking out my phone. * Vectorized maps and gps tracking for running/cycling and uploading to strava (workoutdoors app) * Strava app * Interval timers when at the gym * Easy continuous visibility of air-quality/UV/temp-range/hours-of-sunlight-remaining on my main watch face. Useful information when planning outdoor exercise. * I occasionally do high altitude climbs, and hikes, so I'm looking forward to upgrading to a newer model with continuous elevation readouts and SpO2 readings. * Use it to ping my lost phone * Flashlight when you're in a bind * Navigation while cycling * Pick up calls when you're hands are full and you're phone isn't nearby.

etc etc etc

thih9• 5 years ago

Also, a quick way to check the time.

That’s a bit tongue in cheek. Then again, I didn’t wear watches before; time alone didn’t seem a good enough reason. But that, combined with other benefits, works for me.

r00fus2• 5 years ago

Add to this - it's a more convenient approve button for my 2FA app, and Audible app.

beeandapenguin• 5 years ago

I occasionally do high altitude climbs, and hikes, so I'm looking forward to upgrading to a newer model with continuous elevation readouts and SpO2 readings.

I also use it for this reason, but I've found that these activities can often be much longer than my the battery can last on my S6 in airplane mode with an activity running (~6 hours).

For this reason I'm considering a watch with better battery life built for this purpose such as Garmin or Coros. The recently announced Coros Vertix 2 has a mind-blowing 140 hours battery life with full GPS tracking [1].

I don't foresee Apple reaching this level of battery performance anytime soon, specifically because of the other reasons you list why the Apple Watch is useful. I wonder if we'll see a trend of people owning multiple wearables for specific reasons, with the Apple Watch being a daily driver.

- [1]: https://mobile.coros.com/vertix2/

ErneX2• 5 years ago

I've been watching videos of the watch recently because I'm considering getting one, seems the overall improvement besides its use for fitness it's not needing to reach out for your phone as often as you'd do without the watch to check notifications etc. which could lead to distractions (e.g. I might as well check Instagram now since I unlocked the phone already).

So it helps reducing the use of the phone which also gives you more battery for it, the worse thing of the watch though is battery life which I hope the 2021 model improves upon.

matwood2• 5 years ago

it's not needing to reach out for your phone as often as you'd do without the watch to check notifications etc

I bought my first AW for the fitness aspects, but the above has become just as important. I'm not in a position where I can turn off all notifications, but I can glance at my AW mid conversation when I get a notification w/o missing a beat. If it's something I need to handle, I can excuse myself. Otherwise, it is way less of an interruption.

jansan• 5 years ago

If you are only interested a device that can display the time, you may want to check out one of these bad boys. No charging required for seven years.

https://www.casio-europe.com/de/produkte/uhren/vintage/a168w...

microtherion• 5 years ago

When properly integrated with your phone, the smart watch is not a "second source" of notifications, it's the "primary source", and, being on your wrist, it's easier to check/dismiss those notifications.

thanks4sharing• 5 years ago

Cool. Any thoughts on the Apple Watch production being delayed as engineers wrestle with quality issues?

obblekk• 5 years ago

Are Apple Watch engineers doing better or worse than they would otherwise by being remote? Genuinely curious.

canuckintime• 5 years ago

Working remote from Cupertino or remote from China? Travel/Quarantine restrictions in China might actually be a bigger factor. Who can forget the infamous Tim Cook anecdote [1] about Apple resolving problems in Asia:

One day back then, he convened a meeting with his team, and the discussion turned to a particular problem in Asia. "This is really bad," Cook told the group. "Someone should be in China driving this." Thirty minutes into that meeting Cook looked at Sabih Khan, a key operations executive, and abruptly asked, without a trace of emotion, "Why are you still here?" Khan, who remains one of Cook's top lieutenants to this day, immediately stood up, drove to San Francisco International Airport, and, without a change of clothes, booked a flight to China with no return date, according to people familiar with the episode.

[1]https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-promotes-sabih-khan-sv...

exabrial3• 5 years ago

If you use your watch for just athletic stuff and getting push notifications, Garmin watches like the Venu are a much better piece of hardware and software. The battery last for days, the app on the phone is better, the tracking is better, the sensor integration (Ant+) is better, and there are entire ecosystems that revolve around the Garmin/Strava combo.

IF you are looking for more of a SOAW (Smartphone On a Wrist), I think iWatch is probably the best thing on the market.

cunidev• 5 years ago

I still don't understand how a watch with declared battery life of 18 hours is considered acceptable, or even supposed to exist in 2021. Any competitor offers at least 5x of such an essential parameter for a wearable.

Necessary edit: don't get me wrong, I understand how useful or good it can be feature-wise, but this is still a huge dealbreaker.

speg• 5 years ago

I think because most people don’t need it more than 18 hours per day? If you’re taking it off at night, you might as well drop it on the charger.

the_dune_13• 5 years ago

Usually people charge them during showers. It charges quite quickly. The watch part is additional as funny as it sounds.

qzw2• 5 years ago

Yes, but the Apple Watch will compile the Linux kernel twice as fast as those other watches.

Seriously though, my Apple Watch is definitely the one device that runs out of battery the most in my life. I would love more battery life, so long as it doesn’t compromise any of the functionality or design. But there’s the rub.

harikb• 5 years ago

I felt that a battery that lasts one day is better than one that lasts something like 6 days. It is easy enough to remember to charge at night. Yes, one can’t use sleep features, but I am ok with that.

When you are in apple ecosystem, unlock phone with watch, unlock Mac with watch, accept Okta verify (2FA) on watch without an unlock, etc are life changing things for me.

What sucks is that I can’t gift it an Android/PC person without replacing thousands worth of everything else.

bosie4• 5 years ago

Can you name those competitors? For example a Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 lasts a day or a bit more. Nowhere near the 90 hours mark.

rb666• 5 years ago

I love the features, and I charge it every night (with 50% spare as well).

eightysixfour2• 5 years ago

I don't understand why I need to wear my watch 24 hours a day. I wake up, put it on and wear it until I go to bed. While it is charging it is my nightstand clock.

Other than the nightstand clock thing, this is how I wear my "real" watches too.

regulation_d• 5 years ago

I haven't found the battery life to be an issue. Part of that is how quick the Apple Watch is to charge. I throw it on the charger when I wake up, and it's charged by the time I get out of the shower.

whoisburbansky• 5 years ago

The 18 hour battery life is the price you pay for at least 5x the functionality of competitors with better battery life (somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but you do realize the reason other wearables can get away with much longer battery lives is that they are capable of far less).

StevePerkins2• 5 years ago

If you JUST want a pedometer, heart rate and sleep monitor that syncs with Apple Health and can also send push notifications when in Bluetooth range of your phone... then the going price on Amazon right now is around $30-35. For something that looks nearly identical to an Apple Watch, and has a battery life of 7-10 days. And for which you can find non-proprietary metal or leather replacement bands for ten to twenty bucks.

It's insane at this point. I resisted getting a smartwatch for years, because I like the aesthetics of traditional analog watches, and did not want to charge a battery every day or two. Especially when the cheaper options a few years ago often required you to disassemble the band to reveal a USB male plug for charging, instead of just attaching a magnet to the back.

But for "starter" smartwatches, prices have fallen and quality risen to the point now where you can try one out as a next-to-free impulse purchase, and just shrug and move on if it's not for you.

Now I'm hooked on it. I don't so much care about push notifications for calls and emails, etc (i.e. my phone is already right there). But it's pushed me to walk about twice as many steps per day as I used to, and get about an hour more sleep per night. I've lost over 20 pounds since buying mine six months ago, from no conscious lifestyle changes beyond that. Plus the aesthetics have grown on me, so I don't think I'll ever be going back. On the other hand, I wouldn't even consider "upgrading" to a true Apple Watch until their battery life improves 5-10x.

stanmancan• 5 years ago

Battery life hasn't been an issue for me on the Series 5. I put it on when I wake up at 7am and when I go to bed around 10:30 I usually have about 40% battery life left. I don't sleep with mine on, so it charges at night, but even if you did you could probably get by on charging it for about an hour a day. My wife plops hers on the charger when we watch TV in the evening.

The one nice thing I've enjoyed on this version is I went with the one with cell service. I haven't used it a ton, but it -is- nice to be able to leave your phone at home. I wouldn't intentionally make or accept calls on it, but having kids you always want to be reachable so in the case of an emergency it works fantastic.

exabrial3• 5 years ago

The other thing I didn't mention in my original post is Garmin watches are _meant_ to be used disconnected from the phone and internet, whereas the designers of the iWatch and Android watches assume you universally have a cell signal.

Retaining nearly all of your capabilities is a huge selling point for me since I spent an enormous amount of time away from cell towers and wifi in the outdoors.

omgwwwlol• 5 years ago

I find this to be encouraging. I like that Apple is continuing to push the envelope and that means engineers should be wrestling with difficult problems. Delays happen, but better than releasing a dud like that terrible keyboard design a few years ago.

Apple Watch production delayed as engineers wrestle with quality issues

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