Apple Watch Series 7 Shipments to Begin Late-September, Apple Watch Series 8 May Include Body Temperature Measurement: Ming-Chi Kuo

Apple Watch Series 7 saw production issues due to the rumoured new display design.

By Tasneem Akolawala | Updated: 11 September 2021 17:28 IST

Apple Watch Series 7 Shipments to Begin Late-September, Apple Watch Series 8 May Include Body Temperature Measurement: Ming-Chi Kuo

Apple Watch Series 7 is likely to launch on September 14

Highlights

Apple Watch Series 7 production delay is attributed to new suppliers
LG Display, Young Poong, and Jabil are new OLED display suppliers
Apple Watch Series 8 may include new health management features

Apple Watch Series 7 is reported to have averted a delay in shipments, and Apple is expected to begin shipments in late-September. The wearable is scheduled to be announced at the Apple event on September 14. Just a few days ago, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported of production delays and said that the wearable will be announced at the event but “there will be a mix of the models shipping late or in small quantities.” However, TF Securities chief analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that production issues have now been resolved and mass production is said to begin mid-September, with sale expected to commence by the end of this month.

Kuo, in his latest investor note accessed by MacRumors, says, “The production issue of the Apple Watch 7 is mainly related to the panel side. However, it has been resolved, and mass production of panel modules will begin in mid-September.” The analyst claims that Apple Watch Series 7 had to go through more production processes than previous models because of a "dramatic" change in the design. The display is expected to have a flat-edge design similar to that of iPhone 12 and iPad Pro.

In addition, Kuo says that the display uses a new contact design instead of the old cable design, and requires a low injection pressure overmolding (LIPO) process for the first time. Apple is also sourcing OLED displays from new suppliers like LG Display, Young Poong, and Jabil. These suppliers along with the new complicated contact design are reported to have contributed to the delays.

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However, Kuo claims that Apple has solved the panel module reliability issues. “We expect Jabil to start mass production of Apple Watch 7 panel modules in mid-September.” The analyst predicts that the shipments will likely begin by the end of this month.

In his investor note, Kuo also offered details about next year's Apple Watch Series 8. The wearable is expected to offer new health management features, including body temperature measurement. Body temperature is an essential parameter to detect fever and usually a thermometer is used for this purpose. Even the AirPods of the future are reported to come with health management functions. Kuo did not go into detail on what these rumoured upcoming features might be. Kuo says that Chinese supplier Luxshare Precision will be the "largest beneficiary" of Apple's health management hardware products.

For now, all eyes are on Apple's California Streaming event on Tuesday, September 14. The tech giant is largely reported to launch the new iPhone 13 series, Apple Watch Series 7, and AirPods 3 at the event.

This week on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast, we discuss iPhone 13 leaks and what we expect from the Apple event. Orbital is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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