Apple is rumored to be working on a smartwatch. Such rumors have been going around for well over a year now, but there has been no indication from the company that it actually does intend to release a smartwatch somewhere down the line. This product is currently widely known as the iWatch. According to a new report by the infamous trade publication Digitimes, the company is facing manufacturing issues with iWatch. The report claims that the problems are so big that upstream suppliers might only be able to fill 30 to 40 percent of Apple’s total order volume.
Apparently the iWatch is built using powder metallurgy technology, it is then processed by CNC equipment. Apple reportedly wants it to be thin and light and still have an “elegant design,” this is said to pose a challenge for chassis and component suppliers. As per rumors, Apple might announce the iWatch in the second half of 2014, the smartwatch is expected to be priced between $149-229. Apple will reportedly tap Inventec and Quanta Computer to manufacture the smartwatch. Even though there have been a lot of rumors about the iWatch, there’s still no confirmation that such a product is on the cards for next year. Analysts believe that Apple might announce it as a response to Samsung, which recently released its own Galaxy Gear smartwatch.
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