Apple's Upcoming Wearable Device Not Likely to Ship Until Early 2015

iwatch_concept_setWhile Apple is expected to unveil its new wearable device, popularly referred to as the iWatch, at its media event scheduled for September 9, the device will likely not begin shipping until early next year, according to Re/code.

Sources in position to know tell me it won’t arrive at market for a few months. “It’s not shipping any time soon,” said one. So when does Apple plan to ship its eagerly anticipated wearable? That’s not clear, but my understanding is that we’re unlikely to see it at retail until after the holiday season — think early 2015.

Word of a significant gap between unveiling and launch is not a surprise, considering the company's history when entering new product segments. The iPhone and iPad both launched a number of months after their unveilings. With no existing Apple product of its type to see sales plummet ahead of a launch, Apple has more flexibility to announce early and ship somewhat later.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is among those who recently reported that a 2015 launch is likely for the iWatch, also having predicted last month that production on the device would not begin until November. Part leaks for the device have also been non-existent, supporting the notion that production has not yet begun.

Apple's September 9 event is expected to focus on the iPhone 6, with the iWatch sharing the stage. Early rumors had suggested Apple was looking to show off the iWatch in October, but it may have altered its plans to better position the device as an iPhone accessory rather than a standalone product.

(Image: 2.5-inch iWatch concept by SET Solutions)

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

20 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Monday December 16, 2024 8:55 am PST by
Apple released iOS 18.2 in the second week of December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. Apple has added a handful of new non-AI related feature controls as...
iphone 16 apple intelligence

Apple Drops Plans for iPhone Hardware Subscription Service

Wednesday December 18, 2024 11:39 am PST by
Apple is no longer planning to launch a hardware subscription service that would let customers "subscribe" to get a new iPhone each year, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman first shared rumors about Apple's work on a hardware subscription service back in 2022, and at the time, he said that Apple wanted to develop a simple system that would allow customers to pay a monthly fee to gain...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Rumored to Stick With 'Triangular' Camera Design

Wednesday December 18, 2024 2:36 am PST by
Contrary to recent reports, the iPhone 17 Pro will not feature a horizontal camera layout, according to the leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post on Weibo, the leaker said that a source has confirmed that while the appearance of the back of the iPhone 17 Pro has indeed changed, the layout of the three cameras is "still triangular," rather than the "horizontal bar spread on the...
elevation lab airtag battery

Your AirTag's Battery Will Last for Up to 10 Years With Elevation Lab's New TimeCapsule Enclosure

Wednesday December 18, 2024 10:05 am PST by
Elevation Lab today announced the launch of TimeCapsule, an innovative and simple solution for increasing the battery life of Apple's AirTag. Priced at $20, TimeCapsule is an AirTag enclosure that houses two AA batteries that offer 14x more battery capacity than the CR2032 battery that the AirTag runs on. It works by attaching the AirTag's upper housing to the built-in custom contact in the...
apple tv 4k yellow bg feature

New Apple TV Rumored to Launch Next Year With These Features

Tuesday December 17, 2024 9:02 am PST by
The current Apple TV 4K was released more than two years ago, so the streaming device is becoming due for a hardware upgrade soon. Fortunately, it was recently rumored that a new Apple TV will launch at some point next year. Below, we recap rumors about the next-generation Apple TV. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last week reported that Apple has been working on its own combined Wi-Fi and...
blackmagic vision pro

Blackmagic Debuts $30K 3D Camera for Capturing Video for Vision Pro

Monday December 16, 2024 4:17 pm PST by
Blackmagic today announced that its URSA Cine Immersive camera is now available for pre-order, with deliveries set to start late in the first quarter of 2025. Blackmagic says that this is the world's first commercial camera system designed to capture 3D content for the Vision Pro. The URSA Cine Immersive camera was first introduced in June, but it has not been available for purchase until...
mac pro creativity

Apple Launched the Controversial 'Trashcan' Mac Pro 11 Years Ago Today

Thursday December 19, 2024 7:00 pm PST by
Apple launched the controversial "trashcan" Mac Pro eleven years ago today, introducing one of its most criticized designs that persisted through a period of widespread discontentment with the Mac lineup. The redesign took the Mac Pro in an entirely new direction, spearheaded by a polished aluminum cylindrical design that became unofficially dubbed the "trashcan" in the Mac community. All of ...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature

'iPhone 17 Air' With 'Major' Design Changes and 19-Inch MacBook Detailed in New Report

Sunday December 15, 2024 9:47 am PST by
Apple is planning a series of "major design" and "format changes" for iPhones over the next few years, according to The Wall Street Journal's Aaron Tilley and Yang Jie. The paywalled report published today corroborated the widely-rumored "iPhone 17 Air" with an "ultrathin" design that is thinner than current iPhone models. The report did not mention a specific measurement, but previous...

Top Rated Comments

Jakexb Avatar
135 months ago
Oooh! quit it with the dumb rumors. It will come when it comes.
I just hate it when expectations build and then break down. :mad:

Sounds like you would like macfacts.com
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Doctor Q Avatar
135 months ago
Developers could use the lead time to get apps ready once the device details are made public.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Karma*Police Avatar
135 months ago
I don't think so, I think Late november or December. They wouldn't want to miss out on bumper christmas sales.

If it went on sale in early December, that would leave a three month gap (Greater gap than between iPad announcement and iPad going on sale) and therefore plenty of time for it to go into production and get FCC approval.

I think the reverse is true. Introducing all their best stuff before the holidays is hurting sales because few people have the funds to buy an iPhone, an iPad and iWatch AND still have money left over to buy presents.

If they space it out, customers won't have to sacrifice one to get another and the likelihood that they'll buy all 3 increases. Also, they dilute their marketing... iPad will get drowned out by the iPhone noise and some may wait to upgrade their iPhone to get the iWatch.

There are other benefits to spacing out their launches including increased foot and online traffic and giving their competitors less breathing room.

Steve Jobs understood this but Tim Cook clearly doesn't and I really don't get this asinine strategy of staying quiet for 9 months and cramming everything into one season.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wovel Avatar
135 months ago
LOL, I knew some genius was going to make a comment like yours.
Congratulations to you.

What I was trying to say is that I want meaningful rumors, not the same iWatch crap.


The recent rumors have not been the same iWatch crap. Three very reliable sources have now said they iWatch (or whatever it will be called) will debut 9/9 and at least two of those sources said it will not release until 2015.

All of those rumors are relatively recent and likely accurate. What they need to stop recycling are all of the absolutely hideous mockups. Awful stuff. Part photos are great, photo-shopped crap from fans is pointless and confuses people who aren't paying attention.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Phil13503 Avatar
135 months ago
I think the Slogan is "Wish we could say more"
can be that the watch wasn't ready so show/talk about!!!

I think is kind of an apology already. :(
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cdmoore74 Avatar
135 months ago
Sounds like you would like macfacts.com

They should seriously do this. Every other day the story changes here. I don't even post as much because I feel that I'm wasting my time. I also visit Android sites and thoses rumors/leaks actually turn out to be true. Here their throwing crap at the wall hoping for something to stick.
Even after all the announcements are over with the entire cycle starts over again. I wonder how many countless post were made over Apple TV? Just a waste of time.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)