Analyst 'Channel Checks' Suggest iWatch Coming in 2014, Pricing Guessed at $199

red_ipod_nano_watchAccording to analyst Wanli Wang at CIMB Securities, as shared by The Economic Times, Taiwan based electronics manufacturers Inventec and Quanta have won contracts to produce Apple’s iWatch. Wang's supply chain sources indicate that Inventec will produce the majority of the iWatch at 60%, while Quanta will handle the remaining portion of production. The report also claims that the iWatch will sell for an average of $199 and projects shipments of 63.4 million units in the year after its launch.

"Apple is likely to introduce 'iWatch' in 2014. From our channel checks, Inventec is the major assembly source for 'iWatch', with about 60 per cent of order allocation," said CIMB Securities analyst Wanli Wang in a report.

CIMB projects 63.4 million units of "iWatch" shipments in the year after its launch with an average price of around $199, while the "iWatch" project is estimated to contribute 19 per cent of Inventec's earnings in 2014, Wang said.

Supply chain sources do on occasion offer accurate information on Apple's plans, but they are also prone to sharing incorrect or incomplete information, so their reliability is difficult to ascertain.

CIMB's pricing and unit shipments also appear to be based more on speculation and modeling than any specific information, suggesting that they should be taken with considerable skepticism.

In the past couple of months, Apple has been reportedly been ramping up its iWatch effort, hiring new employees with expertise in health sensors, including fitness expert and Nike product consultant Jay Blahnik. Apple has also been filing trademark applications on the iWatch name in a number of countries, and is reportedly looking toward a late 2014 launch for the product as it works to solve numerous technical challenges.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)

Popular Stories

hikawa phone grip stand apple%402x

Apple Launches Second Limited-Edition iPhone Accessory in a Month

Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind. Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe. Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 27 Will Reportedly Have Two Key Upgrades

Sunday November 23, 2025 8:48 am PST by
iOS 27 will reportedly have two major elements: quality improvements and new AI features. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is focused on improving "quality and underlying performance" over adding new features. Gurman said there is one exception to this rule, though, as he expects...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 18 Pro Looks Like a Huge Upgrade

Friday November 21, 2025 9:10 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through all of the new features and improvements expected to come to next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Apple's next-generation iPhones are less than ten months away and we already have a good idea about what to expect based on corroborated leaks, rumors,...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Two Breakthrough Features

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:26 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include two standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
ipad black friday 2025

The Best Early Black Friday iPad Deals

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:20 am PST by
Black Friday is just over a week away, and iPad deals have finally started to flood in at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. Below we're tracking discounts on every current generation iPad, including lowest-ever prices on M3 iPad Air and M5 iPad Pro, plus steep markdowns on iPad and iPad mini. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a ...
General Black Friday Deals 25 Red

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now on AirPods, iPads, Accessories, and More

Friday November 21, 2025 8:48 am PST by
We're officially less than one week away from Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Report: Low-Cost iPhone, iPad, MacBook Coming Early 2026

Friday November 21, 2025 2:26 am PST by
Apple is planning to release new entry-level models across its iPhone, iPad, and Mac categories early next year, with an all-new affordable MacBook the most notable addition to the lineup. According to a new research report by Jeff Pu of GF Securities seen by MacRumors, Apple will launch the iPhone 17e – its second iteration of the "e" line – in the spring, likely along with a...

Top Rated Comments

lars666 Avatar
160 months ago
It would be great if it came before samsungs. It's really sad that Apple is coming second these days.
Calm down, everybody else, I'll do the necessary typing work. Here we go: Apple also was second or later with mp3 players, smartphones and tablets ... And you see how this worked out.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
micropig Avatar
160 months ago
Going to be the most useless product I have ever seen.

So what do people predict this product will do?

You know Microsoft is looking for a new CEO...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Chupa Chupa Avatar
160 months ago
I don't think it will start at $199. Anything more than $99 for entry and it won't sell.
The Jawbone Up is $129 and Nike Fuelband is $149. Both selling well. The iWatch will mimic the features of these bands plus a lot more so I think it's a bridge too far to suggest it won't sell at $199; it will, just not as many units as if it was $99. But I don't think Apple can make a decent product for $99 given that is the same price of the Fitbit Flex which basically does nothing on the band but show progress dots and lacks the altimeter of the other Fitbit monitors.

The Pebble is $150 and to-date that is the closest comparison to an iWatch's presumed functionality. But it's big and bulky. A sleek design has it's cost too. Engineers and engineering isn't cheap. I think at $149 it's a WOW! price. But even at $199 Apple will get enough early adopters just like it did with the iPhone and iPad to grow the product.

----------

$200 for a watch? are you serious? but, why am i expecting low prices from apple, my mistake:rolleyes:
No your mistake is expecting Apple to come up with some sort of complicated to use, poorly designed GUI Timex or Casio frankenwatch with price point to match.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JayJayAbels Avatar
160 months ago
The iWatch is going to be a "watch"... in the same sense as how the iPhone is just a "phone".

Fitness, health, location, responsive communication, biometrics, ecosystemic synergy and geo fencing.

It will also tell time.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pcJmac Avatar
160 months ago
While it is true that "the early bird gets the worm", I would like to point out that it is "the 2nd mouse who gets the cheese"...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lars666 Avatar
160 months ago
iWatch - you know you don't know yet that you need to have it!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)