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 (Neutral)

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Leak Reveals All-New Design

Friday January 17, 2025 2:42 pm PST by
iOS 19 is still around six months away from being announced, but a new leak has allegedly revealed a completely redesigned Camera app. Based on footage it obtained, YouTube channel Front Page Tech shared a video showing what the new Camera app will apparently look like, with the key change being translucent menus for camera controls. Overall, the design of these menus looks similar to...
2024 App Store Awards

Apple Explains Why It Removed TikTok From the App Store in the U.S.

Sunday January 19, 2025 6:58 am PST by
Apple on late Saturday removed TikTok from the App Store in the U.S., and it has now explained why it was required to take this action. Last year, the U.S. passed a law that required Chinese company ByteDance to divest its ownership of TikTok due to potential national security risks, or else the platform would be banned. That law went into effect today, and companies like Apple and Google...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Changes Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday January 16, 2025 6:45 am PST by
Apple today adjusted estimated trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models in the U.S., according to its website. Some values increased, while others decreased. The changes were not too significant, with most values rising or dropping by $5 to $50. We have outlined some examples below: Device New Value Old Value iPhone 15 Pro Max Up to $630 U ...
Generic iOS 18

Everything New in iOS 18.3 Beta 3

Thursday January 16, 2025 12:39 pm PST by
Apple provided the third beta of iOS 18.3 to developers today, and while the betas have so far been light on new features, the third beta makes some major changes to Notification Summaries and also tweaks a few other features. Notification Summary Changes Apple made multiple changes to Notification Summaries in response to complaints about inaccurate summaries of news headlines. For...
iOS 19 Roundup Feature

iOS 19 Rumored to Be Compatible With These iPhones

Saturday January 18, 2025 10:28 am PST by
iOS 19 will not drop support for any iPhone models, according to French website iPhoneSoft.fr. The report cited a source who said iOS 19 will be compatible with any iPhone that can run iOS 18, which would mean the following models: iPhone 16 iPhone 16 Plus iPhone 16 Pro iPhone 16 Pro Max iPhone 15 iPhone 15 Plus iPhone 15 Pro iPhone 15 Pro Max iPhone 14 iPhon...
airtag 4 pack blue

AirTag 2 Launching This Year With These 3 New Features

Sunday January 19, 2025 8:11 am PST by
After a four-year wait, a new AirTag is finally expected to launch in 2025. Below, we recap rumored upgrades for the accessory. A few months ago, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple was aiming to release the AirTag 2 around the middle of 2025. While he did not offer a more specific timeframe, that means the AirTag 2 could be announced by the end of June. The original AirTag was announced...
iPad Pro vs iPhone 17 Air Feature

Here's How Thin the iPhone 17 Air Might Be

Friday January 17, 2025 3:38 pm PST by
For the last several months, we've been hearing rumors about a redesigned version of the iPhone 17 that Apple might call the iPhone 17 "Air," or something along those lines. It's going to replace the iPhone 17 Plus as Apple's fourth iPhone option, and it will be offered alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We know the iPhone 17 Air is going to be super slim, but...
iPhone SE Dynamic Island Majin Bu

iPhone SE 4 Leak Shows Dynamic Island, Casts Doubt on Rumored 'iPhone 16E' Name

Monday January 20, 2025 9:01 am PST by
A new iPhone SE is widely rumored to launch this year, and the device has potentially been confirmed today by known leaker Evan Blass. In a private social media post, Blass shared an image of what appears to be source code mentioning an iPhone SE (4th Gen), which casts doubt on the alternative "iPhone 16E" name rumored for the device. However, the name in the source code could be a...

Top Rated Comments

Jakexb Avatar
136 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
136 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
136 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
136 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
136 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
136 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)