It's almost time to roll the Apple Watch Series 7 delivery dice

News
By Oliver Haslam
published

Apple Watch Series 7 Render
Apple Watch Series 7 Render (Image credit: Matt Talks Tech)

The rumors surrounding Apple Watch Series 7 are beginning to solidify, and we're hearing more about what we should expect from the next big thing in Apple wearables. But instead of hearing all about new features, we're hearing about whether we will be able to actually buy one of these things this month — and that might very much depend on how lucky you are.

We've heard rumors of later that had Apple Watch Series 7 production being ... problematic. Talk of the all-new design causing production problems meant that some of us thought Apple might now announce the new watch for a little while. But a new report out over the weekend suggests that isn't the case at all. Instead, Apple might announce the watch this month and make it available in limited quantities — or delay specific models entirely. It isn't clear which route Apple will go, but none of it fills me with confidence that buying an Apple Watch Series 7 on launch day will be a fun affair.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, writing in his weekly Power On newsletter:

I'm led to believe that we'll see an announcement during the usual September event alongside the iPhone, but there will be a mix of the models shipping late or in small quantities.

Red Black Apple Watch Series 7 Renders

Red Black Apple Watch Series 7 Renders (Image credit: PhoneArena)

Me? I'm not so sure how I feel about all of that. All of this means that we could get an Apple Watch announced, but no product available to buy. Or we could see Apple hold back some versions of its hot new wearable. Or, who knows — the number of launch countries could be slashed to help keep stock here Apple thinks it's needed most. Whatever happens, I think I'd rather Apple hold off until it has the inventory to do this launch properly. Apple hardware is always in short supply around launch time. It could be even worse in terms of the Apple Watch Series 7 if these rumors are true.

With its flat sides, flatter display, and smaller bezels, Apple Watch Series 7 is sure to be the best Apple Watch ever. But none of that matters if people can't strap them to their wrists because of shortages.

We're normally talking about iPhones when dealing with shortages, and there is still plenty of chance that will be the case this year, too. But with Apple Watch Series 7 arguably the more interesting release, all eyes will be on what Apple comes up with. It's time for Tim Cook to bring all that logistics knowledge to bear. And big time.

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.