Rumor: Apple Watch manufacturing to begin in January, Quanta to be sole supplier
With the Apple Watch set to debut in early 2015, a new rumor suggests the company plans to begin manufacturing its upcoming wearable device in January, and that Taiwan's Quanta Computer will exclusively handle that responsibility.
Quanta is also said to be preparing for manufacturing by hiring new employees, with its total headcount to rise to 40,000 workers, according to Taiwan's Apple Daily. The alleged terms of the deal are said to prevent Quanta from partnering with any competing device makers to build wearable electronics.
Tuesday's report aligns with earlier rumors suggesting that Quanta had secured the exclusive manufacturing rights for the Apple Watch, though some rumors also suggested that Foxconn and Inventec might muscle their way into the device's supply chain. The latest report was first spotted by G for Games.
Though the Apple Watch was officially unveiled earlier this month, and basic functions of the smart device were showcased, the company has kept secret a considerable amount of information about its forthcoming wrist-worn accessory. In addition to the vague early 2015 release date, Apple has also only announced a starting price of $350.
The Apple Watch will come in two case sizes of 38 millimeters and 42 millimeters, and three distinct collections of traditional, sport, and luxury. Apple will also offer its watch in a number of colors and with a series of distinct, easily swappable bands.
The device will feature a built-in heart rate sensor, support for the Apple Pay e-wallet service, and will offer a variety of applications and functions created by Apple and third-party developers. Apple has said its watch will need to be charged nightly, but that charging is simplified thanks to a MagSafe-like magnetic induction charger.
The centerpiece of the Apple Watch is an AMOLED display that is estimated to be far more costly than traditional LCD screens. In addition to touchscreen controls, Apple will also have users interact with the device using the "Digital Crown," a physical turn dial located on the side of the unit.
Quanta is also said to be preparing for manufacturing by hiring new employees, with its total headcount to rise to 40,000 workers, according to Taiwan's Apple Daily. The alleged terms of the deal are said to prevent Quanta from partnering with any competing device makers to build wearable electronics.
Tuesday's report aligns with earlier rumors suggesting that Quanta had secured the exclusive manufacturing rights for the Apple Watch, though some rumors also suggested that Foxconn and Inventec might muscle their way into the device's supply chain. The latest report was first spotted by G for Games.
Though the Apple Watch was officially unveiled earlier this month, and basic functions of the smart device were showcased, the company has kept secret a considerable amount of information about its forthcoming wrist-worn accessory. In addition to the vague early 2015 release date, Apple has also only announced a starting price of $350.
The Apple Watch will come in two case sizes of 38 millimeters and 42 millimeters, and three distinct collections of traditional, sport, and luxury. Apple will also offer its watch in a number of colors and with a series of distinct, easily swappable bands.
The device will feature a built-in heart rate sensor, support for the Apple Pay e-wallet service, and will offer a variety of applications and functions created by Apple and third-party developers. Apple has said its watch will need to be charged nightly, but that charging is simplified thanks to a MagSafe-like magnetic induction charger.
The centerpiece of the Apple Watch is an AMOLED display that is estimated to be far more costly than traditional LCD screens. In addition to touchscreen controls, Apple will also have users interact with the device using the "Digital Crown," a physical turn dial located on the side of the unit.
Comments
That is allot of control over another company, it might imply that Apple is involved with the supply of the new "machines" to build these watches.
Not unheard of, the sapphire plant in Mesa is owned by Apple. GTAT just runs it.
Correction, the number of workers will rise to 40,000, not 4 million.
So the suggestion Is they will start producing something that is likely to launch that same month..??
The source says launch time is around Valentine's Day.
The source says launch time is around Valentine's Day.
The source says launch time is around Valentine's Day.
My money is on March, an Apple Watch voucher as a Valentine gift isn't so bad.
I can't wait to find out what manufacturing equipment Apple will be supplying.
edit, reply winstein2010
So it will say "Designed by Apple in California. Assembled in Taiwan"? Not exactly the same cache as "Swiss Made."
That is allot of control over another company, it might imply that Apple is involved with the supply of the new "machines" to build these watches.
it is more than machines it is probably the know-how which is sometimes far more important than the actually design since anymore can take your design apart to see what is in it.
This is a smart move on Apple part
it is more than machines it is probably the know-how which is sometimes far more important than the actually design since anymore can take your design apart to see what is in it.
This is a smart move on Apple part
Agree this is a smart move by Apple, apart from the S1 chip that runs everything, the other important part is the different chassis alloys and how they are built. This will stop other copycates from using Apples manufacturing process and equipment.
Doesn't it really depend on how much of the actual work Quantas would be doing? Presumably the "guts" of the watch (the CPU/RAM/etc. in that plastic module) come from one source, the glass/sapphire comes from another, the battery from someone else, etc., etc. Who is making the various bands? Who is making the metal casing? At the end of the day, I don't expect that this is going to require super-specialized processes to slap all the pieces together, nor do I think that many of the components will be that challenging to copy.
So it will say "Designed by Apple in California. Assembled in Taiwan"? Not exactly the same cache as "Swiss Made."
The assembling city ?? is right outside of Shanghai, like Foxconn, Quanta is a Taiwan based company with manufacturing facilities in Mainland China.
So it will say "Designed by Apple in California. Assembled in Taiwan"? Not exactly the same cache as "Swiss Made."
Yeah, that's been a problem for Apple products in the past, since all people care about is cachet, not aesthetics or functionality associated with what an Apple watch can do compared to a Swiss watch?.
I've read several blogs from people who had hands on time with the Watch and they say the build quality is excellent. One said the bands are as good as any luxury watches. My guess is Apple has spent a lot of $$ on the manufacturing techniques and processes required to build these things. According to Apple's Watch website materials are coming from places like France, Netherlands and Italy. What's going to matter is the quality of the materials and the build quality of the device. If it's built really well and has similar qualities to a luxury watch where it is manufactured won't matter so much.
The easily swappable bands are gong to be a nice feature.
So it will say "Designed by Apple in California. Assembled in Taiwan"? Not exactly the same cache as "Swiss Made."
It's too bad that the biggest company on the planet with over 100 billion in the bank and some of the highest profit margins in the industry couldn't find a way to manufacture their new luxury product here in the US and still remain competitive. I was hoping the new Austin Mac Pro plant was the start of a trend....
I had to smile at your comment, and partly because it's true: All the incredible technology inside the watch body and yet the salability may come down to watch bands in the end.
Compare this with Samsung and their convicted-criminal CEO:
2009 topped the "World Magazine" Benchmarking Enterprise Reputation: Chairman Barry Lam won the "most respected entrepreneurs entrepreneurs" glory
2009 topped the U.S. "Business Week" (Business Week) - "Global Tech 100" Ranked 7
2008 topped the U.S. "Fortune" (Fortune) - "2008 World's most respected enterprises" Ranked 12