According to a news source from Taiwan, the mass production stage of the Apple Watch will not begin until January.
In addition to the delay in start of mass production, the G for Games blog also reported that the Apple Watch will instead be assembled by only one supplier, as opposed to the two suppliers that was previously rumored.
The information about the January start of mass production was revealed [in Chinese] by AppleDaily, which adds that the reported time frame of the start of mass production will make questionable Apple's statements that the Apple Watch will become available to the public by early 2015.
The Apple Watch was unveiled by Apple on Sept. 9, in the same event where the company unveiled the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The device is Apple's first entry into the wearable technology market, wherein rivals such as Samsung and LG and startup companies such as Pebble have already established their presence.
In the event, Apple said that the Apple Watch will begin to be sold to the public in early 2015 without specifying a definite time frame. However, if Apple really does intend to release the device early next year, mass production should already have started.
AppleDaily's report of a January start date for the Apple Watch's mass production could mean that the delay was due to the suppliers that Apple tapped for the device.
Earlier rumors suggested that two suppliers will be assembling the Apple Watch, namely Quanta Computer and Inventec. However, AppleDaily's report specifies that Quanta will be the only supplier to Apple for the device, with Inventec being removed from the process due to reasons that have not been made clear.
Quanta has started its preparations for the mass production of the Apple Watch, increasing its workforce to a total of 4 million employees, reported G for Games. There is also said to be an agreement between Apple and Quanta that the Chinese supplier will not be manufacturing smartwatches for Apple's rival companies in the industry.
The delayed mass production start, coupled with the sudden departure of a supplier, will make it difficult for Apple to keep its promise of an early-2015 release for the Apple Watch.
The delay will only add to the conservative expectations that Piper Jaffray investment firm analyst Gene Munster has on the sales forecasts for the Apple Watch.
"Overall, we believe that the Apple Watch is light years ahead of any other smartwatch on the market, but consumer application may be limited initially until developers begin to create useful applications for the watch," Munster wrote.
Munster forecasts 10 million Apple Watches sold in 2015, with a selling price of an average of $500.
