Apple Watch Production Suspended Over Performance Issues

Apple has put a pause on producing its new smartwatch because of its complicated design, Reuters reported.

While manufacturers started small-scale production last week, they ended up finding that the challenges made it too difficult to achieve satisfactory production performance, according to the report.

While Apple tries to sort out the issues and make sure the design is right, the production has been suspended temporarily, the report stated.

And while the company was scheduled to roll out the smartwatch at the same time as the new iPhones in the next few weeks, the recent troubles could end up jeopardizing the upcoming shipment plans, according to the report.

Earlier this year, the Smart Payments Association (SPA) said that 2021 would be a crucial year for the development of wearable technologies, especially as the pandemic bolstered the need for touchless payments.

Read more: Smart Payments Association Says 2021 Is Pivotal Year for Wearable Payments Tech

The SPA forecasted that wearable payment volumes increased around 365% between 2017 and 2020.

In terms of smartwatches, rival tech giant Facebook has announced plans to debut its first smartwatch, possibly in the summer of 2022. The smartwatch could come equipped with a dual-camera display that could be detached to take photos or videos.

Read more: Facebook Plans Smartwatch With Detachable Dual Cameras

Facebook has spent around $1 billion on the development of its new watch and has “hundreds” of people working on the project.

The company has been teaming up with other entities in order to make accessories to help the camera become more accessible to attach to backpacks, for example. The watch represents Facebook’s first attempt at making such a product, and employees have estimated that its price could end up being around $400.

Future versions of the watch could work with Facebook’s planned augmented reality (AR) glasses. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said that the glasses will someday be as universal as smartphones.