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macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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30,366



The Apple Watch has been available in extremely limited quantities since pre-orders for the device launched on April 10, and a new report from The Wall Street Journal sheds some light on why supplies have been low. A key component of the Apple Watch, the Taptic Engine, was made by two separate suppliers, and the devices created by one of Apple's suppliers were "found to be defective."
After mass production began in February, reliability testing revealed that some taptic engines supplied by AAC Technologies Holdings Inc., of Shenzhen, China, started to break down over time, the people familiar with the matter said. One of those people said Apple scrapped some completed watches as a result.
Apple was unable to use the Taptic Engines from the supplier in Shenzhen, China, but those produced by a second supplier in Japan did not have the same issue. The majority of Taptic Engine production is now being done in Japan, but it will take some time for the factory to increase production, and with a single supplier, quantities of the taptic engine available for use in Apple Watch devices likely remains low.

applewatchtrio.jpg
The Taptic Engine is a linear actuator, creating motion in a straight line by moving a small rod. It powers the haptic feedback capabilities of the Apple Watch, delivering the small taps that are felt on the wrist with notifications, pings from friends, heartbeats, and more. The Taptic Engine is a major part of the Apple Watch, working in conjunction with audio cues to deliver subtle alerts and notifications to Apple Watch wearers.

To resolve some of the supply constraints on the Apple Watch, Apple is said to be planning to add Foxconn as a second assembler of the Apple Watch, alongside Quanta Computer. Foxconn may begin manufacturing the Apple Watch in late 2015 at the earliest, so according to The Wall Street Journal, it may take several months for Apple Watch supplies to improve significantly.

Apple has repeatedly said that it's working to get Apple Watch orders as out as quickly as it can, and it has indeed been shipping orders out before their prospective delivery dates. Many customers who originally had 4 to 6 week shipping estimates have already begun receiving their devices.

Apple Watch orders placed today offer shipping estimates ranging into June and beyond, but it's possible that many orders will reach consumers ahead of that time as Apple works to increase available supply.

Article Link: Apple Watch in Short Supply Due to Taptic Engine Bottlenecks
 

Aluminum213

macrumors 68040
Mar 16, 2012
3,597
4,707
Now will people stop crying about how Apple is screwing them over by waiting a little longer?



doubt it
 

KPOM

macrumors P6
Oct 23, 2010
18,020
7,863
Now will people stop crying about how Apple is screwing them over by waiting a little longer?



doubt it

They deliberately told one of their suppliers to make defective parts to make it look like there was high demand. /s
 

macsplusmacs

macrumors 68030
Nov 23, 2014
2,763
13,274
I felt a great disturbance in the Force Touch, as if millions of watch orders suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.
 

ryansimmons323

macrumors regular
Oct 5, 2011
230
83
United Kingdom
Gruber's initial review unit had a broken Taptic Engine -

And without taps, Apple Watch is rather dull. The first unit I received from Apple seemingly had a hardware defect. Taps worked at first, but I found them surprisingly weak — so weak they were easy to miss, even with the watch strapped relatively snugly to my wrist. By the end of the first day, taps weren’t working at all. Apple sent me a replacement unit the next day, and it was like an altogether different experience.
 
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destroyer2012

Suspended
Mar 31, 2009
20
57
Who's watches are shipping?

All I really want to know is who the latest group of people receiving their watches are.

I ordered mine at 6am (MT)... had to wait until morning because I was waiting for a pay check.. little did I know that apple doesn't charge your account until shipment.. Had one in the cart at 1:01am....... uh

Anyways, order confirmation April 10, 6:20am. SS 42mm BSB

Where are people with that watch in order line? Anyone that ordered after the first hour have any status updates, or is apple still shipping out to people who ordered within the first few seconds....?
 

2457282

Suspended
Dec 6, 2012
3,327
3,015
Please Tim and Angela, figure this out and get me a watch. And definetly before you get my wife's watch to her. I would never live that down.
 
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KPOM

macrumors P6
Oct 23, 2010
18,020
7,863
i wonder how many thousands of units were scrapped

I doubt they were scrapped entirely. However, they may have had to have been pulled so that replacement taptic engines could be put inside them.
 

Pagemakers

macrumors 68030
Mar 28, 2008
2,833
1,143
Manchester UK
Doesn't make sense.

I ordered 2 black sports within seconds or the launch. 4-6 week delivery.

Yesterday I ordered a white sports. Out for delivery tomorrow!

They both use the same Taptic engine!
 
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