Rumor: 7 is the result of a contingency plan

[tsa1]

This is for sure a contingency design. Just like the AirPods Max’s current design is.

I know we all hate the leakers or whatever, but you guys have to really be riding Tim Cook’s glizzy to think Apple went out of their way to “trap” leakers. Wouldn’t they have done it with the 13’s design that was leaked so long ago and was spot on? You know their most profitable device? Think about it. You also thing they spent a WHOLE year making the screen bigger, thicker glass (like that’s a positive) and 33% faster charging and…. That’s it? Get out of HERE. At least last year they added the oxygen sensor and faster processor.

I’m very disappointed in Apple. I really wish they could have delayed the watch to November to get the production issues worked out. I was really looking forward to the bigger battery.

I am looking forward to the nice sales later this fall (series 7 release lol) on series 6 that never came with series 5, though.

 

[bob24]

It's funny how a few rumours that turned out to be wrong make users on here churn out conspiracy theories on how apple stopped a whole production line at the last minute, redesigned components like the case and the screen and set up a new production line to conceal delays. And in the end the watch is sill seemingly delayed.

If you assume what was presented at the keynote has been the plan for months, it is a massive industrial fail for Apple.

Same design as the previous generation bar a slightly larger screen and very few new hardware features (faster charging seems to be the big one), which most people would agree is the most boring upgrade ever for the Apple Watch.

This should be the easiest model ever for Apple in terms of kicking-off manufacturing. Yet, as opposed to previous keynotes, we have:
- no availability / launch date
- vague specs
- no prototype or actual product to demonstrate
- in general everything about it seems rather vague

I see two major possible explanations for this: this was the original plan but something in their design/manufacturing processes went *horribly* wrong. Or this is a late change of plan.

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

S5 used same processor as S4. We won't see new silicon in every watch every year going forward. Seems to likely be a biannual trend.

Agree on this.

After all, Apple is in this for the money and there's simply no need for them to spend the extra capital to crush last year's AW in specs and new features year-after-year when consumers still buy new AWs despite the new upgrades and health features being very conservative in some years.

Why would you go out of your way to surprise and awe consumers with upgrades when your product was already leaps and bounds ahead of the competition last year?

And, on top of Apple leading with specs and health features, they also are just about the only company to sell a smart watch with an "iconic" design, a design that is easily recognisable and so popular that people opt for an AW just for the social capital of being seen wearing one.

Apple will only being doing big upgrades for AW every 2-3 years. Well, they might do them more often but only if sales decline dramatically or a competitor jumps out of nowhere and wows everyone which hasn't really happened yet.

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

If you assume what was presented at the keynote has been the plan for months, it is a massive industrial fail for Apple.

Same design as the previous generation bar a slightly larger screen and very few new hardware features (faster charging seems to be the big one), which most people would agree is the most boring upgrade ever for the Apple Watch.

This should be the easiest model ever for Apple in terms of kicking-off manufacturing. Yet, as opposed to previous keynotes, we have:
- no availability / launch date
- vague specs
- no prototype or actual product to demonstrate
- in general everything about it seems rather vague

I see two major possible explanations for this: this was the original plan be something in their design/manufacturing processes went *horribly* wrong. Or this is a late change of plan.

While I still think Apple doesn't need to do big upgrades for AW to have it sell well, I also agree on your sentiment here:

Regardless of how little or big an upgrade, you can't present a new product like AW7 and then have many key specs missing from the announcement, no specific launch date(not even a specific month), no demo product to hand out to the media, no comparison overview to highlight improved specs.

AW7 will still sell very well, no doubt about that. But the vagueness around key aspects of it is surely going to kill a ton of hype.

I mean, one of the reasons why Apple product launches work so well is the whole annual ritual of them doing a massive presentation and then having pre-orders go live within a week and products land in our hands within 2-4 weeks from announcement at most.

Apple is now forced to do a second updated presentation for AW later this year to remind everyone that it's still happening. I can't buy into the idea that this is intentional and a part of the launch strategy.

*Not that I believe the theory with the flat-edged design being scrapped last minute. But Apple is certainly experiencing major issues with producing the AW7 that we are now getting otherwise we would have a date for pre-orders today.

 

[canyonblue737]

This is the first Apple Watch release without ANY Health related hardware updates.

Did the Series 3 or 5 have any health related hardware updates? I don't believe they did.

Series 1 and 2 you could argue but I'll give you GPS and waterproofing.
Series 4 redesigned the optical package for better accuracy and added the fall detection and ECG.
Series 6 redesigned the optical sensor package and added O2 measurement.

 

[canyonblue737]

Not buying it, I think the whole redesign was a setup for leakers by Apple…

I don't think so. I'm not saying they haven't planted stuff but this leak and the renders got huge smoke and fire behind it and even the very best sources said it was true. This is a dangerous game if Apple is playing it because many Apple fans like myself got hyped by the rumors and they risk the truth being a let down. When this has happened in the past typically what happens is Apple themselves "leak" to one of their friends at a place like the Wall Street Journal what the real truth is so they can tamper down expectations and not disappoint people. They didn't do this and now you have a bunch of the most rapid Apple fans bummed out by what should have otherwise been a significant announcement... the first change in size of the case and screen in 3 years. Combine that with the weird launch announcement where none of the Apple leadership was wearing a Series 7, where voices were dubbed over Apple execs talking about the watch to CHANGE what they were saying and more... never seen anything like it. I don't think they just "whipped this up" in the last month, thats impossible, but I wouldn't be surprised if this absolutely was a Plan B that kicked in sometime this year. I just hope this isn't the look and feel for the watch for yet another 3 years (Series 0-3, 4-6, 7-9?) because that would be too long for this same look.

 

[Solver]

Did the Series 3 or 5 have any health related hardware updates? I don't believe they did.

Series 1 and 2 you could argue but I'll give you GPS and waterproofing.
Series 4 redesigned the optical package for better accuracy and added the fall detection and ECG.
Series 6 redesigned the optical sensor package and added O2 measurement.

Series 3 added the bulit in barometer/altimeter. Brought hiking to a whole new level.
Series 5 added the built in compass.

 

[CWallace]

I just watched Max Tech's video and while I like his videos in general, this was pure conspiracy spin.

IMO, the flat-sided Apple Watch designs are real and may very well have been planned to be the Apple Watch 7 when Apple started work on them probably in 2020.

By early 2021, Apple had decided not to launch this design for whatever reasons. Quite possibly new sensors not ready or not able to secure regulatory approval in time or perhaps the fancy "double-sided" S7 SoC was seeing very poor yields in early production validation.

So Apple in probably Q1 2021 switched gears and started development of the Series 7 launched last Tuesday because they were committed to 41mm/45mm with bands and marketing plans. And I believe they did have production issues when they started mass production in July / August - perhaps due to the thicker glass which, IMO, was there for better protection.

And the slab-sided watch is now pushed to 2022.



Or the plan all along was the Series 7 would like like it does and this slab-sided thing is the "Apple Watch Extreme" ruggedized model coming in mid-2022 that had been rumored for years as it will include a rubberized protective case and that case drove the decision to make the model slab-sided and flat-topped.

 

[Harvey Zoltan]

The strangest thing to me about this release is that they are still selling the series 6 but there is a warning on the site that the series 7 will be released later this year. If the release date for the 7 is more than two weeks away, which it probably is, anyone not seeing this message and buying the 6 now is going to miss the return window and the chance of having the latest watch. Could make for some very unhappy customers.

 

[NT1440]

The CPU is the same but the package (SIP) is updated.

Which would warrant the name upgrade.

 

[tsa1]

The strangest thing to me about this release is that they are still selling the series 6 but there is a warning on the site that the series 7 will be released later this year. If the release date for the 7 is more than two weeks away, which it probably is, anyone not seeing this message and buying the 6 now is going to miss the return window and the chance of having the latest watch. Could make for some very unhappy customers.

My brain fog has the best of me, but do they typically stop selling the previous gen after they announce or the new device is on sale which is typically a week later.

I know someone who JUST got a navy series 6 a few weeks ago despite my warning of a new 7 and or bigger potential discounts on 6. They didn’t even need it they had a 3. Average consumer just doesn’t care. Apple knows this. Which is why their contingency plans still sell well.

I’m not saying I don’t believe Apple spent a year to give us series 7 and planned it all along. I just don’t think the hill to trap their “leakers” was this mediocre device.

 

[canyonblue737]

Series 3 added the bulit in barometer/altimeter. Brought hiking to a whole new level.
Series 5 added the built in compass.

ok the barometer / altimeter could be considered a health feature but the compass? come on...

 

[sarc]

If you assume what was presented at the keynote has been the plan for months, it is a massive industrial fail for Apple.

Same design as the previous generation bar a slightly larger screen and very few new hardware features (faster charging seems to be the big one), which most people would agree is the most boring upgrade ever for the Apple Watch.

This should be the easiest model ever for Apple in terms of kicking-off manufacturing. Yet, as opposed to previous keynotes, we have:
- no availability / launch date
- vague specs
- no prototype or actual product to demonstrate
- in general everything about it seems rather vague

I see two major possible explanations for this: this was the original plan but something in their design/manufacturing processes went *horribly* wrong. Or this is a late change of plan.

I think they just had manufacturing issues but this was always the design. When they commit to a design they commit to it. A good example is the iPhone X with Face ID. This had to be committed in January of that year for the September event (I remember watching an apple ex talk about it).
Also I can't see how a flat design would be harder to manufacture than a curved design. Considering they use flat displays in basically every other product.

 

[IUBall22]

I think they just had manufacturing issues but this was always the design. When they commit to a design they commit to it. A good example is the iPhone X with Face ID. This had to be committed in January of that year for the September event (I remember watching an apple ex talk about it).
Also I can't see how a flat design would be harder to manufacture than a curved design. Considering they use flat displays in basically every other product.

That’s been my thought as well. Wouldn’t a flat design be easier? More room for internals.

And also, I can’t imagine having the flat design on my wrist. I’ve always been a little adverse to that.

 

[mjschabow]

My personal feeling is that the changes are so minimal this year that they should have just not released a watch this year. People would still by the S6, imo. They'd probably have a huge success waiting ever two years anyway.

 

[sarc]

My personal feeling is that the changes are so minimal this year that they should have just not released a watch this year. People would still by the S6, imo. They'd probably have a huge success waiting ever two years anyway.

I think from a design point of view it's an iteration (just like the iPhones this year). New screen size (and screen tech) and new case with different curves. I don't have an issue with that.

I have a feeling this design will still be around for S8.

 

[sarc]

That’s been my thought as well. Wouldn’t a flat design be easier? More room for internals.

And also, I can’t imagine having the flat design on my wrist. I’ve always been a little adverse to that.

Yeah you would think it would be easier. But maybe not.

 

[wilberforce]

I think from a design point of view it's an iteration (just like the iPhones this year). New screen size (and screen tech) and new case with different curves. I don't have an issue with that.

I have a feeling this design will still be around for S8.

I agree with you. Might even be around for the S9. There is a huge amount of effort in redesign and retooling to make even a small change in form; I find it difficult to believe Apple would do this for only one year.

Those that are assuming the flat Prosser watch will show up for the S8 could be greatly disappointed next year.

I believe in making decisions on what is known and real right now, not on speculation and guesses about the future.

 

[sarc]

I agree with you. Might even be around for the S9. There is a huge amount of effort in redesign and retooling to make even a small change in form; I find it difficult to believe Apple would do this for only one year.

Those that are assuming the flat Prosser watch will show up for the S8 could be greatly disappointed next year.

I believe in making decisions on what is known and real right now, not on speculation and guesses about the future.

Yeah the point on retooling is very on point. It is a big change.

Nothing is final until they ship it and I think people need to understand that. Hopefully now people will take these leaks with a fist full if salt.

 

[SisterBlue22]

And also, I can’t imagine having the flat design on my wrist. I’ve always been a little adverse to that.

Have you never worn a mechanical watch? They all have flat backs and flat edges, and aren't uncomfortable. Why would an Apple Watch be any different?

 

[PaladinGuy]

Have you never worn a mechanical watch? They all have flat backs and flat edges, and aren't uncomfortable. Why would an Apple Watch be any different?

Having worn many watches over my life, I agree with you to some degree. The difference for me is that I never wore my mechanical/quartz watches as snug as a smartwatch or fitness watch needs to be worn because of the heart rate monitor and haptic feedback.

Overall, I think I’d be fine with the curves or more flat. I just want to see them make progress with the device. If flat can bring much better battery or sensors, bring it. If rounded, I’m good with that.

 

[nattK]

I agree with you. Might even be around for the S9. There is a huge amount of effort in redesign and retooling to make even a small change in form; I find it difficult to believe Apple would do this for only one year.

Those that are assuming the flat Prosser watch will show up for the S8 could be greatly disappointed next year.

I believe in making decisions on what is known and real right now, not on speculation and guesses about the future.

I can definitely see them keeping the new design for the S8 and S9. While the S7’s redesign is minor, it’s still a redesign with new case sizes and Apple likes keeping a design for 3 generations (e.g S1-S3 and S4-S6). If they are going with the dramatic new flat edges look, the S10 (or Series X!?) would probably be a good time to introduce it.