As some Apple Watch customers eagerly await the arrival of their not-yet-shipped product, news has surfaced that one of the major components of the device may have, in early production runs, been defective, which could be the reason why deliveries have been delayed for many.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the taptic engine — which delivers haptic feedback to the wearer that includes light tapping on the wrist and the "heartbeats" Apple Watch users can send each other — experienced a major issue during initial production by one of two Apple suppliers working on the component.
When Mashable contacted Apple with a request for more information, it declined "to comment on rumor or speculation."
The report alleges that after production started in February, Apple pulled a collection of finished Apple Watches that came from China-based AAC Technologies Holdings Inc. However, the second supplier — Nidec Corp. in Japan — didn't have a problem with the part, so Apple moved production to its facilities.
No one, it seems, is claiming AAC's production issues are impacting the Apple Watches customers are currently wearing. Even the author of the initial Wall Street Journal report clarified that point on Twitter:
One thing is clear: Apple Watch supply issues are real.
The company, which reportedly told some of its watch suppliers to slow production just last week, said in an earlier statement regarding Apple Watch supply, "Our team is working to fill orders as quickly as possible based on available supply and the order in which they were received. We know many customers are still facing long lead times and we appreciate their patience.”
While some Apple Watch customers received their new shiny gadget starting last Friday, others received messages that their device won't land on doorsteps until June.
Additional reporting by Lance Ulanoff.
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