It's almost time for the Apple Watch! Mass production to begin in January after firm resolves production problems with $349 timepiece
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It may already be the most anticipated product in Apple's history - and for fans eagerly awaiting Apple's $349 Watch, there could be some good news on the way.
A Taiwanese site has claimed that mass production of the watch is to begin in January.
So far Apple has refused to reveal exactly when it will be released, although a statement made to Apple employees suggests the release will be in 'the spring.'
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Apple anticipates a total of 24 million watches will be shipped during 2015, according to claims - and mass production will start in January
It has previously been claimed that suppliers were struggling to make enough screens and processors.
However, breakthroughs have been made in the number of successful yields for the watch's display and processor, according to Taiwan's United Daily News.
Unveiled on September 9 at Apple's iPhone 6 launch event, the Apple Watch is the company's foray into wearable computers.
Samsung, LG, Motorola and Microsoft have already launched their own smartwatches, but Apple is expected to face unprecedented demand for its watch.
Quanta, which is building the watch, has upped its number of workers from 2,000 to 10,000 and is ultimately aiming for 20,000.
The initial round of shipments will be 3 to 5 million watches.
Apple anticipates a total of 24 million watches to be shipped during 2015, G for Games said.
According to 9to5Mac, Angela Ahrendts, Apple's senior vice president of retail and online stores hinted at the release date when she told staff: 'We're going into the holidays, we'll go into Chinese New Year, and then we've got a new watch launch coming in the spring.'
Apple's chief executive Tim Cook unveiled the watch at a launch event in September.
He didn't announce exactly when the watch would be available, but said it would go on sale 'early next year.'
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE APPLE WATCH
Built-in is a 'taptic engine' that responds to a subtle vibrations users feel on their wrist for notifications
The watch has a completely new user interface, different from the iPhone, and the 'crown' on the Apple Watch is a dial called the 'digital crown.'
Users can turn the crown to zoom in and out on a map, or scroll a list. The crown can also be pressed to take the user back to the home screen.
Different areas on the watch face can be customised with taps and swipes, and force touches.
The Glances feature shows info users would like to see, similar to Google Now, and is accessed by swiping the screen up from the bottom.
Music can also be controlled on an iPhone through the Apple Watch.
Built-in is a 'taptic engine' that responds to a subtle vibrations users feel on their wrist for notifications.
It understands questions in messages and then offers pre-selected answers, and messages can be dictated to the iPhone.
Users can also talk to the watch and send a voice reply, or have it transcribed to them.
There is no keyboard on the watch, and messages can only be sent through dictation, or emoji.
Siri also is built into the Apple Watch.
A 'source close to Apple' told The Information last month that the firm 'would be lucky to ship [the watch] before Valentine's Day'.
Chinese New Year falls on 19 February next year, so Ms Ahrendts comments push it at least beyond this date.
Despite the range of impressive features unveiled by Mr Cook, there was something he failed to mention: battery life.
The telling omission suggests the watch's battery life will be the Achilles Heel of the device when it eventually does go on sale.
Apple is said to be unhappy with the watch's battery life, and the long lead time before the $349 (£216) product ships could mean the device will be more functional once it's released early next year.
Apple's chief executive Tim Cook (pictured) unveiled the watch at a launch event in September. Although he didn't reveal battery life details, Mr Cook did spend some time talking about the Watch's charging system, which combines Apple's MagSafe technology with inductive charging
Most existing smartwatches on the market, such as Pebble and MetaWatch, tend to last up to a week on a single charge.
The closest Cook came to talking about the battery life for the Watch was saying that users would 'charge it at night.'
During an interview in Bloomberg Business Week, Apple's senior vice president of operations Jeff WIlliams said: 'We want to make the best product in the world.
'One of our competitors is on their fourth or fifth attempt, but nobody is wearing them.'
The company's chief executive added that the Apple Watch 'can be worn all day, for any occasion,' but hourly figures were notably absent.
A source said Apple is unhappy with the watch's battery life, according to Re/Code. Another source confirmed to the technology site that that the battery life 'is about a day now.'
The watch has a completely new user interface (left), different from the iPhone, and the 'crown' on the Apple Watch is a dial called the 'digital crown' (right) presented by chief executive Tim Cook
The company's chief executive added the Apple Watch 'can be worn all day, for any occasion,' but hourly figures were notably absent. The long lead time before the $349 (£216) product ships could mean the device will be more functional once it's released early next year
A spokesperson for Apple declined to provide battery details to MailOnline and said they will be revealed closer to launch next year.
Like many of Apple's other products, the Apple Watch appears to have a sealed back, which means the battery cannot be replaced.
This suggests that the entire $349 (£216) device will have to be replaced, once the battery eventually deteriorates from constant charging and use.
Another concern is the launch of the health and activity-tracking apps on the Apple Watch, which will rely on adequate battery life for round-the-clock monitoring.
Companies including Fitbit and Withings have health trackers that are designed to be worn at night too, monitoring sleep patterns through movements. However, if the Watch has to be charged at night, vital health signs could be missed
Companies including Fitbit and Withings have health trackers that are designed to be worn at night too, monitoring sleep patterns through movements.
However, if the Watch has to be charged at night, vital health signs could be missed by the gadget which Apple says will 'motivate people to be more active and more healthy.'
Apple did, however, spend some time talking about the Watch's charging system, which combines Apple's MagSafe technology with inductive charging.
Apple's silence on battery life suggests the company is still working to improve the feature.
The success of the device could hang on whether or not it manages to do it in time.
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