Apple Orders Quanta Computer To Speed Up iWatch Production [Report]

Quanta will reportedly build Apple’s first smartwatch.

Apple has commissioned Taiwan-based computer manufacturer Quanta Computer to mass-produce its first smartwatch, reports Reuters. Beginning next month, Quanta will ramp up the production of the wearable, dubbed the “iWatch,” which will launch commercially in October, sources said.

Quanta Computer has been making computer hardware for Apple.

Reuters said that Quanta is the main manufacturer of the device, responsible for roughly 70 percent of the final production. If the report is true, then Apple must have ditched Foxconn in favor of Quanta.

Quanta assembles computer parts for the iMac and the iPod. The company also manufactures hardware for Dell and Toshiba.

Sources told Reuters that the iWatch will have a 2.5-inch diagonal display, which is slightly rectangular. Apart from its touch interface and wireless charging capabilities, the iWatch will reportedly have an arched design.

Apple expects to ship 50 million units of the smartwatch within the first year of its release, sources added.

In addition, LG Display will be the exclusive supplier of the iWatch’s screen. Meanwhile, advanced micro optics company Heptagon will supply Apple with sensors for the iWatch.

Apple is eager to join the wearables market. Samsung, Motorola, Sony, and LG already announced their respective smartwatches. Yet all eyes are on Apple because the company has been known to create and market great products.

Apple declined to comment on the report.

Source: Reuters