iWatch Release Date, Specs: May Launch Smartwatch in December 2014 via Three Variants

There's a good chance that Apple will swap its highly-anticipated iWatch launch to sometime in December of this year.

Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst with KGI Securities, whose predictions regarding upcoming Apple products are somewhat reliable, says that the release of the iWatch is being delayed owing to supply issues. Earlier, he said that Apple may be shipping anything between 5 million to 10 million iWatch devices by the end of this year.

Kuo now foresees that several issues, including supply problems, may delay the iWatch production timeline from September to the end of November. Consequently, Kuo has also amended his earlier projection down to 3 million units for 2014.

In addition, Apple is also likely to face a manufacturing holdup owing to the production issues related to the Sapphire cover lenses. In other words, no less than 50 percent of the finished iWatch devices may possibly come with glass instead of Sapphire covers.

Incidentally, Kuo is not the only person to point out that Apple may be facing production issues. According to the latest reports, even TPK, the company that supposedly manufactures the touch module for the iWatch, has also modified their iWatch projections for 2014.

It is anticipated that the delay in production will not only affect the quantity of the device, but also the timing of its launch.

According to Kuo, the iWatch will not be distributed widely until December, and as Apple will be producing fewer units, the availability of the smartwatch will be limited.

As of now, it is rumored that the iWatch will be available in three variants - while one will come with a 1.6-inch screen, the other two will have 1.8-inch screens.

If Kuo's assumptions are correct, the screens will have AMOLED displays by LG, and featuring Sapphire glass.

In addition, Apple is said to be testing wireless battery charging for the iWatch. The perception behind wireless charging entails using the electrical current from a magnetic field to generate enough voltage to power a device.