Apple manufacturer Quanta seen riding high on 'Apple Watch Series 3' coming this fall

Regular Apple supplier Quanta Computer is likely to enjoy strong revenues in the second half of 2017, in part because of the third-generation Apple Watch, reports reaffirmed on Tuesday.

Compal Electronics has joined the Watch supply chain but will probably handle older-generation models still on sale, said the Chinese-language Economic Daily News, cited by DigiTimes. The company's involvement was rumored as far back as April, and at the time said to involve taking over some Series 2 production.

It's unknown if Apple will continue to sell the Series 1 in a post-"Series 3" environment. The 1 is essentially a first-generation Watch with a faster processor, lacking upgrades like waterproofing or GPS.

Since 2015, flagship Watch production has been handled entirely by Quanta, making it natural for that relationship to continue.

Rumors about the "Series 3" remain relatively few and far between. One of the most common is that that device could get LTE, allowing it to operate independently of an iPhone — at least, to a greater degree than the Series 2.

It may also get built-in sleep tracking, like many other wearables, and possibly even a non-invasive glucose monitor. Apple CEO Tim Cook has been spotted wearing a special Watch accessory, which might also support rumors that Apple is working on "smart" bands that will expand features without requiring a new Watch.

26 Comments

SpamSandwich 32917 comments · 19 Years

About 7 years ago

A third gen watch won't happen until next year.

Metriacanthosaurus 880 comments · 8 Years

SpamSandwich said:

A third gen watch won't happen until next year.

The lack of any substantial leaks from the supply chain support this statement. But, that doesn't make any sense to me. The Series 2 was a minor update that added waterproofing, basically targeting a specific segment of users that needed full waterproofing before they could jump in.

There has yet to be a compelling Apple Watch upgrade for Series 0 owners. Seems insane to not come out with a model with a faster chip, better battery life, improved taptic engine. It is an iPhone accessory. Why not have a new Apple Watch to purchase alongside new iPhones? Why not have a new Apple Watch which makes for a good holiday gift?

If no Series 3 this year, vast missed opportunity. I don't think Apple would do that.

Soli 9981 comments · 9 Years

I was planning on updating my Series 0 to Series 3 this year, but if there's no new option I may just stick with my current model for another year. It's still running great with the battery lasting close to 2 days, watchOS 4 betas work great on it, and it's still the first thing I put on in the morning and the last thing I take off at night.

schlack 727 comments · 11 Years

I wonder what the upgrade cycle will be on these watches. I have a Series 0 which I bought 2 yrs ago. I have zero interest in upgrading it at the moment. What might change my mind? Health sensors (glucose, blood pressure, tension/stress tracking) are about the only thing I think would make me jump. Battery life is more than adequate. I don't see a compelling use case for LTE.

Scot1 126 comments · 7 Years

I'm hoping the next version will be thinner