Apple to release new watch on October 15 following production snags

Apple Inc. set a release date of Oct. 15 for its latest smartwatch, a sign that it’s coping with production challenges that had dogged the new device. 

The company plans to begin taking orders for the product -- called the Apple Watch Series 7 -- this Friday, Oct. 8, starting at 8 a.m. New York time. It will then hit stores a week later, Apple said in a statement on its website. 

The Series 7 watch was unveiled on Sept. 14, but Apple left the release date vague at the time, saying it would be “later this fall.” The device has a bigger display, marking the first time the company has enlarged the watch’s screen since the Series 4 three years ago. 

Apple customers and investors were bracing for delays since August, when people familiar with the matter said the watch was suffering production snags. An Oct. 15 release would come three weeks after the rollout of Apple’s flagship iPhone device, which was announced at the same time.

The Series 7 comes in 41 millimeter and 45 millimeter sizes, and the company is touting it as the most durable Apple Watch ever. The price will start at $399 in the U.S.