Apple Watch 7 will be very hard to find at launch, report says

The next iteration of Apple’s smartwatch, the Apple Watch 7, will launch alongside the iPhone 13 next week, but it might be in short supply.

This is according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who shared some details about the launch in his Power On newsletter. We’ve found out from previous reports that the next Apple Watch will likely get a new chip, a bigger battery, a slightly bigger display, and a new design with flatter edges.

However, Gurman says the new display is causing delays in Apple’s production process, which will likely result in the Watch 7 not being initially available in large quantities, while some variants might ship later than others.

The Watch 7 launch may end up resembling the launch of the original Apple Watch in 2015, which wasn’t immediately available in Apple Store, with users having to reserve and order their devices online. Furthermore, some of the variants were available in limited quantities, and it took a few months for Apple to start selling all of them in physical stores.

Gurman also reiterated his previous thoughts on the new iPhone 13 getting satellite calling capabilities. Yes, the hardware will be there in the iPhone 13, and satellite calls and texts for emergencies are coming, albeit probably not before next year.

But as for users being able to just casually make satellite calls in areas with no cell coverage? “That’s not happening now, next year or anytime in the near future,” wrote Gurman.