Apple will reportedly announce its first wearable device in September, but the product may not ship until early next year.
That's according to Re/code's John Paczkowski, who reported earlier this week that Apple will announce the wearable on September 9. Apple later confirmed the date of the press event, but obviously hasn't said what it plans to reveal.
"It's not shipping anytime soon," one of Paczkowski's sources said of the wearable in a new report. While the exact release timing still isn't clear, Apple may hold off on a launch until after the holiday season.
Why announce in in September, then? We can only speculate, but keep in mind that the last time Apple entered a new product category with the iPad, there was a three month gap between the announcement and the launch. That gave Apple time to ramp up production without worrying about the rumor mill, and it gave developers time to prepare new apps for the larger display.
Apple's HealthKit and HomeKit frameworks are expected to play a big role in the wearable device, allowing third-party fitness programs and smart home devices to connect somehow. It'd make sense to give developers a head start on building an ecosystem. We'll find out if that's the case soon enough.
