Some Apple Watch taptic engines fail reliability tests

The Apple Watch includes what the company calls a taptic engine, which simulates a tap on the wrist to get the wearer’s attention. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the engines made by one of two suppliers—AAC Technologies Holdings Inc., of Shenzhen, China—have failed reliability tests and could break down over time.

The problem could slow the rollout of the Apple Watch as Apple shifts production to its second taptic-engine supplier, Nidec Corp. of Japan, the Journal reports, adding that Apple won’t be recalling any watches, because none with the potentially faulty engine have shipped.

Daisuke Wakabayashi and Lorraine Luk in the Journal point out that the taptic engine problem highlights a potential downside of Apple’s lean supply chain. “Apple can produce massive quantities of products with little waste and excess supply, but it can experience shortages when a problem arises with a key part,” they write.

Read their complete article here (subscription required).

About the Author

Rick Nelson

Rick Nelson

Contributing Editor

Rick Nelson is a technical journalist who has served as executive editor of Test & Measurement World, chief editor of EDN, and executive editor of EE-Evaluation Engineering. He has also contributed to publications including Vision Systems Design and Electronic Design, and he has participated in many live panel discussions and webcasts. Rick has also held systems-engineering and product-development positions at General Electric and Litton Industries. He received his B.S.E.E. degree from The Pennsylvania State University.

Sign up for our eNewsletters
Get the latest news and updates

Comment About the Article

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Electronic Design, create an account today!