Apple’s anticipated Watch lacks some of the features originally intended, with omissions made for a number of reasons, according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

The initial intention was for the device to be a “state-of-the-art health monitoring device that could measure blood pressure, heart activity and stress levels, among other things”.

But of the anticipated features and sensors, WSJ continued: “Some didn’t work reliably. Others proved too complex. And still others could have prompted unwanted regulatory oversight.”

Instead, Apple Watch is being positioned similarly to other smart watches, with the iPhone maker wooing app developers to bring additional functionality.

While Apple does have a track-record of taking existing product categories and driving new innovation – as it did with iPhone and iPad – there is no guarantee that Watch will be a success straight-off-the-bat.

Last week, research firm Canalys said that 720,000 Android Wear-powered devices shipped in 2014. Even taking account of sales of other products (such as Pebble’s watch, which has seen 1 million shipments since launch), this indicates that consumer demand is not currently keeping up with industry hype.

A separate WSJ report said that Apple has asked its suppliers in Asia to manufacture five to six million Watch devices to support its launch, indicating high-hopes for the product.

The paper said that half of the run will be for the entry-level Watch version, with an additional third targeting the mid-tier. Initial orders of the high-end Watch, with 18-karat gold casing, are “relatively small” initially, but will rise in time.

While there will undoubtedly be a core base of Apple devotees waiting in line to get an Apple Watch, in order to drive volumes the company will need to be the first to transition the smart watch from a geek toy to a mass-market proposition.