Apple reportedly faced challenges in the production of a new smartwatch due to a complex design, with the hurdles tipped to stumble a launch of the gadget expected this month.

Bloomberg reported issues are related to the manufacturing of the display, which is set to be larger Apple’s previous smartwatch models.

The device is also tipped to come with a faster processor than its predecessors.

Nikkei Asia reported small-scale production of the smartwatch, which is expected to be named Apple Watch 7, commenced last week but manufacturers ran into issues when attempting to reach satisfactory quality of the final product.

The news outlet also said production of the device had been stopped until the company resolves the issues.

Various media reports earlier suggested the device will be announced this month, as previous Apple smartwatch models have typically been announced in September.

Apple Watch is the most prominent part of the company’s wearables division, recording revenue of $8.8 billion in the three months to 26 June compared with $6.5 billion in the same period of 2020.