Why a "delayed" iWatch destroys all competitors

Apple's wearable device, still code-named "iWatch" here in the days (or weeks) before its official reveal, has been tipped to be released in the year 2015. If Apple announces an iWatch on September 9th, then doesn't ship the device until January (or any time after that), they'll drop a bomb on the rest of the "wearables" industry.

Releasing devices almost immediately after announcing them has become Apple's tradition. Only a few examples exist where Apple had weeks or months between announcement and release, the most recent being the Mac Pro. Apple's reveal-and-launch method works great – they've got a ravenous fanbase that'll buy what they deem worthy.

Some rival companies – like Motorola – have had weeks between reveal and release. Not because they want to, but because they don't have the manufacturing clout to get things done with speed.

For the iWatch, this strategy would be intentional, not forced. Here are the

main reasons why a stringing-out of Apple's iWatch reveal and release makes a whole lot of sense.

1. From @C_Davies (Chris Davies, SlashGear): "No "current gen" iWatch that people might avoid buying if they know it's coming 2015, only rival brands' wearables." Devices that may suffer:

LG G Watch R

Motorola Moto 360

Samsung Gear S

Sony Smartwatch 3

ASUS ZenWatch

Omate X

Meta M1

Gilt / HP smartwatch

OnePlus OneWatch

2. Chris adds: "announcing the iWatch but shipping in 2015 will probably work out; it's not like Apple risks existing product cannibalization." Apple cannibalized their own iPad line when they released the iPad mini. Intentionally, but still – there's no risk here.3. Time to sort out the bugs. With the iPhone, Apple had to keep testing under wraps. They weren't going to shock the world by doing beta testing in the public beforehand. With the iWatch, things could be a little different.

Smartwatches already exist. Unless Apple pulls out features we've never thought of (crossing our fingers they do), they'll have a device that simply puts together the key features of all other smartwatches into a single, optimized package.

For that, they could bring on Beta testing like they've been doing with OS X Yosemite for the past few months. Why not?

Release those iWatch wallpapers early!

After the iWatch is released, things could change. As Woz suggests, the iWatch could make wearables in general "finally viable." Before then, though – watch out.