Apple to release new watch on October 15 following production snags

Apple Inc. set a release date of Oct. 15 for its latest smartwatch, a sign that it’s coping with production challenges that had dogged the new device. 

The company plans to begin taking orders for the product -- called the Apple Watch Series 7 -- this Friday, Oct. 8, starting at 8 a.m. New York time. It will then hit stores a week later, Apple said in a statement on its website. 

The Series 7 watch was unveiled on Sept. 14, but Apple left the release date vague at the time, saying it would be “later this fall.” The device has a