Next Apple Watch won't look different from current models

Aug 15, 2017 00:18 GMT  ·  By

In a new report sent to clients on Monday, famous Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities says that the Cupertino-based company is planning to launch the Apple Watch Series 3 smartwatches with LTE support.

That shouldn't come as news to us, as we've already reported earlier this month that Apple plans to release a cellular-capable Apple Watch model to final reduce the device’s dependence on the iPhone, as all Series 1 and Series 2 models need to be connected wirelessly to your iPhone to download maps, send messages, etc.

An LTE-capable Apple Watch is a dream come true for many fans of Apple's smartwatch, and Intel is said to supply the cellular modem to enable communication with LTE networks. The change is now also confirmed by Ming-Chi Kuo, who adds that there will be both LTE and non-LTE variants available.

Apple Watch's design won't suffer any major changes

In our report last week we told you that Daring Fireball’s John Gruber indicated the next Apple Watch models could be coming with a new form factor, though he later added that his information might be inaccurate, and Ming-Chi Kuo now says Apple Watch's design won't suffer any major changes.

Kuo said in his report that LTE cellular connectivity would be the main selling point of Apple Watch Series 3, which will be powered by the Apple's upcoming watchOS 4 operating system, which is currently in Beta stages of development, along with iOS 11, macOS High Sierra 10.13, and tvOS 11.

To retain compatibility with existing bands, Apple Watch Series 3 is rumored to launch in 38mm and 42mm sizes, like previous models. First reported by Bloomberg, and now somewhat confirmed by DigiTimes today, Apple Watch Series 3 will ship in the fourth quarter of 2017, and it could have nine million shipments, according to Kuo.