Apple Watch 3 may not cut ties with iPhone completely, here’s the new possibility

Apple Watch 3 is expected to refresh the wearable line up of the company later this year. Although we haven’t heard much about the device yet, a recent report from CNBC suggested the device to feature cellular connectivity. However, KGI Securities analyst and Apple tipster Ming-Chi Kuo in his latest note has rubbished these claims, reports Mac Rumours.

The CNBC report said that Apple Watch 3 will sport cellular connectivity and won’t need an iPhone for calls. Kuo, however, says that the next-gen Apple Watch is ‘unlikely’ to come with such a feature. He says that the feature is ‘feasible’ but the company should first improve the ‘user experience of data transmission.’ As a result, the Apple Watch 3 may not include the feature, at least this year.

He adds that the LTE versions may also be limited to certain regions only. Past rumours have indicated that carrier companies like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile will support the LTE Apple Watch.
But Kuo did confirm that the watch could come with VoIP services such as FaceTime and Skype. For those unaware, FaceTime audio calling support is already included in current Apple Watch models.
“This has two benefits: (1) negotiations with mobile operators will be simpler and the chances of cooperation with mobile operators will improve; and (2) 3G connectivity can be scrapped, simplifying the antenna design and facilitating internal design. However, we think there is a chance that users may use LTE Apple Watch to access VoIP services, such as FaceTime and Skype,” Kuo said.Furthermore, the Watch 3 series could also come with an eSIM instead of a physical slot for a SIM card due to space crunch.
Interestingly, Kuo says that Apple, despite standing against Qualcomm in a patent case, will still use the latter’s chipset for its Watch 3 series as they are said to be more powerful than Intel’s smaller chips.
Lastly, Kuo says that Apple still has no plans to make an Android app for Apple Watch as it will be difficult for them to integrate the functions as deeply as they are in iOS.