Apple Watch 3 release date, specs rumors: To include LTE connectivity, but phone calls not supported

The year 2017 is shaping up to be another big year for Apple. From the highly anticipated tenth anniversary iPhone 8 to the upgraded versions of the current iPad and MacBook products, tech enthusiasts have a lot to look forward to from the Cupertino-based tech giant

If the rumors are anything to go by, there will be an Apple Watch Series 3 hitting the market soon, and it will boast an interesting feature not present in the previous iterations. However, this update might not be the one that everyone is expecting.

As reported by Forbes, it is expected that the Apple Watch Series 3 will highlight LTE connectivity. Providing details is KGI Securities tech analyst Ming Chi Kuo, who claims that the upcoming Apple Watch will be having an embedded electronic LTE SIM card or eSIM. This new type of connectivity does sound like good news, but there might be one letdown according to some rumors.

MacRumors reported that the LTE eSIM is not expected to allow the Apple Watch Series 3 to act like a legitimate phone. Specifically, the new Apple Watch will still not have the ability to make a phone call, even with the use of a sim card. After hearing the rumored LTE connectivity feature of the Apple Watch from KGI, many people thought that the Apple Watch Series 3 will finally become a completely independent smartwear. The Apple Watch is believed to no longer be reliant on an iPhone to perform certain actions. Apparently, Apple is not yet giving the go signal to make the new Apple Watch 3 capable of holding voice calls when connected to a cellular network like AT&T.

It is possible that Apple would want to make sure that the data transmission of the Apple Watch will work well. Until then, the Apple Watch 3 being used to make and receive calls is still a concept. Even so, with an LTE connection, it is still possible for the Apple Watch Series 3 to do VOIP calls via apps such as Skype and FaceTime, 9To5Mac stated.

The unveiling of the Apple Watch Series 3 is expected to take place at the next Apple keynote event this year. According to rumors, the next Apple Event will fall sometime in September.

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