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The next Apple Watch will reportedly have cellular connectivity

The next Apple Watch will reportedly have cellular connectivity

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Freeing you from your iPhone

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Apple's next smartwatch may come with a faster processor and cellular connectivity, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. The company, which hasn't said when it will announce the next Apple Watch, is reportedly hard at work remedying some of the device's current shortcomings. Chief among those complaints is the requirement that an iPhone be nearby at all times for the Watch to perform key functions.

The news doesn't come as too much of a surprise. Smartwatches from companies like Samsung and LG have long offered 3G and 4G coverage so you can leave your phone behind. But given the enormous expectations for the first Apple Watch, that the device arrived without cellular connectivity in April 2015 was seen as a disappointment. Being able to replace the phone in your pocket with a screen on your wrist is thought to be one of the few genuine benefits a smartwatch can offer. Right now, the Apple Watch falls short.

Right now, the Apple Watch can't replace the phone in your pocket

That hasn't dampened sales, contrary to the device's lukewarm reception among some in the tech industry. According to analyst estimates, Apple sold around 12 million Apple Watch units in the device's first year on the market. That outpaces sales of the original iPhone in 2007 by almost two to one. At an average price of $500, Apple Watch sales generated roughly three times the annual revenue of leading wearable maker Fitbit, according to the WSJ. Still, people expect the unexpected from Apple, especially given that its smartwatch was CEO Tim Cook's first big release and the company's newest product category after the iPad in 2010.


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