As Apple keeps mum on the Watch Series 3 details, a new report from Chinese media reveals the Cupertino, California tech giant is reportedly gearing up for the first release of the next-generation smart watch by the end of this year. Accordingly, Apple Watch Series 2 is now undergoing the final testing stage.
Economic Daily News on Wednesday first reported the Apple Watch Series 3 debut will commence in the fourth quarter of 2017. According to Apple's Changsu, China-based partner supplier Quanta, it is now preparing for the imminent mass production of the accessory once it passes its final testing.
Quanta estimates Apple Series Watch 3 will begin to be shipped out around October to December. Last year, Apple released the predecessor in September so it would be a month delayed this year once the forthcoming watch is out by October.
Apple Watch Series 3 is expected to deliver a more robust battery performance. Renowned KGI analyst Ming-chi Kuo predicts Apple's next-generation smartwatch will retain current size variants 38mm and 42mm.
IBTimes Singapore previously reported that Apple Watch Series 3 is aimed at becoming a standalone device that can function on its own without the support of any iPhone. The smart watch is believed to bring in a capability to connect to LTE cellular networks. This way, users can directly send and receive calls through the watch.
Cellular devices need chips so it can be expected that the Apple Watch Series 3 will come at a higher price at launch compared to Watch Series 2, which debuted with the US$269 base price.
