Oliver Haslam·

Apple Watch Series 3: LTE, Non-LTE Models, Same Old Design Rumored

If there is one analyst that you should probably pay attention to these days, it is Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities. Kuo has proven prolific with predictions in the past, and while some analysts seem more interested in causing headlines than getting the facts right, this is one analyst who comes up with the goods.

So, when Kuo released a new forecast on the Apple Watch, everyone rightly took note.

According to Kuo, Apple will indeed have new Apple Watches ready for us later this year, with both LTE and non-LTE versions of the wearable available for those who like choice. Speaking of choice, Apple will also apparently continue to offer both 38mm and 42mm versions of the Apple Watch, which makes so much sense, we do wonder who thought it may not be the case in the first place.

Along with the size, Kuo believes that the new Apple Watch will be aesthetically similar to the watch that is already on sale, rather than there being some sort of radical redesign as has been suggested already by Apple commentator John Gruber.

Rumors on what the Apple Watch will be or look like when it is refreshed later this year have been scarce, and with so much attention being lavished on the iPhone 8 and the tenth anniversary of the first iPhone, it is understandable that the Apple Watch has fallen by the wayside a little, at least external to Apple.

As far as predictions as to numbers go, KGI believes that Apple will ship between 17.5 and 18 million Apple Watches throughout 2017 with 8-9 million of those being new models coming later this year. Kuo expects fewer than half to be LTE, however, at 35-40% of those units. This makes plenty of sense given the additional cost that would be associated with an LTE device.

(Via: 9to5Mac)

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