Rumors earlier this year suggested that the Apple Watch 2 could include cellular connectivity so that you could get calls and texts even when you’re away from your phone, but now a new report claims that that won’t be the case.
According to Bloomberg, Apple worked with carriers in the U.S. and Europe this year to add cellular connectivity to the next Apple Watch. Apple was concerned that the cellular chip would use too much battery life, though, which would delay the release of a cellular-enabled Apple Watch 2 to December at the absolute earliest.
It’s said that Apple is still working on including cellular connectivity on an Apple Watch model. The company is reportedly studying low-power cellular chips for inclusion with a future Apple Watch.
Including cellular connectivity with the Apple Watch would be a big addition. With it, you could walk out the door without your phone but still stay connected because you could get your calls, texts, emails, and more, all on your wrist. Going out without your phone probably isn’t something that you’d want to do all the time, but it’d be nice to be able to lighten your load for quick runs to the corner store or whatever. Samsung already offers select smartwatches with built-in cellular connectivity, so here’s to hoping that Apple can get an acceptable solution for the Apple Watch soon, too.
As for what will be included with the Apple Watch 2, it’s expected that the new model will include GPS for more accurate location tracking. Apple has already detailed the improvements that it’ll build into watchOS 3, including better performance, a dock for accessing apps more quickly, and Activity Sharing for comparing your workouts with your friends.