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A cellular Apple Watch is reportedly coming this year

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, a reputable source of Apple leaks, is behind the report.

Sean Hollister Senior Editor / Reviews
When his parents denied him a Super NES, he got mad. When they traded a prize Sega Genesis for a 2400 baud modem, he got even. Years of Internet shareware, eBay'd possessions and video game testing jobs after that, he joined Engadget. He helped found The Verge, and later served as Gizmodo's reviews editor. When he's not madly testing laptops, apps, virtual reality experiences, and whatever new gadget will supposedly change the world, he likes to kick back with some games, a good Nerf blaster, and a bottle of Tejava.
Sean Hollister
CNET

Like most smartwatches, the Apple Watch usually needs to be connected to a phone for most apps.

But according to a new Bloomberg report, that could change by the end of the year. 

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that Apple is planning a new version of the Apple Watch, one with its own LTE cellular data connection, by the end of 2017. Gurman has a solid track record for Apple leaks.

The report isn't completely clear about which cellular carriers would offer the Watch, though Apple is reportedly already in talks with carriers in the US and Europe, and some sources explicitly named AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint as planning to sell it in the US. 

It's also not clear if all new Apple Watch devices would have LTE, or only some of them. Apple sells Wi-Fi-only versions of its iPad, charging a premium for cellular models. One of Bloomberg's sources says Intel is supplying the LTE modem for the new Apple Watch.

Apple didn't immediately reply to a request for comment.

Here's our rumor roundup for the next Apple Watch.