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That cellular Apple Watch? Guess who says it's coming now

KGI Securities' Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst with a solid track record for Apple rumors, corroborates a previous 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.
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Sean Hollister

Just 10 days ago, Bloomberg reported that the next Apple Watch would have built-in LTE cellular connectivity -- meaning you wouldn't need a nearby phone to use many of its features.

Now, noted Apple leaker and KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has corroborated the Bloomberg report -- and added some new tidbits to the rumor. As cited by 9to5Mac, the analyst says the new watch will indeed ship later this year in both LTE and non-LTE configurations. (Bloomberg wasn't clear whether all watches would have LTE, or whether the watch would ship this year.)  

Kuo also suggests there won't be any major redesign to the body of the watch itself. It should ship in the same 38mm and 42mm form factors as it does today, according to the report. Bloomberg previously wrote that the watch may arrive on AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile in the United States, but Kuo didn't confirm those or offer any other details.

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

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