Apple Watch 3 Cellular Feature To Drive Smartwatch Demand

The Apple Watch 3 is expected to sell well, primarily due to its cellular support. Up to 70 percent of Apple Watch 3 owners were purchasing an Apple Watch for the first time, according to Daniel Ives, head of technology research at GBH Insights.

While the Apple Watch remains the best selling smartwatch in the world, Apple has never revealed sales figures for the timepiece. Ives estimates that Apple has sold approximately 30 million Apple Watches since its 2015 debut and could sell up to 19 million units of the current Apple Watch 3 in 2017 and up to 23 million in the next year.

Giving the Apple Watch 3 a similar design to the Apple Watch 2, the tech giant discontinued the older model shortly after its Sept. 12 product launch event. Customers can now choose between the Apple Watch 3, which sells for $399 (Wi-Fi only sells for $329) and the Apple Watch 1, which sells for $249.

Cellular capability brings a whole new layer of functionality to the Apple Watch 3, which is expected to drive sales of the product. Not only does the smartwatch allow users to make or receive calls, it users can update apps and transfer data. The W2 chip on the Apple Watch 3 allows the device natively host 40 million songs. The Apple Watch 3 supports LTE and UMTS (3G) frequencies and also includes an electronic sim card.

Consumers can purchase the Apple Watch 3 for AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon. The smartwatch is also available in Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, the U.K., and China.