Apple is expected to release the third iteration of their popular wearable, the Apple Watch 3, before the year ends. However, new reports out of China have now confirmed that the company may indeed be unveiling the new smartwatch by the third quarter of this year.

According to Mac Rumors, who also cited a report from the Chinese-language website Economic Daily, Apple may indeed be launching the new Apple Watch 3 by fall of this year. The report also reveals that the upcoming latest generation wearable will be sporting a significantly improved battery life and a few internal hardware upgrades.

The Cupertino-based tech firm previously launched the Apple Watch Series 2 smartwatch, along with the slightly updated Series 1, back in September. The watches were launched alongside the iPhone 7. Based on this, it would be safe to assume that Apple may be launching the Apple Watch 3 in September this year as well.

Aside from the bigger battery and beefier processor, a report from Wearable claims that the upcoming smartwatch may also be sporting some new connectivity features. The report also coincides with claims from SIG analyst Christopher Rolland, who mentioned that the Apple Watch Series 3 will likely come with LTE capabilities. Ming-Chi Kou, from KGI Securities, also backed this claim and mentioned that the watch will indeed be coming with LTE in 2017.

With LTE support, Apple Watch users will no longer need to have an iPhone with them to enjoy streaming music or make calls. However, users will likely have to get a separate data plan from their respective carriers if they wish to do so. Nevertheless, the functionality would definitely be a welcome one for those who don't want to carry their phones around with them just to use the watch, like when they are working out or going for a jog.