Apple patents have over time pointed to the Apple Watch one day having cellular connectivity. Examples could be found here and here. This afternoon Bloomberg is reporting that Apple is planning to release a version of its smartwatch later this year that will be able to connect directly to cellular networks, a move designed to reduce the device's reliance on the iPhone.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman adds that "Intel Corp. will supply the LTE modems for the new Watch, according to another person familiar with the situation. That's a big win for the chipmaker, which has been trying for years to get its components into more Apple mobile devices."

For more on this read the full Bloomberg report here. For other Apple Watch related patents covering other ideas they may be working on for the future, check out Patently Apple's archives.

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