Apple Watch on track to upgrade from LTE to 5G with rumored modem switch

Apple Watch has had optional cellular connectivity since Apple Watch Series 3 in 2017. However, the connection has remained 4G LTE while the smartphone market moved to 5G. That may finally change with an upcoming round of Apple Watch models.

According to the reliable Mark Gurman, Apple plans to switch modem suppliers and move the Apple Watch to 5G for the first time. The detail is part of an exclusive Bloomberg report detailing an upcoming satellite feature possibly slated for Apple Watch Ultra 3. “The move to MediaTek will also include support for 5G Redcap, a lower-tier 5G service aimed at internet-connected devices and wearables that typically don’t require fast data connections,” Gurman reports.



“Current Apple Watches use 4G LTE and never moved to the 5G standard, despite Apple switching over the iPhone in 2020.” As mentioned in the quote, Gurman is first to report that Apple plans to replace Intel modems in cellular Apple Watch models with 5G modems from MediaTek. This also serves as a reminder that Apple Watch technically has Intel Inside , despite Apple’s complete shift away from the chip company on Mac computers.

Read the full report on the upgrade to 5G and Apple Watch satellite connectivity from Mark Gurman on Bloomberg..