Apple's third-generation Apple Watch is expected to be unveiled in the third quarter of 2017 and will focus on improving battery life and overall performance, according to a new report out of China. 

On Tuesday, the Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN) claimed the next iteration of the wearable device will be manufactured by Taiwan-based Quanta, which was also responsible for the production of Apple's first and second-generation smartwatch. 

Citing market watchers with knowledge of Quanta's plans, the paper said improving battery life is the manufacturer's "main task", but beside general performance improvements, the device's other hardware would not see much change. Quanta declined to comment on the report, calling it "market speculation". 

The report also narrows down Apple's rumored ambitions for the third-generation device, with previous reports suggesting it could introduce the first significant design changes for the timepiece, such as more advanced sensors that Apple was not able to include in the first and second-generation models. 

Filed patents by Apple show other possibilities for future versions of Apple Watch, including the ability to determine a user's identity through their heart rate and unique cardio rhythms. Future models could also potentially integrate haptic feedback into Apple Watch bands, freeing up internal space for other components and allowing for a thinner.

Source: macrumors