The latest rumor about the Apple Watch 2, the Cupertino tech giant's follow-up to its first ever smartwatch, has Apple introducing standalone 4G data capability to the wrist-based smart device.

Details at WWDC?

While the release date for the Apple Watch 2 is thought to be sometime in September 2016, if there's not an incremental "S" cycle update on the way first. In any case, we could get a preview of the new device -- or at least more details on the rumored next-generation smartwatch -- very soon at WWDC 2016, Apple's annual developer conference.

The Worldwide Developer Conference 2016 starts next week, and in anticipation of the big event, rumors are flying that the Apple Watch 2 may be capable of working independently from an iPhone, with its own 3G or 4G wireless data capability.

But it's still not certain if the Apple Watch 2, if indeed it's actually in development at the moment, will be ready for launch later this year. And the possibility of adding independent mobile data to the device may actually indicate a later release date in 2017.

No Guarantee for 2016

That's because, as ITPRO noted in its rumor report this week, the technical challenges involved in fitting not only the components required for 3G or 4G wireless data, but also a bigger, better battery capable of keeping this considerably power-draining component running on the Apple Watch 2 for any practical amount of time, are considerable.

Another challenge for Apple would be to figure out how to implement wireless cellular data on what's essentially still viewed as an accessory to the iPhone without asking too much of customers.

Would you want an Apple Watch 2, even if it worked all day and didn't need to be tethered to an iPhone, if it meant buying yet another subscription data plan?

Answers to these quandaries (and more) will undoubtedly be made clearer as we head into WWDC 2016 and afterwards, especially as the release date and development cycle-timing for the rumored device becomes clearer.