“When Apple released the Apple Watch Series 3 at its event last week, it added a few really big new features, including cellular capabilities to the device. I’ve been testing out a cellular model with an iPhone 8 for about a week,” Jim Dalrymple writes for The Loop. “It’s hard for me to express how much I love the Apple Watch. It helped me get healthier, lose a lot of weight, and with its notifications, it changed the way I use my iPhone. With the addition of cellular, that is going to change even more.”
“In the past week, I’ve gone out multiple times without my iPhone and still received messages, emails, and phone calls. I was still in touch with people, but I felt a little free not having my iPhone with me,” Dalrymple writes. “If I left my iPhone behind accidentally, I’d be freaking out and need to get home to get it in case something happened—I didn’t feel that with the Apple Watch Series 3. I had everything I needed on my wrist.”
“I have a deep appreciation for the Apple Watch and the teams that work on all of this technology. It has changed my life and it continues to get better with every version. If you don’t have an Apple Watch and are thinking about getting healthier, do yourself a favor and get one,” Dalrymple writes. “For those of you that want to take a break away from your iPhone, even for a few hours, but are afraid you’ll miss something — meet Apple Watch Series 3 with cellular.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: As we’ve said since Day One, if you don’t have an Apple Watch, you’re missing out.
If you still don’t have an Apple Watch, there’s no better time to catch up than right now!
We love the clear way in which Dalrymple explains how Apple Watch Series 3 with cellular chooses to connect to a network:
The first thing the Apple Watch will try to do is connect to your iPhone. If your iPhone is off or not around, it will try to find a known Wi-Fi network, whether you’re at home or not. If it finds one, it will connect to make and receive phone calls. If it can’t find a Wi-Fi network, it will then connect to the cellular network.
It knows the Wi-Fi networks that it should connect to because it is paired with your iPhone. Whatever networks are on there, will be on the watch too.
You can check to see where your Apple Watch is connected by swiping up on the Watch screen. It will show a picture of an iPhone, Wi-Fi, or cellular connection.
SEE ALSO:
Some reviewers’ Apple Watch Series 3 ‘LTE issues’ due to easily-fixable Wi-Fi bug – September 20, 2017
Wired reviews Apple Watch Series 3: ‘For the first time ever, I love the Apple Watch’ – September 20, 2017
9to5Mac reviews Apple Watch Series 3: Unlocks new potential with LTE, dramatically improved Siri – September 20, 2017
Ming-Chi Kuo: Apple Watch Series 3 LTE models selling much faster than expected – September 18, 2017
Why the carriers must drop the Apple Watch LTE connectivity tax – September 15, 2017
How much Apple Watch Series 3 data plans will cost on Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Sprint – September 14, 2017
Apple Watch, the world’s best-selling watch, can now work without an iPhone – September 12, 2017
New Apple Watch Series 3 delivers built-in cellular with powerful new health and fitness enhancements – September 12, 2017
Why is there not an MDN post on connectivity issues with the Apple Watch
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/apple-admits-issues-with-apple-watch-connectivity-stock-falls-2017-09-20
So it is Apples fault that there are crappy WiFi networks out there? The watch is trying to save the most battery so it grabs WiFi first – they can easily make a software patch.
That is not the problem. The problem is when it grabs a wifi network (which it shouldn’t when separated from your iPhone) it loses cellular connectivity or cannot get it. And you cannot make a call. Most likely Apple will patch this quickly.
Unfortunately the AAPL stock took a bit of a hit today just on the basis of this connectivity issue, which should be a relatively easy software update fix. Wall street is stupid.
You just made my point – it is designed to grab a Known WiFi network and make calls through that first but as of now it is grabbing unknown WiFi networks that have no internet connectivity – again – an easy software fix.
It would piss off the Fanboy element.
I have an LTE Series 3 coming Friday.
We will see.
Once again, those who gush about the Series 3 Watch are ONLY those who have made “fitness” a hobby. (Fitness is NOT THE SAME THING as Health.) so, if you are NOT into “fitness” the Series 3 offers little besides a $10/mo. fee.
it can be argued that if your not reasonably fit, your not healthy. If your overweight, have a questionable diet. You probably not healthy.. An Apple Watch is not going to make you healthy or fit, but it can remind you to do things, set goals that may set a path to allow you to become healthy and more fit. The Apple Watch 3 BTW, has a model that does NOT include LTE. Thus, no $10.. fee
Found the guy who doesn’t own an Apple Watch. Fitness (workout tracking) is a very, very small part of what I use my Apple Watch for. I use it to control the lights and fans in my home, I use it to control the music in my home or the car, I use it for Siri, reminders, timers, calendar appointments, texting, and notifications. I don’t use it for phone calls, because the lag is too much to make holding a conversation possible. But that might be because I’m still on a Series 0.
Okay, but it will cost me over $1500…
I’m confident the cellular features can be resolved in near term updates
It’s not an an issue with cellular. It’s a Wi-Fi bug involving captive networks: