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After 4 month's of series 3

C

chiefs1968

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 27, 2016
187
79
Please tell us after the inauguration in Sept how you are enjoying your apple watch series 3 with LTE.
I have decided to ditch LTE after my 3 month expired and called ATT but they were nice enough to encourage me to keep it and worked out a nice deal for me. Now often when I go out such as restaurants, jogging, basketball games, etc etc i keep my iphone 8 at home (yippee) With the new sensors added to the series there are many altimeter and barometer apps that now take advantage of the series 3. And also the Samsung gear s3 no longer is the top dog anymore.
 
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I'm happy with my Space Black S3, but I think I might call Verizon and cancel my LTE service. I've only used it a few times in the last 4 months and I just don't know that it is worth $10 a month.

I'd be interested in what kind of deal AT&T offered you as well. Wonder if anyone calling to cancel on Verizon has been offered anything? I'd probably be willing to keep the service at $5/month, which is what they charged for smart watches before the Apple Watch S3.
 
I have three series 3 watches. I have the LTE 3 month trial going on one of them and I will most likely cancel. I still have two months to go on it and I think I've only used it twice just to try it out by streaming some music. Don't really need LTE since I have my phone with me most of the time.

I never leave home without my Apple watch.
 
Beerstalker said:
I'm happy with my Space Black S3, but I think I might call Verizon and cancel my LTE service. I've only used it a few times in the last 4 months and I just don't know that it is worth $10 a month.

I'd be interested in what kind of deal AT&T offered you as well. Wonder if anyone calling to cancel on Verizon has been offered anything? I'd probably be willing to keep the service at $5/month, which is what they charged for smart watches before the Apple Watch S3.
Click to expand...

I would really like to see more carriers implement A more structured pricing tier for future LTE Apple Watch models. What's happening is, you're finding out those were using the free trial and others are not utilizing the LTE capabilities as much as they thought they would, hence why they cancel. I would like to see carriers offer something that would entice the customer to want to retain LTE for a more affordable price or offer incentives pending their carrier plan.
 
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I have two series 3 cellular watches with trial period activated. I never used the cellular feature other than trying it out to see it work. I cancelled both yesterday. I’ll bet most people will never or rarely use the cellular feature because, they have their phone with them most or all the time.
 
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I'm getting my first Apple Watch soon and thought about LTE version...until I saw I can't use it with any Prepaid carriers.

I hope they rectify that next time around.
I am never going back to postpaid.
 
PatrickNSF said:
I'm interested in the details of the deal, too.

I originally cancelled LTE after getting the bill which included tax, but after a couple of days of running with my phone again I resubscribed. It's (too) expensive, but once you get used to running (40-60 miles/week) without a phone it's hard to go back.
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Can relate to this I’ll end up keeping my lte on too once trials is over. We’ve been spoiled!
 
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LaoBron said:
Can relate to this I’ll end up keeping my lte on too once trials is over. We’ve been spoiled!
Click to expand...

I love my LTE.. I use it primarily at the gym and often find myself leaving my phone in the car at the mall, restaraunts, movies etc... I’m no longer glued to my phone and sometimes that’s refreshing... but in the gym it’s nice I can concentrate on my workouts, spend time with family and actually be untethered from my iPhone however when I get iPhone X in a few weeks that may change. I agree that 10$ a month is to steep but I won’t cancel purely because in some instances WiFi doesn’t work on your watch and LTE is an awesome back up... for instance when you’re at a gym and have to click the link on the pop up page to access the internet... I.E. hotels, Starbucks, Gyms, and NO your phone will not automatically give you WiFi through the phone because Apple Watch won’t connect. So I am really enjoying mine. I love this watch all I would want is better battery life and that will come as we use chips and screen tech that draws less power requirements
 
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I am about to switch from my old prepaid plan to a postpaid plan just for the LTE feature. I can see the potential, and the actual usage around it. Right now, it is the app and battery limits the use of LTE on Watch methink.
 
Yesterday, I left my house to go for a run, tracking my my progress with GPS while listening to some music. I got a call just after I left saying my car was ready at the dealer. I altered my route to go and grab the car. When I got there, I called my wife and asked her if she wanted me to pick up lunch and told her to text me what she wanted. I grabbed the phone and paid with my watch, went hone and enjoyed some lunch.

This wouldn’t have been possible for me a year ago. (And yes, I do realize not all of this awesomeness required LTE, but some of it did, and I am loving the watch in general.)
 
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I too would love to hear what AT&T worked out for the OP. Bottom line as a Verizon user I simply don't use the cellular nearly enough to justify $15-17 a month after taxes and fees. I'm not particularly thrifty and have the disposable income to afford it but for how little I find myself using the cellular because I carry my iPhone with me 99.9% of the time it makes me almost offended at the cost. I'm mildly hopeful that Verizon and others will eventually offer the service for little to no cost on their high level tier plans much like how tethering and other features have gone from added fees to lumped in. Sadly they may do it but magically the plans will cost $15-17 more LOL.
[doublepost=1515957211][/doublepost]
tobefirst said:
Yesterday, I left my house to go for a run, tracking my my progress with GPS while listening to some music. I got a call just after I left saying my car was ready at the dealer. I altered my route to go and grab the car. When I got there, I called my wife and asked her if she wanted me to pick up lunch and told her to text me what she wanted. I grabbed the phone and paid with my watch, went hone and enjoyed some lunch.

This wouldn’t have been possible for me a year ago. (And yes, I do realize not all of this awesomeness required LTE, but some of it did, and I am loving the watch in general.)
Click to expand...

none of it required the watch if you brought the iPhone with you. i understand many don't like to run with the iPhone and i accept that but nearly 7 years ago I began using a Spibelt and later a Flipbelt both flat waist belts designed to hold an iPhone tight to your waist with zero bounce and totally invisible under your shirt. don't think "fanny pack" this is something invisible, flat, and you literally can't feel it at all while you run. i like the added flexibility of taking the iPhone for its massive battery life vs. the watch on cellular, the ability to take photos etc. i know its not for everyone and perhaps for an all out race it would be nice to leave the iPhone behind (although i like taking pictures in the start corral too) but i think for MOST runners carrying an iPhone doesn't need to be a burden or uncomfortable at all.

PS: Ignore the product shots that show these belts outside the shirts and with a bunch of attachments, no one uses any of that and everyone wears these under their shirts, invisible with no bulge. The websites need to "show" you the product but the reality is the product is never seen in use.

http://spibelt.com
https://flipbelt.com
 
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Love the S3 (software bugs aside), but my wife and I did just cancel our LTE. Wasn’t worth it at all for us. Especially since it’s not really $10 per month after all the taxes etc.
 
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canyonblue737 said:
none of it required the watch if you brought the iPhone with you. i understand many don't like to run with the iPhone and i accept that but nearly 7 years ago I began using a Spibelt and later a Flipbelt both flat waist belts designed to hold an iPhone tight to your waist with zero bounce and totally invisible under your shirt. don't think "fanny pack" this is something invisible, flat, and you literally can't feel it at all while you run. i like the added flexibility of taking the iPhone for its massive battery life vs. the watch on cellular, the ability to take photos etc. i know its not for everyone and perhaps for an all out race it would be nice to leave the iPhone behind (although i like taking pictures in the start corral too) but i think for MOST runners carrying an iPhone doesn't need to be a burden or uncomfortable at all.

PS: Ignore the product shots that show these belts outside the shirts and with a bunch of attachments, no one uses any of that and everyone wears these under their shirts, invisible with no bulge. The websites need to "show" you the product but the reality is the product is never seen in use.

http://spibelt.com
https://flipbelt.com
Click to expand...
None of it requires an iPhone either. I could have done all of it 20 years ago with a Motorola startac and a Sony Walkman. (;

The same way TouchID changed locking my phone for me (I never had a passcode before my iPhone 5S), the Apple Watch is changing connectivity while running (I’d rarely, rarely bring my phone). Because of technological advancements, I now find it convenient enough to have a passcode and convenient enough to be connected while running.

Of course there are other ways to get things done. There always is. But what is convenient “enough” is different for everyone.
 
Ok...what ATT did to allow me to keep LTE was since I am a long time ATT subscriber (17 years) and Zi have three lines on my account including myself...they reduced my line access from $25.00 on each account to $20.00 so I save $15.00 and that should cover my monthly cost for LTE on my watch. Just contact Verizon, Tmobile, Sprint and ATT and mention that you want to keep LTE but the monthly cost is not worth it and maybe they can work something out for you.
 
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canyonblue737 said:
I too would love to hear what AT&T worked out for the OP. Bottom line as a Verizon user I simply don't use the cellular nearly enough to justify $15-17 a month after taxes and fees. I'm not particularly thrifty and have the disposable income to afford it but for how little I find myself using the cellular because I carry my iPhone with me 99.9% of the time it makes me almost offended at the cost. I'm mildly hopeful that Verizon and others will eventually offer the service for little to no cost on their high level tier plans much like how tethering and other features have gone from added fees to lumped in. Sadly they may do it but magically the plans will cost $15-17 more LOL.
[doublepost=1515957211][/doublepost]

none of it required the watch if you brought the iPhone with you. i understand many don't like to run with the iPhone and i accept that but nearly 7 years ago I began using a Spibelt and later a Flipbelt both flat waist belts designed to hold an iPhone tight to your waist with zero bounce and totally invisible under your shirt. don't think "fanny pack" this is something invisible, flat, and you literally can't feel it at all while you run. i like the added flexibility of taking the iPhone for its massive battery life vs. the watch on cellular, the ability to take photos etc. i know its not for everyone and perhaps for an all out race it would be nice to leave the iPhone behind (although i like taking pictures in the start corral too) but i think for MOST runners carrying an iPhone doesn't need to be a burden or uncomfortable at all.

PS: Ignore the product shots that show these belts outside the shirts and with a bunch of attachments, no one uses any of that and everyone wears these under their shirts, invisible with no bulge. The websites need to "show" you the product but the reality is the product is never seen in use.

http://spibelt.com
https://flipbelt.com
Click to expand...
Interesting. Really, running is the reason I plan to keep the LTE— I really prefer not having my phone strapped to my arm. I just got a FlipBelt this week for my first half marathon next month, and it seems really comfortable (I got one of the water bottles for it—do you use one?), but i do feel like it might make me a little hot to have the extra layer around my waist/hips. I’m assuming I won’t want it for my regular workouts, but I haven’t tried it yet.

I also, by the way, just got this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AJO51KU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

But I think I will like the FlipBelt better. Advice is welcome. :) I’m a beginner.
 
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turbineseaplane said:
You could GPS track and pay for lunch with those?
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Absolutely true. But my point is still valid: the watch made it convenient enough for me to be accessible while running in a way that having just an iPhone did not. But, you’re right. I forgot the gps and wallet in my comparison, one of which was easily solved 20 years ago — a credit card takes up almost no room — and one of which was not.
 
DoubleFlyaway said:
I just got a FlipBelt this week for my first half marathon next month, and it seems really comfortable (I got one of the water bottles for it—do you use one?), but i do feel like it might make me a little hot to have the extra layer around my waist/hips. I’m assuming I won’t want it for my regular workouts, but I haven’t tried it yet.
Click to expand...

I've used every belt imaginable during the past six years of running but greatly prefer LTE on the watch and not running with my phone. Of the belts I've used I think the FlipBelt is probably your best bet, though I also have a Nathan which is thinner and seems to handle sweat better. I have pockets on my shorts for gels, etc. for races, but haven't run without the phone yet for anything longer than a 15K. I left the AW at home for my last marathon and just used my Garmin and phone.

I have three marathons this spring and plan to use the AW LTE without phone. Depending on whether or not I use my Garmin for any of these races, I may end up using the AW as a glorified iPod Nano with LTE :) But it still beats a phone in a belt for 26.2 miles.

P.S. The Nathan is called the Hipster. I'd choose one of them over a SPIbelt.
 
PatrickNSF said:
I've used every belt imaginable during the past six years of running but greatly prefer LTE on the watch and not running with my phone. Of the belts I've used I think the FlipBelt is probably your best bet, though I also have a Nathan which is thinner and seems to handle sweat better. I have pockets on my shorts for gels, etc. for races, but haven't run without the phone yet for anything longer than a 15K. I left the AW at home for my last marathon and just used my Garmin and phone.

I have three marathons this spring and plan to use the AW LTE without phone. Depending on whether or not I use my Garmin for any of these races, I may end up using the AW as a glorified iPod Nano with LTE :) But it still beats a phone in a belt for 26.2 miles.

P.S. The Nathan is called the Hipster. I'd choose one of them over a SPIbelt.
Click to expand...
My half marathon isn’t in the US, so no LTE on the watch... and I can’t drive there or anything... relying on bus from finish line to the start. So taking my phone. Thanks for the advice... I’m collecting all of it I can get! At home for workouts, I really love just having the watch.
 
DoubleFlyaway said:
Interesting. Really, running is the reason I plan to keep the LTE— I really prefer not having my phone strapped to my arm. I just got a FlipBelt this week for my first half marathon next month, and it seems really comfortable (I got one of the water bottles for it—do you use one?), but i do feel like it might make me a little hot to have the extra layer around my waist/hips. I’m assuming I won’t want it for my regular workouts, but I haven’t tried it yet.

I also, by the way, just got this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AJO51KU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

But I think I will like the FlipBelt better. Advice is welcome. :) I’m a beginner.
Click to expand...

I don't do the water bottles around the waist. My usual runs are under 6 miles so I don't really carry liquids right now. When I was running a few half marathons a year a few years back I experimented with a different belt that held bottles (it was ok but not great, i don't think bottles on the waist are ever great) but I settled in time with a large bottle with a hand strap that I carried and then switched hands every few miles. Not sure that was a great answer either but it worked for me.

To me the Flipbelt/Spibelt is best when used for the iPhone with just perhaps a single housekey and a credit card or a couple of bucks tucked in. After a run or two I simply can't feel them at all and there is certainly no bounce or anything like that.

Cheers!

PS: A major Apple podcaster and website recently ran a half marathon with an apple watch, AirPods, and streamed apple music via LTE and nothing else. He used GPS and HR on the Apple Watch also. With the watch and AirPods at 100% he ran a 2:30 half marathon and finished with 13% on the watch and under 5% on the AirPods (the claimed AirPod 5 hour life isn't at full volume which he was close to with outdoor running.) He made NO phone calls during the race on the watch.

Most of course finish a half at sub 2:30 but bottom line is you can't use this watch for GPS/HR/LTE/Bluetooth for a marathon unless you are qualifying for the Olympic Trials. Even for a half you better make sure you start with 100% and have a plan to charge it post race, you won't have much battery left even for a phone call to friends to say you finished.
 
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