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Apple Investigating Fix for Series 3 Watches Connecting to Unknown Wi-Fi Networks Instead of LTE [Updated]

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Apple is investigating a fix for an issue where an Apple Watch Series 3 with LTE may stay connected to unknown Wi-Fi networks with no connectivity, at times preventing the watch from using cellular, it has told The Verge.
"We have discovered that when Apple Watch Series 3 joins unauthenticated Wi-Fi networks without connectivity, it may at times prevent the watch from using cellular," an Apple spokesperson said in an emailed statement. "We are investigating a fix for a future software release."
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In her Apple Watch Series 3 review, The Verge editor Lauren Goode said, on more than one occasion, the watch would connect to a single bar of an unknown Wi-Fi signal, and remain on that network rather than switching to LTE.
On more than one occasion, I detached myself from the phone, traveled blocks away from my home or office, and watched the Watch struggle to connect to LTE. It would appear to pick up a single bar of some random Wi-Fi signal, and hang on that, rather than switching to LTE.
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Goode explains further in her review:
The way the LTE version of the Watch is supposed to work is that it will "hand off" from your smartphone's connectivity to whatever other type of connectivity is available. In some cases, like when you're in a place with a Wi-Fi network you've connected to before, this will be Wi-Fi. In other cases, like when you're out without your phone, and you're nowhere near a known Wi-Fi network, this will be LTE.

It's reasonable to expect it might take a minute for the Apple Watch to "find" LTE after you've walked away from your phone. It's not reasonable for this to take many minutes or not work at all. This almost makes me wish there was a way to actively turn off Wi-Fi on the Watch, so it would just default to LTE. But that's also another step that I, the wearer, the person-who-is-not-wearing-it-wrong, would have to take.
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Apple said it will address the issue in a future watchOS software update, but it didn't specify how long that will take.

Update: According to iMore's Serenity Caldwell, the issue is a watchOS 4 bug that allows the Apple Watch to attempt to connect to Wi-Fi networks with interstitial captive screens such as those that require you to accept terms and conditions. The Apple Watch has no way to acknowledge these interstitials, leaving the device in a state of limbo where it's connected to the Wi-Fi network but can't access the internet and refuses to switch to cellular.

Article Link: Apple Investigating Fix for Series 3 Watches Connecting to Unknown Wi-Fi Networks Instead of LTE [Updated]
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2017/09/20/apple-investigating-fix-watch-series-3-cellular/
"This almost makes me wish there was a way to actively turn off Wi-Fi on the Watch, so it would just default to LTE."

Goodbye battery? ;)
 
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My phone does this.

My work place has wifi I’ll often walk away or to the bathroom and Have to turn off wifi on my phone during the walk because it struggles to load, as it desperately tries to cling to the wifi.

I have wifi assist turned on and still doesn’t help. They need maybe a time out. Once 5-10 seconds has passed use LTE.
 
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This seems like a big deal for a variety of reasons (like battery life). I am glad I held off on ordering.
 
More trouble with apple what they been doing for mnths of testing why release stuff with major problems
 
Meh,

Not that worried about it. The device isn’t in consumer hands yet, and I anticipate that they will be swift with a patch to resolve these issues. As another person posted earlier, my iPhone also does the open WIFI connection from time to time, but it is often an SSID that matches one I actually use (someplace else). I am curious if “Ask to join wireless”was turned on, or, if their personal AppleID of Lauren or the default profile on the iPhone 8 test unit had a large list of trusted (previously connected) wireless networks in the profile. In my case, HP Printers, Linksys, and some Century Link SSIDs plague me here in the Twin Cities area.

I also don’t understand why Apple Music isn’t available right away, unless, there was some issue with licensing, or, with carriers allowing this straight off the bat.

While the issues suck, I trust Apple will fix them. Better a watch, than big glitches in the iPhone X, or MacBook release. But that is just IMO.
maflynn said:
Bleeding edge, I guess the good news of ordering the Nike version is that I have time to see all of the issues prior to it shipping, i.e., I have a chance to cancel if I really don't like what I'm seeing
Click to expand...

You also have the return policy to back you if for some reason it isn’t fully working even after the fix. I am going to keep my receipt close if my expectations of a quick fix aren’t met.
 
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I'll trust in Apple to get it right. I think it's a bit unfair to criticize apple music coming soon when they're upfront about it. Or much ado about a bug they acknowledge as well. But the Verge is garbage to start with and not a reliable source. Future iterations will always be better. If you want LTE, this is your choice for now.
 
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