Apple Watch 4 as iPhone replacement

[spacebro]

I'm tired of having to worry about carrying a phone and getting it wet, or leaving it somewhere, or dropping it. I keep looking at Apple Watch thinking I could have that and not ever worry about a phone again. Will I be frustrated if I try to use the Apple Watch with no iPhone?

Also, is there such a deadbolt that can let the Apple Watch unlock it with nfc or something? I'm thinking I won't need keys, wallet, or phone if I had Apple Watch. Am I wrong? Will I love it?

 

[Deguello]

Depends on what you use the phone for. If it's just phone calls, you probably can. To the extent it varies away from just phone calls, the likelihood decreases.

I was just thinking the other day about locks that could work with the watch. I still take my keys when I exercise, but it might be nice not even to need to do that one day.

 

[dave006]

Yes you are wrong. The Watch is not designed to be a standalone device, Apple intends that we pair the watch to our iPhone to extend the experience. You must have an iPhone to setup and manage your watch. Any updates require a paired iPhone to download and install.

You can't eliminate the iPhone but you don't have to carry it everywhere you go. It just needs to be on and connected to your carrier's network.

Dave

 

[spacebro]

Yes you are wrong. The Watch is not designed to be a standalone device, Apple intends that we pair the watch to our iPhone to extend the experience. You must have an iPhone to setup and manage your watch. Any updates require a paired iPhone to download and install.

You can't eliminate the iPhone but you don't have to carry it everywhere you go. It just needs to be on and connected to your carrier's network.

Dave

Yeah but you're an Apple Watch 3 person.

 

[musicpenguy]

I mostly do this today. My watch is paired with an iPhone SE that I use from time to time, but I actually keep Bluetooth off so the Watch talks to WiFi and LTE rather than Bluetooth which I find makes some of the features less responsive.

You’ll need to keep around an old phone like an SE as the hub it talks to for OS updates and app installs, but after that you can download podcasts directly on the watch, stream music directly on the watch. You’ll still need to sync audiobooks from the Audible iPhone app to the watch if you want those on it, but overall yes this can be done.

In my limited tests I am also finding all day battery life using the watch mostly on WiFi with some LTE mixed in. I’m not doing extensive calls on the watch, but short ones. My main devices are my iPads and my Watch and when I’m at home or working at my desk I’ll answer calls, and respond to iMessages from my iPad and find the phone not that important anymore other than being a good camera to have.

But if you are with someone that has a phone you probably dont need a camera at all times since someone will have one!

So yea the watch can be pretty standalone, but just like the iPod will need to check in to the Mac every now and then

 

[spacebro]

Is it viable to only have a 2017 iPad Pro and an Apple Watch 4?

 

[musicpenguy]

Is it viable to only have a 2017 iPad Pro and an Apple Watch 4?

Yes - but you will need to keep around an iPhone to be that hub for the watch to perform OS updates and installing apps, once the watch is setup you are mostly good to go (outside of syncing audio books from Audible).

There is no watch app for iPad, just iPhone. You should be able to find an SE for around $100 on eBay to serve as your hub.

So no you can’t only have those 2 devices, but you can greatly diminish your dependence on the phone. Just keep it powered up and connected to WiFi or a cell signal. Notifications also get beamed out over the internet to your watch this way.

 

[ericg301]

Yeah but you're an Apple Watch 3 person.

what does that mean? AW S4 is still tethered to the phone, as the poster above said, just like the S3.

There's nothing additional in the S4 that makes it more of a stand-alone device.

 

[tobefirst ⚽️]

My August smart lock works with the Apple Watch. I'm not sure if they communicate directly, or if it relays through the phone, but I can leave my phone at home, have the house lock itself, and then come back and – when the app is working – unlock the front door via the Apple Watch.

 

[spacebro]

My August smart lock works with the Apple Watch. I'm not sure if they communicate directly, or if it relays through the phone, but I can leave my phone at home, have the house lock itself, and then come back and – when the app is working – unlock the front door via the Apple Watch.

But can you just touch the watch to the door to unlock? Or do you have to open the app launcher, then tap the august icon, then tap the right lock, then tap to unlock it?

 

[c.s.]

The Series 4 is more viable as a phone replacement than Series 3. I basically wore my 3 everywhere and have used my phone less and less over the past year. My main frustrations with the 3 were LTE reception and the speaker volume when taking calls in the car. Series 4 really hit those check boxes for me!