Apple Watch replacing iphone questions

[vintagekeys]

Hi all,

I am going to replace my Iphone for the Apple SmartWatch.
This solution will work but has lots of limitations, Its not designed as a standalone device however it has sufficient features to make it sort of work.

1: You need to live/work in a city environment with great LTE reception. The antenna is not as strong as that of a smartphone.

This will only works best if you work in a office and don`t travel much during your working hours.

2: Use the phone functionality as a emergency, for most calls use your office phone instead during office hours and for the rest your home phone, as you only have 1 hour call time via LTE on the apple watch before the battery is empty.

3: Carry a spare battery pack when traveling in city environments and have a charger at work.
You might have to charge mid day, to make sure you have enough battery to make emergency calls when on the go. Or recharge the apple watch with a car charger when driving.

4: Use the iphone instead when hiking going to lower reception areas or situations you know you have a much higher risk on needing a reliable phone.

As the Applewatch has poor/weak reception and when LTE tries to establish its connection in poor reception areas, it will suck the battery dry very fast.

5: Iphone off = most limitations
Cannot send/receive SMS, Can send/receive phone calls via LTE. No notifications at all. No Voicemail. Imessage resolves partial the SMS issue with friends/family that has iphones.

Iphone on but not near Apple Watch = less limitations (I go for this option)
Cannot send/receive SMS, Can send/receive phone calls via LTE. Some notifications. No Voicemail. Imessage resolves partial the SMS issue with friends/family that has iphones.

Iphone on and bluetooth paired with apple Watch = optimal.
Optimal yes but then its a Iphone Extension instead of a primary device, thus not a option for me.


Why i want to move to the Apple watch as my daily phone?!

I seldom call or whatsapp etc. i use my phone pure for facebook/ instagram and youtube, i want to get rid of that distraction during my working hours from 9to6.

I still have access to all of it from my work computer anyway, so for any type of calls etc i can just use my desk phone or when i get home use my home phone. I dont use voicemail, and i seldom send tex (i only receive them for 2FA)

From Monday till friday calculated these times i need to have access to a phone to call incase required. 08:30 to 09:00 traveling to work. 12:00 to 13:00 Lunch hour. 18:00 - 18:30 travel time to home. and then 2 hour daily when i go to the skate park.
(for the skatepark i can take the iphone 6plus with me instead once i get home)

That`s 2 hours per day max where i potential receive a call or have to make a call out of the day.
But from experience the past nearly 3 years carrying my Iphone 6 Plus i had only a handfull of calls made during those time frames.

Sources used:
Ditch iphone for Apple watch threads:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/apple-watch-as-my-primary-device.2080307/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/apple-watch-as-phone-replacement.2074627/

SMS on Applewatch using LTE when phone is turned off:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/sms-with-iphone-off.2108568/

IF there are more limitations, issues or problems that you experienced doing the same, please share this information, so i can better prepare living off a apple watch from day to day going forward. Thanks in advance!

Apple Smart Watch WIFI when Iphone is turned off:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/does-the-apple-watch-need-wifi.1878252/

 

[Shirasaki]

Apple Watch is not designed as a standalone device. It needs iPhone to set up, needs iPhone to sync data, and need iPhone to initiate the software update.
If you want to use Apple Watch more often without your iPhone, I'd wait and see what Apple Watch series 4 will look like before making the decision if I were you. For now, Apple Watch series 3 with LTE is the best option for you. It can at least send SMS as long as you have an accompanying plan.

 

[vintagekeys]

Thanks, yes i definitely holding off with the idea till the new apple watch is announced. So i can send SMS from the current Gen 3 cellular version? but cannot receive?

I can keep my old iphone 6 plus around for activation etc, but the idea stands to replace that one with a apple watch and let it work as much as possible independent from that Iphone 6 Plus.

 

[Julien]

You MUST have an iPhone to pair and setup an Apple Watch. You also must have an iPhone phone for any 3ed part app installs, updates, backups and any needed re-paring or restoring. Also many settings and features that need or work better using the iPhon's Watch app.

 

[Shirasaki]

Thanks, yes i definitely holding off with the idea till the new apple watch is announced. So i can send SMS from the current Gen 3 cellular version? but cannot receive?

I can keep my old iphone 6 plus around for activation etc, but the idea stands to replace that one with a apple watch and let it work as much as possible independent from that Iphone 6 Plus.

You can send and receive SMS just fine, from Apple Watch cellular version.

 

[vintagekeys]

You can send and receive SMS just fine, from Apple Watch cellular version.

Thanks, but SMS only works if my iphone is on as well?! i want to work as much without the iphone in the picture, beside the initial activation and such, for the rest i want that phone off at all times unless i really need it for something.

In that case would sending and receiving SMS still work?!
Also with the Gen 3 what is the average call time you can have on a full battery? is a 1 hour call possible if needed?

Because i am debating between a dumb-phone or a smart watch both are very limited to just calling, (SMS) having access to a chap app is a big bonus.

• A dumb phone in general cant send and receive emails nor does has a chap app.

So i prefer to use the smart watch.

I want to detox from social media temptations and strengthen the privacy as much as i have in control myself.

 

[cwanja]

The battery on the Apple Watch via LTE only is 1 hour. So you will get your 1 hour talk time, but then your watch will be dead.
https://www.apple.com/watch/battery.html

SMS someone else will have to comment on, but I know iMessage will work without the iPhone connected. I would have to imagine SMS would as well - but cannot confirm as I am not a current owner.

I understand your desire, but as others have mentioned the Apple Watch in its current state is really not meant to be a standalone device. Without your phone sharing the data connection, WiFi, etc. the Watch is going to be doing the heavy lifting and in about 5 days you are going to hate it because it cannot last for more then half a day on its own.

 

[vintagekeys]

Thanks! 1 hour of talk time via LTE that might be enough for me, given i seldom call.

In regards of the data sharing, does that means that the phone needs to be turned on at all times? or could the iphone just be off and would LTE + Data traffic still work?

I am unclear of the iphone needs to be turned on or can be left off for data and LTE (calling and SMS)

 

[cwanja]

If your Apple Watch cannot connect to your iPhone, it will roll over to LTE off the watch. At that point, only messages and calls would come in. No notifications of any other sort would come in.

Maybe someone else can comment, but I am not sure if your Apple Watch shares your data plan or has its own. But if the latter, you would need to be conscious of that as well.

 

[vintagekeys]

If your Apple Watch cannot connect to your iPhone, it will roll over to LTE off the watch. At that point, only messages and calls would come in. No notifications of any other sort would come in.

Maybe someone else can comment, but I am not sure if your Apple Watch shares your data plan or has its own. But if the latter, you would need to be conscious of that as well.

Thanks! That would mean its pretty useless as a phone replacement as you guys said before.

If i only can receive calls and messages, but cannot make calls or send a email message/ chat app message myself IF needed. its useless at this point for me to proceed with the thought of replacing my phone with a apple watch. IF i could make calls myself under LTE whilst my phone was turned off i would still consider it though.

Perhaps a few generations from now it will be possible. I don`t need a Iphone gadget, i want a Apple replacement for my Iphone

*is there a technical limitation for the Apple Watch for being able to receive calls under LTE but not being able to call other people from the apple watch or a deliberate limitation by apple?

if i establish a incoming call via LTE from a apple watch surely i would be able to call other people as well, the same for sending a SMS.

Edit:
Found some interesting reads:
Seems like LTE destroys battery consumption when searching for a signal and the reception of the attena is not as good as that of a phone it seems.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/apple-watch-as-phone-replacement.2074627/

 

[inkahauts]

Thanks, but SMS only works if my iphone is on as well?! i want to work as much without the iphone in the picture, beside the initial activation and such, for the rest i want that phone off at all times unless i really need it for something.

In that case would sending and receiving SMS still work?!
Also with the Gen 3 what is the average call time you can have on a full battery? is a 1 hour call possible if needed?

Because i am debating between a dumb-phone or a smart watch both are very limited to just calling, (SMS) having access to a chap app is a big bonus.

• A dumb phone in general cant send and receive emails nor does has a chap app.

So i prefer to use the smart watch.

I want to detox from social media temptations and strengthen the privacy as much as i have in control myself.

Why do you want it turned off? Why not just leave it at home plugged into a charging station so it’s always set to go if needed...

 

[parseckadet]

Why do you want it turned off? Why not just leave it at home plugged into a charging station so it’s always set to go if needed...

This was my thought as well. Also, you say all you ever do is call your wife, but I find that hard to believe. What about your bank or insurance company? Or if you're having something delivered? What about emergencies? Seems to me like the 1 hour of talk time over LTE is just not enough. Remember that's starting with a 100% charge. But toward the end of the day you'll probably be down in the 25% range. So now you're talking more like 15 minutes or less.

One other thing to research, in addition to how calls and text messages work, is how voicemail messages work without the phone being powered on.

Finally, you said you want security, but having calls over the watch speaker all the time isn't very secure. So would you be adding AirPods to the picture as well? Sorry, but this whole situation just sounds like fitting a square peg into a round hole. If the only options you're willing to consider are AppleWatch ONLY (i.e. not even having an iPhone powered on in a drawer somewhere) or a dumb phone, I would say the dumb phone is the better option.

 

[vintagekeys]

This was my thought as well. Also, you say all you ever do is call your wife, but I find that hard to believe. What about your bank or insurance company? Or if you're having something delivered? What about emergencies? Seems to me like the 1 hour of talk time over LTE is just not enough. Remember that's starting with a 100% charge. But toward the end of the day you'll probably be down in the 25% range. So now you're talking more like 15 minutes or less. I am working in a office with a office phone, 99% of my days from 9 to 6 pm, this is not a issue. Only in the weekends i can imagine what you are saying has ground and there i would have perhaps to resort more to the iphone.

Also most people use a charger or battery pack at work to recharge their phones in between the day, for a smart watch it would be no difference in my opinion.

One other thing to research, in addition to how calls and text messages work, is how voicemail messages work without the phone being powered on. From reading up apparantly SMS/Text wont work when then, i don`t use voicemail so thats easy for me.

Finally, you said you want security, but having calls over the watch speaker all the time isn't very secure. So would you be adding AirPods to the picture as well? Sorry, but this whole situation just sounds like fitting a square peg into a round hole. If the only options you're willing to consider are AppleWatch ONLY (i.e. not even having an iPhone powered on in a drawer somewhere) or a dumb phone, I would say the dumb phone is the better option.[/QUOTE]
Earpods offcourse for private conversations Agreed a dumbphone is easier BUT A: i want a apple device, B: having a bit of a challange to get to less conventional way of using something is rewarding to me personally. Lots of people might not bother with this, but to me it is something that is very appealing
[doublepost=1535072960][/doublepost]

Why do you want it turned off? Why not just leave it at home plugged into a charging station so it’s always set to go if needed...

Could be, but to leave a iphone plugged in 24/7 a day i think i will kill that poor old Iphone 6 Plus battery super fast (i can offcourse replace the battery overtime. And then just upgrade the iphone for a second hand model every few years when the model is too old to support the latest apple watch.

So turning the iphone off was more of a idea to preserve that device more than anything.

 

[cwanja]

For what it’s worth, in my opinion, you are going to plunge into an Apple Watch and iPhone and find out that the Apple Watch does not work that great without the iPhone. And be rather upset.

 

[vintagekeys]

For what it’s worth, in my opinion, you are going to plunge into an Apple Watch and iPhone and find out that the Apple Watch does not work that great without the iPhone. And be rather upset.

Thanks for your feedback, i am constantly updating the opening post as accurate as possible with all the limitations so like minded people with the same idea know exactly what they are going to jump into.

For now there are still questions outstanding that i have, to really understand the difference between the Iphone being turned off completely vs the Iphone is on and active but at home. There are a few major differences i believe but still both are very limited vs having the apple watch paired via bluetooth to a iphone.

 

[mpainesyd]

In Australia you need an iPhone plan that allows the AW LTE to piggyback on the service. The AW then uses the same phone number and can also receive and send sms. I suspect it is the same elsewhere.
Note there is no keyboard,for sms replies - you have to choose set replies from a list (or risk using siri)

 

[vintagekeys]

In Australia you need an iPhone plan that allows the AW LTE to piggyback on the service. The AW then uses the same phone number and can also receive and send sms. I suspect it is the same elsewhere.
Note there is no keyboard,for sms replies - you have to choose set replies from a list (or risk using siri)

Thanks! Yep here in Hong Kong where i live i have to do the same. I more keen on getting my SMS 2FA passcodes more than anything i dont use SMS for a long time myself anymore, for that we have email and chat apps

Thanks for your feedback.

 

[Unami]

I’ve been looking forward to not needing to have a phone since the original watch came out. But it‘s not there yet, and at the current pace we’ll probably have to wait until series 8 or 10. I hope, with watchOS 5 apparently getting a standalone Spotify app, i can finally replace my original watch and leave the phone at home more often.

i could do fine with the limited talk time, and even the limited text-input would be o.k.. But I’d like to have notifications from third-party apps installed on the watch (e.g. signal, whatsapp, facebook messenger - not sure if all of them even have a watch app).

 

[vintagekeys]

I’ve been looking forward to not needing to have a phone since the original watch came out. But it‘s not there yet, and at the current pace we’ll probably have to wait until series 8 or 10. I hope, with watchOS 5 apparently getting a standalone Spotify app, i can finally replace my original watch and leave the phone at home more often.

i could do fine with the limited talk time, and even the limited text-input would be o.k.. But I’d like to have notifications from third-party apps installed on the watch (e.g. signal, whatsapp, facebook messenger - not sure if all of them even have a watch app).

Thanks for your feedback.

I have searched at well and it seems that thirdparty support is rather underwelming for the apple watch unless you want 1001 fitness apps. Essential apps such as whatsapp etc are not yet natively supporting apple watches, probably because the market is too small for them..

 

[cwanja]

Thanks for your feedback.

I have searched at well and it seems that thirdparty support is rather underwelming for the apple watch unless you want 1001 fitness apps. Essential apps such as whatsapp etc are not yet natively supporting apple watches, probably because the market is too small for them..

A lot of third party apps have since pulled their Apple Watch apps because it did not make sense on the smaller screen to have it. With the rumored larger screen, who knows if that will change developers / companies minds and shift back to releasing them on the Apple Watch.

 

[vintagekeys]

Thanks, for me personally. i am only looking for a Signal and Protonmail app for the apple watch the rest i do not care about, i want to go as much as possible away from mobile device/social media distractions