Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple Watch Series 3 Reviews: Freedom From iPhone Held Back by LTE and Battery Life Concerns
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Exactly. That´s my take too.
I´ll be using it when riding my bike, if something ever happens while outside, having the option of making a call is something I´m willing to pay for.
Other scenarios where you can leave you iphone behind and use this function: hiking, going to the sea, theme park, just to grab some beers.
I'm ordering the gps only version.
I'm not a runner or swimmer. I do workout but my phone is with me because that's how I log my sets and reps.
I'm never without my phone or too far away from it. And if I had the LTE version, I still wouldn't want to leave my phone behind for a very good reason. I like to take photos. I don't want to be somewhere without the ability to capture a shot, send a snap, post something to instagram. I like to document what I see or things happening around me, and leaving my phone behind eliminates that possibility.
That's my use case. YMMV.
I'm not a runner or swimmer. I do workout but my phone is with me because that's how I log my sets and reps.
I'm never without my phone or too far away from it. And if I had the LTE version, I still wouldn't want to leave my phone behind for a very good reason. I like to take photos. I don't want to be somewhere without the ability to capture a shot, send a snap, post something to instagram. I like to document what I see or things happening around me, and leaving my phone behind eliminates that possibility.
That's my use case. YMMV.
Ya Apple who not only dominates the smartwatch market but now is the worlds largest top selling watchmaker doesn't understand the product 
What percent of serious athletes doesn't have one at all??? What percent have an UNreliable Garmin?
Realistically, if you're a serious athlete, you certainly didn't want one before it had a GPS which was barely 12 months ago. I think you'll have to wait a bit before those serious athletes need a new health tracker and consider it. But until that happens the numbers certainly aren't going to change super fast, right?
And what percent of the watch market is "serious athletes" vs. what percentage of the watch market that Apple has captured?
Post your SSN and date of birth.
Bossy little man! You'd make a cute little tyrant.
WOW, I didn't see these negative reviews coming. Very disappointing. I was more excited for the watch over the new 8+. Now I am wondering if I will even accept delivery..
When Apple Watch Series 1 came out the verge came out with a similar video and said wow look how fast the SS smudges (they really zoomed into the watch and it looked like someone spilled grease all over), how easily it gets scratched. After seeing that video I switched my order to aluminum AW. Then replaced it with a SS within 30 day. Point is I’m never listening to the clowns at the Verge again. I think they overhype their bad reviews. First she tries using lte in the middle of the ocean and then she complains about battery life. If you really think LTE will work in the middle of the ocean you shouldn’t be writing tech reviews. Also if you think a tiny watch will last all day on LTE then you must be as dumb as a door knob and not understand technology. I personally never find their reviews to be fair and it seems like they test it for the wrong reasons to prove some point that they know will be over hyped. Headlines: Apple Watch will not work in the middle of the ocean #fakenews
I'm good with my decision to snag a S2 for now. Even with some of the issues though, this is the right direction. I can see the S4 being a real game-changer if they can figure out these issues though, particularly the battery.
Or if Apple figures out non-invasive glucose monitoring, in which case game over, Apple wins life.
Or if Apple figures out non-invasive glucose monitoring, in which case game over, Apple wins life.
My iPhone is a better smart device than Apple Watch and my $50.00 analog "dumb" watch is a better watch than Apple Watch.
It's one of those "I don't know why this exists" products imo.
It's one of those "I don't know why this exists" products imo.
It's a bit harsh complaining about "overhype" and then exaggerating that the test took place "in the middle of the ocean" when it actually took place near to the shore (which is where I assume most people surf anyway).
Also, Apple think it should work just just fine...
Amen brother, you’ve got the optimal strategy! The waterproof, streamlined fanny packs you can get on Amazon store a bunch of stuff that I would argue are essential to long-distance running, don’t bounce, don’t make you extra sweaty, and will keep you from having to pay for a ridiculous Apple Watch network plan.
They're not the first, Samsung beat them to the punch. They rolled out an LTE capable smart watch last year or the year before. I believe there may be other Android watches that also include LTE, but I know for a fact Samsung has had one for a little while.
I wonder what you’re imagining when you say she swim out to the middle of the ocean. Yes, it started dropping signal around Bermuda.
Since your ocean is Lake Michigan, would you be happy to take a boat cruise along the city front and have no signal on your phone?
Then why do they list the RF frequencies?
People once thought smoking was fine.
Point is, phones may or may not cause cancer from close proximity to the cell receivers/projectors. I just happen to think there may be a problem. It's okay if you disagree.
My confusion - the thread
Lol - strava is a public athletic forum. if you knew anything about sports perhaps you'd already know that.
but sure "your friends" use an apple watch but you can't back up that data with a link or two.
[doublepost=1506036902][/doublepost]It's not just $1,000 for the iPhone X ... you can without much difficulty spend nearly as much to get the new Apple watch. Or, if you act soon, you can get almost as good for a lot less. That's what I did....![]()
Apple Watch Series 3 reviews are out, and the verdict is mixed about its new built-in cellular capabilities and the impact on battery life.
![apple-watch-series-3-verge.jpg]()
Apple Watch Series 3 via The Verge
The Verge editor Lauren Goode said her Apple Watch Series 3 largely "failed at the LTE part," particularly due to an issue where the watch would connect to an unknown Wi-Fi network instead of LTE.Apple acknowledged the issue and said it is investigating a fix that will be included in a future software update.
Goode said the one aspect "worth two thumbs up" is watchOS 4, especially for its improved heart rate tracking.TechCrunch editor Brian Heater said the Apple Watch Series 3's cellular capabilities are "a bit liberating," but he didn't find many scenarios where having a standalone connection was particularly useful.The Wall Street Journal columnist Joanna Stern said her Apple Watch Series 3's cellular connection was "unreliable" and "intermittent."Stern added that "you're lucky if the battery allows you to roam on cellular for longer than half a day--especially if you're making calls."
The Sydney Morning Herald's Peter Wells didn't share that viewpoint, calling battery life on the Apple Watch Series 3 "excellent." Daring Fireball's John Gruber was impressed with the Apple Watch's phone call audio quality and didn't mention any connectivity issues.The New York Times reporter Brian X. Chen said the Apple Watch Series 3 is the first smartwatch he can recommend people buy.Wired writer David Pierce said the Apple Watch 3's performance "feels dramatically better than any previous Watch."
More Reviews: The Loop, CNET, Financial Post, 9to5Mac, Mashable, The Independent, and USA Today
Article Link: Apple Watch Series 3 Reviews: Freedom From iPhone Held Back by LTE and Battery Life Concerns
As an early 2015 adopter with a Series 0 stainless steel Apple Watch (AW), I was planning on upgrading to the Series 3. Three things gave me pause: 1) To get a Series 3 AW stainless with my preferred black Milanese band required buying the LTE version. As far as I could figure the cost, with California tax, would have priced out at more than $950 ... not counting the $120/month I'd need to pay AT&T for away-from-my-$1,000-iPhone service. Sigh. Somehow paying ~$250/year for a watch over three years seems high. 2) This is a nit, but I already have a perfectly fine Milanese band. I think Apple should have found a way to provide the mechanism without a band and give pioneer customers a $75 break. 3) Another nit: why can't you buy a stainless AW without LTE?
A solution: Since the Apple Series 2 watch -- which Apple thoughtfully discontinued in favor of its earlier, slower, Series 1 model -- is just a bit slower than the Series 3, offers the model in stainless casing without LTE and costs these days $200-$300 less than a comparable stainless Series 3 model from vendors like Target, I went there. Actually I went to B&H in New York City but Target is still has these models advertised. I also luckily found a new black Milanese 42mm band on EBay _new_ form $119. Again, these are out there, perhaps slightly used.
I'll take my ~$400 savings on the watch and apply it to the iPhone X in March when my AT&T 30 month plan on my iPhone 6S is over. Then sell the Series 0 watch and iPhone 6S for, I hope, $350-$400. If this works out the two-year upgrade net cost should be between $300 and $400. Hope so, anyway.
I could be mistaken, but I don’t think you have to activate the LTE on the AW3 w/LTE. I presume it will then operate the same as an AW3 w/o LTE. Don’t know how the pricing on the upper-tier AW3s compared to that of the the earlier series, but it doesn’t seem like a big deal that you have to buy an AW with LTE if you want a case other than aluminum. That said, I’m surprised Apple opted to only offer LTE in the upper-tier models - I would have expected more of an iPad style of pricing where you have to pay just enough to make you think it might be worth it even if you don’t plan on using the cellular capabilities.
Wow, teach me about sports, little bossy man!
Why would I subject my network of friends to your probing? I'm more interested in keeping you ignorant about AW impact in athletic circles!
This type of comment is disgusting when there is no specific evidence of its truthfulness, as is the case here. It also distracts from real sexism, which does exist and which should be called out. Worse, it suggests that female bloggers are delicate flowers that should be immune to criticism, lest someone assume — as you have — that the same criticism wouldn’t be leveled at a male blogger.
Especially in today’s political climate, I respectfully suggest that accusations of this type of bias should not be made lightly.
They have premium computers and mobile phones. I would expect the same in watches as well. With premium not referring to superluxury 20k Rolex of course. Just something a bit less engineerish if you will.
To me the article scores about 4 or a little less than their review of the watch.
Newsflash for anyone who has been to Manhattan where the Verge headquarters are, hardly any cellphones on ATT work well at all. Try using google maps or keep a phone call without dropping for more than 5 minutes and you will be peeing all over yourself with joy. I guarantee had they brought another cell phone on the ATT network as a direct comparison like anyone with a tech background would, it most certainly would have been plagued with a similarly poor connection.
The other problem is all the known networks on the test watch paired phone that are secured with a password in the area. If the phone isn't there the password does not unlock and the watch hunts in desperation. Forgetting all the silly networks around town before pairing the watch for testing seems to be an oversight that anyone who has had cell wifi issues before would prepare for.
The final completely dopey comment about battery life had me in stitches. Even smart watches are for glances literally and figuratively at this point but it is changing. I logged 2 days of use with exactly a 1 hour call before my watch went dead and the cellular handshake between wireless and cellular has been flawless. Next time bring a phone that is not connected to the watch so there can be a relatively unbiased even-handed assessment. Also bring a reviewer that understands the watch is not a phone replacement yet because the battery tech has not advanced far enough yet.
And finally if you lived on the isle Manhattan I would say a 5 out of 10 is generous. We are talking the 1% here.
I would be very interested in an extensive review of Verge Media's financial holdings and other investments. They seem to nakedly capitalize on negatives and not in the pursuit of good unbiased journalism.
Newsflash for anyone who has been to Manhattan where the Verge headquarters are, hardly any cellphones on ATT work well at all. Try using google maps or keep a phone call without dropping for more than 5 minutes and you will be peeing all over yourself with joy. I guarantee had they brought another cell phone on the ATT network as a direct comparison like anyone with a tech background would, it most certainly would have been plagued with a similarly poor connection.
The other problem is all the known networks on the test watch paired phone that are secured with a password in the area. If the phone isn't there the password does not unlock and the watch hunts in desperation. Forgetting all the silly networks around town before pairing the watch for testing seems to be an oversight that anyone who has had cell wifi issues before would prepare for.
The final completely dopey comment about battery life had me in stitches. Even smart watches are for glances literally and figuratively at this point but it is changing. I logged 2 days of use with exactly a 1 hour call before my watch went dead and the cellular handshake between wireless and cellular has been flawless. Next time bring a phone that is not connected to the watch so there can be a relatively unbiased even-handed assessment. Also bring a reviewer that understands the watch is not a phone replacement yet because the battery tech has not advanced far enough yet.
And finally if you lived on the isle Manhattan I would say a 5 out of 10 is generous. We are talking the 1% here.
I would be very interested in an extensive review of Verge Media's financial holdings and other investments. They seem to nakedly capitalize on negatives and not in the pursuit of good unbiased journalism.
Last edited:
Seriously what is wrong??
- you need to get several adapters in order to use your existing stuff (USB3, HDMI, etc)
- Not able to connect your own iPhone
- Problems with Battery
- Overpriced (more expensive, less compatible)
- A pro computer limited to 16 GB Ram.
- The removal of the Mag-Safe one of the best features from the macbooks.
The Macbook Pro was one of the most expected and worst receive by everyone. I personally know many people that bought one and return them within a week.
Rising Mac sales suggest that whiners like you are in the minority. The move to USB-C was entirely expected. And no MacBook Pro ever had more than 16GB. It is an Intel limitation.