Apple's Series Three Apple Watch to Include Cellular Connection

[Michael Scrip]

If you were dying to get back to a 4" screen on the phone...

You'll love the 1.5" screen on the all new Apple Watch LTE!!!

Read your emails... three words at a time! Say goodbye to screen real estate!

Shout your text messages... out loud! Make Siri your biatch!

For the low low price of $429.... plus additional carrier fees!

 

[69Mustang]

It's not clear if a standalone cellular plan will be needed for the Apple Watch

If by "not clear" you mean "guaranteed to need one" then yes, it's not clear if a standalone plan will be needed.

Steaming Apple Music with just my Apple Watch and AirPods? Yes please!

Neither the Apple Watch nor Apple Music are covered for water damage from steaming. So steam at your own risk.

 

[ThaRuler]

Dead on Arrival

 

[lowercaseperson]

So finally adding the final piece of the puzzle that should have been included in the original?

Seriously, I will be disappointed if in the first 3 generations of the Apple Watch the only new functionality it gains is GPS and Cell. Seems embarrassing, everyone knows it's coming, frankly nobody would have blinked if both were included in gen1. I LOVE my series 2 but COME ON Apple, surprise me!

 

[Mousesuck]

I've never left my home without my phone, and some wonky finger-scribbling, wrist-talking device on my arm isn't going to change that.

Not long ago, there was a time when there were no cell phones, not a long time from now, that will happen again.

Apple Watch as a notification hub, cell phone, music and health app and basic mensages app.

Coupled with Apple glasses for more serious interactions, writing mails, browsing the Internet, online market places, gaming...

Augmented reality will eventually lead to the dead of the smartphone and the real era of the wearables.

 

[RojoLeo]

And make it even more 'expensive'.
It's not needed for the majority, most people which have a laptop have acces to wifi or can tether it to their mobile phone.

It's a ridiculously cheap chip. And I disagree with your summation, and don't think there's data to back it up. It's a killer feature of the SP4.

 

[tkermit]

supercomputers on our wrists that will make our day to day lives easier

I'm not convinced of that part. In any case I'm not sure these devices really help us to become more fulfilled individuals.

 

[whyamihere]

Paying another monthly line fee would be crazy given the insignificant amount of data the Apple Watch could use.

 

[Michael Scrip]

So finally adding the final piece of the puzzle that should have been included in the original?

Perhaps there weren't suitable LTE chips to fit inside a watch 28 months ago?

 

[Fatboy71]

While I can see the benefit of a cellular Apple Watch for if you wanted to go on a run and didn't want your iPhone to be jumping around in the pocket of your shorts, but you wanted to be able to make or receive calls still.

But for anything else I can't see the point. Imagine thinking "I think I will leave my iPhone at home today, I won't need it". You might then be somewhere, where you want to take a photo, or watch a video on You Tube, go on Facebook, post a photo on Instagram, or even look on Twitter. Some are either not possible on the Apple Watch or the iPhone app version has more features or is just generally a better experience on the iPhone.

Personally I prefer to have both my iPhone and Apple Watch with me, because I wouldn't want to have to choose which I wanted to bring with me, I have them both with me and they both compliment each other. I can never see the Apple Watch been an iPhone replacement, its a companion/extension to it.

 

[44267547]

So finally adding the final piece of the puzzle that should have been included in the original?

I don't agree that LTE should have been included on the first generation Apple Watch. The Apple Watch should mature incrementally over time, it's not expected it would have every feature possible for a first generation Apple Watch. Series 2 included GPS, additional water resistance, S2 Chip, brighter display to build off the first generation Apple Watch. I suspect Series 3 won't be drastically different over Series 2.

 

[drew0020]

I want the watch to be more expensive with better quality. I'd love it if the Hermes version became the Edition version. No reason why it needs to use the same SS as the basic watch.

 

[Whitelobster]

The $10 per month add on for the iPad was a problem for me. You should be able to connect multiple devices to the shared data plan and not be charge for each device. Or maybe a limit. But when you have an iPhone, multiple iPads and now iWatch(s) the $10 per extra device is crazy.

I wonder how TMobile's DIGITS program would work with this. I could be wrong, but it seems like you wouldn't need to pay more to add your watch as an extension of your account.

 

[SpectatorHere]

So three years out we've got the cellular connection many expected from this so-called revolutionary device. And it's still way too bulky/fugly. At least this would be convenient for going for a run, for example.

 

[Fatboy71]

Steaming Apple Music with just my Apple Watch and AirPods? Yes please!

Imagine going biking or jogging with just a watch and having millions of songs to choose from. No more of this:

And then perhaps been in a position where you wanted to take a photo, and you then couldn't cause you don't have your iPhone with you.

 

[seatton]

If they offer a sleep tracking as well as an always-on display, I might consider getting an Hermes or a Ceramic version. I currently have a SS series 0 version.

 

[Tronic]

I don't understand the people saying this isn't desperately needed. If you do any type of outdoor exercise activity (running, cycling, yard work, etc) using an Apple Watch with AirPods is an enormously improved experience over using EarPods with an iPhone!

The 2gb song limit, lack of podcasts, and inability to use Apple Pay when you don't have your iPhone with you really suck. I'll admit I'm too attached to my phone but if have any chance to leave it behind, I do.

 

[tgwaste]

Assuming it needs its own plan.. I'm out. This type of thing should be easily connected to a current plan with no up-charge. But this is carriers we are talking about.. they nickle and dime everyone.

I suppose.. but frankly I find my $70 unlimited t-mobile plan pretty fair with fantastic reliability.

 

[justperry]

It's a ridiculously cheap chip. And I disagree with your summation, and don't think there's data to back it up. It's a killer feature of the SP4.

If it's that cheap then tell me why the iPhone is soooo much more expensive than the iPod Touch.
It's not a killer feature, how many laptop models include it, guess what, very few.

 

[tgwaste]

I wonder how TMobile's DIGITS program would work with this. I could be wrong, but it seems like you wouldn't need to pay more to add your watch as an extension of your account.

Interesting notion. If any carrier would just let us do this instead of an up-charge it would be t-mobile. I bet if you do need to pay though it'll be $5/month extra.

 

[soanis]

This is a welcomed addition. I'm still using my sport series 0. I'm ready to retire it and get a new model. I've been waiting for a circular screen with a more classy look and feel. If gen 3 is square, I'm getting it anyway.

I don't see a circular screen happening any time soon...Too "dated" for Apple and reminiscent of Android for most people.

 

[jent]

Anyone know why Sprint wasn't listed as a participating carrier? It's the only one of the big four U.S. carriers that wasn't mentioned.

 

[44267547]

Anyone know why Sprint wasn't listed as a participating carrier? It's the only one of the big four U.S. carriers that wasn't mentioned.

If very well could include Sprint. Or Sprint might be added later on after the launch if LTE is a possibility.

 

[WRChris]

I don't see a circular screen happening any time soon...Too "dated" for Apple and reminiscent of Android for most people.

If not, it's not a deal breaker. I just think it looks more like a watch that way.

Check out that new post! Crazy timing

 

[Rogifan]

So finally adding the final piece of the puzzle that should have been included in the original?

Seriously, I will be disappointed if in the first 3 generations of the Apple Watch the only new functionality it gains is GPS and Cell. Seems embarrassing, everyone knows it's coming, frankly nobody would have blinked if both were included in gen1. I LOVE my series 2 but COME ON Apple, surprise me!

Why does a smart watch need LTE? Just for fitness geeks who want to run without their phone?

The Android OEMs who have added LTE...those watches are so bulky. I hope Apple Watch doesn’t get any thicker.