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Can you do FaceTime Audio calls with Apple Watch with Cellular edition?
- Thread starter 212rikanmofo
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Really? But I thought the watch supports LTE. I imagine if the watch can send and receive SMS, then it should be also able to call and receive FaceTime calls as well. Would like if somebody can confirm this. If not, then this feature needs to be added.
Given Apple Watch battery size and how power hungry those chips are, even if apple add this feature, one can maybe make 1 hour phone call and that’s it. Watch dead. Cool to have it but not sure how practical this could be.
There is a BIG difference in LTE bandwidth in a phone call and FaceTime. Apple’s watch is a long way off from being able to do FaceTime with it current hardware.
Dick Tracey not in the room yet!
Apple says yes, see the section on making calls. Either LTE cellular or FaceTime audio are supported.
https://support.apple.com/guide/watch/make-phone-calls-apdc38d7a95e/watchos
And this:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205547
https://support.apple.com/guide/watch/make-phone-calls-apdc38d7a95e/watchos
And this:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205547
Ive used it to call friends/family on their iPads and on iPhones that don’t have a cellular plan.
Well, i do this when talking to my kids. They have iPads, so the easiest way to get in touch with them when i'm away from home is via FaceTime (either audio och video). So i definitely see ause of making FaceTime audiocalls from the Apple Watch.
Not to mention you can call people internationally without paying the long distance charges.
So what? You don’t need LTE to FaceTime. Any internet connection will suffice.
Still, no can do from the watch.
Clearly you didn't read the whole thread. As you would've then known, yes you can from the watch. At least according to Apple.
I had read the whole thread, but not the linked articles.
I stand corrected.
Still this has nothing to do with LTE though. In fact I am wondering whether it would work at all while away from your phone. As far as I can tell there is no standalone FaceTime app on the watch.
I can’t test on my watch as it doesn’t have LTE.
I do have an Apple Watch that supports LTE and I can happily confirm that Facetime calls without Wireless and without ANY connectivity to your phone is working just fine. There may not be a dedicated Facetime App on the phone but the phone app does the job neatly. As described in one of the articles linked to earlier.
So yes, it has a LOT to do with LTE.
The Apple Watch can independently make a FaceTime audio call if it has any kind of internet connection. It has been able to do this for a while.
New in watchOS 5 is that you can answer a Group FaceTime call on your watch. It will be audio only though.
New in watchOS 5 is that you can answer a Group FaceTime call on your watch. It will be audio only though.
Yes, I use Siri to initiate them regularly over cellular. Works fine. Audio calls via the watch are 4G only, which is essentially a VoIP call anyway, so FaceTime audio isn't that different except higher quality audio, and less resilience to poor signal.