How does cellular versions help me? Is it only if I forget my phone? Will it work with my same number on my phone?
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Cellular versions
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FreakinEurekan
macrumors G3
It does use the same number as your phone, other than Family Watch (for kids).
It’s useful if you don’t have your phone with you - accidentally or on purpose. I know some people like to run with just Apple Watch & AirPods, for example, and leave the phone at home.
Personally I do have Cellular active on my current watch, but I get a discount from my carrier so it only costs $5/mo. To me, the benefit probably wouldn’t be worth $10/mo but “just in case” I forget my phone, it’s occasionally handy. It also was helpful when I smashed my phone while on a trip; let me call people etc. until I got home and had the phone replaced.
It’s useful if you don’t have your phone with you - accidentally or on purpose. I know some people like to run with just Apple Watch & AirPods, for example, and leave the phone at home.
Personally I do have Cellular active on my current watch, but I get a discount from my carrier so it only costs $5/mo. To me, the benefit probably wouldn’t be worth $10/mo but “just in case” I forget my phone, it’s occasionally handy. It also was helpful when I smashed my phone while on a trip; let me call people etc. until I got home and had the phone replaced.
xraydoc
Contributor
Your cellular service sets it up in the background, so calls and SMS messages to/from your normal number get mirrored to/from your cellular watch.
It's handy if you want to leave the house without your phone (say if you're on a jog or just running to the store) but you still want to have communications capabilities. I'm a guy, so I don't carry a purse that I just throw stuff in, and I generally don't like filling up my pockets, so not carrying a phone sometimes is nice.
And with ApplePay, the only thing I really need to bring with me is my driver's license and my car key fob (and if I had a car that worked with Apple Wallet, I wouldn't even need that). I have smart locks on my house, so I don't need to carry a house key. And when my state transitions to Apple Wallet driver's license (which has been announced), I won't even need to bring my ID.
Is it necessary? Definitely not. Especially if you're someone that always has their phone regardless or carries a purse/bag anyway. But, with a cellular watch, you don't always have to have your phone, which is nice. And, yes, if you happen to just forget your phone at home, you're still in contact with family & friends if you want to be.
Tdude96
macrumors 6502a
My work requires me to be reachable 24/7/365, so until I got a cellular Apple Watch, I had to carry my phone everywhere I didn't have wi-fi. Leaving the phone behind wasn't an option. Ever. With cellular on my watch, I can leave my phone at home or in the car if I want and don't have to worry. That's particularly handy for me, because I enjoy taking long runs and I can't stand having my phone in a pocket or strapped to my arm when I run. The added expense of cellular isn't great, but worth it to be more free from my phone.
wilderkun
macrumors regular
My experience with 10 Apple Watches, both stainless steel, editions, and ultra is that the cellular doesn’t mirror the phone cellular notifications if you’re not near your iPhone. Yes, you can use it without your iPhone, but you won’t get every single phone or text notification your cell gets. It’s very annoying, and it’s been a problem on every cell connected Apple Watch I’ve had
Howard2k
macrumors 604
That might be a set up problem. I still get notifications when I’m not near my phone.
Howard2k
macrumors 604
Another benefit is that even if you don’t activate the cellular you can still use it to call emergency services in most countries.
Apple_Robert
Contributor
Use your Apple Watch without your iPhone nearby - Apple Support
Learn what you can do with your Apple Watch when your iPhone isn't with you.
wilderkun
macrumors regular
I get notifications, but not all of them, and don’t really get phone calls on it if my phone is lost or far away from me. It’s been persistent though every generation of Apple Watch with cell with editions, stainless steel, and Apple Watch Ultras
