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GPS vs LTE
- Thread starter scribble79
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I went with LTE for myself and my goddaughters because the GPS is reportedly a lot more accurate and you can make calls away from your phone or if it isn’t close by.
I went with GPS for two reasons...1 didn't want the added expense of LTE cost or the cost of monthly fee. 2 I spend a very large part of my day in area's where I have WiFi connection. So it comes down to cost and what I could live with or live without.
I went with LTE to be on the safe side. It also only cost 4.5$/month where I live and I can activate/deactivate at will through self-service without any fees.
GPS. Because that’s the only model Apple sell in Ireland.
Even if they did sell the lte model I’d have gone gps if they did it in stainless steel.
Even if they did sell the lte model I’d have gone gps if they did it in stainless steel.
LTE - I leave my phone at home quite a bit and not being tied to my phone to be available to those I care about is a really amazing thing.
I only went with the LTE because T-Mobile had a great deal on it and I couldn't think of a time I would not be with my phone. But I am starting to use the watch more on a standalone basis and leaving the phone behind since I have the watch to answer calls or text messages. I even streamed Apple Music the other day and it was pretty cool not having to have my phone on me.
GPS, because I already give enough money to my phone company and didn't want to add on another monthly expense, no matter how small (plus the added cost of having the LTE Watch). I already have a very comfortable way of bringing my phone with me and while I could probably be brought around to the idea that it is somehow freeing to not have to bring the phone around at all, the Watch can't completely replace my phone. I read and dictate a lot of texts off of the Watch, but the Watch can't do photos or video, nor web browsing, nor map searching. If I've paid a lot of money for a good phone, isn't it a waste to leave it at home and inconvenience myself by flubbing with the Watch and missing out on the features the phone offers me if and when I need them? By that token, if I'm carrying the phone with me anyway, is there really any benefit to having a cellular-connected Watch?
Going by that logic you don’t need the watch at all. Your phone can do everything your watch can do and more.
I had the LTE version of the AW 3, but went with GPS on the AW 4. Personally, I didn't use the LTE enough to justify the cost of paying an extra $10 + taxes & fees to Verizon every month. Plus, I have my phone with me all of the time.
LTE is definitely a welcome feature and is great for a lot of users. If you're on the fence, spend the extra $100 for the LTE. You don't have to activate the feature, but it's there if you want it in the future.
LTE is definitely a welcome feature and is great for a lot of users. If you're on the fence, spend the extra $100 for the LTE. You don't have to activate the feature, but it's there if you want it in the future.
GPS, because other than going for a run, I always have my phone with me. Plus, I'm on Sraight Talk, which as far as I know doesn't work with Apple Watch, so there's my two reasons.
I have a SS S4 so it came with LTE but I have yet to activate it. When I first considered the AW I was going to get the Aluminum with LTE. However having owned it for over a month now I don't see myself activating the LTE service. I don't think I would really use it enough to justify the added expense. Once I found out I could store music on the watch and I didn't need LTE to stream music in the gym I realized I can do without it. Not having to carry my phone in the gym was a big factor for me initially with the watch.
Technically we don't really need any of these devices; they're conveniences.
But the Watch does add some things that the iPhone can't do. For example, the iPhone doesn't measure my heart rate throughout the day, nor does it track whether I'm physically active. I use my Watch as a sleep tracker, which the phone would be incredibly poor for. Just because I can easily carry my iPhone around outside doesn't mean I have it on me when I'm indoors, whereas the Watch stays with me and serves as the ultimate convenience for seeing notifications and quickly reading and responding to texts even if I'm not using another Apple device. In meetings, the Watch allows me to discreetly see team communications sent via text; pulling out a phone, or even glancing at it, tends to be much more obvious. But you're right that Apple could discontinue the Watch tomorrow and I'd probably be minimally impacted.
I'm not trying to say that there's no market for an LTE-connected Watch. Runners, for whom it is a pain to carry an iPhone when exercising, are one group who likely receives major benefit. And just because I can easily carry my iPhone with me doesn't mean that everyone else has such a solution. I believe the LTE-connected Watch would represent another layer of convenience, but for me it's one where the surprisingly high cost (not just in recurring payments to the phone company, but in the added cost to the Watch) doesn't pay off, and makes other costs that I've already made (such as spending more for a nicer phone) also seem wasted. It is for similar reasoning that, despite using an iPad for work over many years, I never bought the cellular-connected model and always opted to tether my wifi-model iPads instead.
GPS model for me. I'm usually always within range of a trusted WiFi and always have my phone with me.
I’d be curious the breakdown of yearly iPhone upgrades versus those that hang onto their phones for many years. I have a SE and treat the watch as my more premium more frequent update device and opt for LTE because I don’t use my phone that much, its useful, but care much more about having a connected watch.
LTE for one reason only... emergency use cases... and it saved me a couple times already. Yes I carry my phone all the time but:
Just last week, my iPhone died. It just died. Shut off in the middle of a YouTube video and wouldn’t restart. Long story short, I would’ve missed the call from wife to pick up the kids because she was running late had I not opted for the LTE.
Another case was I accidentally locked my phone in the car with the keys. Was able to get help with my watch.
So the argument of always having your phone with you is not always applicable. I can think of a million emergency cases that would justify the LTE for that small monthly fee. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
Just last week, my iPhone died. It just died. Shut off in the middle of a YouTube video and wouldn’t restart. Long story short, I would’ve missed the call from wife to pick up the kids because she was running late had I not opted for the LTE.
Another case was I accidentally locked my phone in the car with the keys. Was able to get help with my watch.
So the argument of always having your phone with you is not always applicable. I can think of a million emergency cases that would justify the LTE for that small monthly fee. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
I'm not clear how LTE helped in this case. If your phone is in your car, and you're right next to your car, that would be close enough to not need the watch's LTE I'd think.
Sorry, forgot to mention I had the phone in airplane mode for work related reasons.
Ok, cool. I was honestly curious. It just seemed odd, but that explains everything.
FYI, I think the watch still works fine with the phone in airplane mode (as of iOS 11 I believe). I just put my phone in airplane mode and was able to go back and read old text messages and emails from my watch. Old as in several months back, not things I've been notified of today. Still, having LTE as a backup can still be useful for some people I guess.
These were my sentiments about the watch as well. That's why I sold my AW4 recently. My phone does all I need. Things that the watch could never do by itself. Recouped most of my cost of the watch. Not all, but fairly close.
My phone probably has the least screen time usage of all of my devices, unless you count its usage as a GPS device, or the times I'm using it as a video camera; my iPads get much more direct usage. I'd guess that even the total amount of time I spend looking at my Watch display is probably greater than the total amount of time I'm looking at my iPhone display on most days. I'm still using my "old" 7 Plus, which is doing just fine; well enough that I probably won't upgrade to the next generation. I'm not sure how often I'll upgrade the Watch; I went in with a refurbished series 1, and upgraded to the series 4 when it became clear that the series 1 was getting pretty laggy... and I wanted the ECG feature. The day that it becomes clear I'll have a Watch for 5+ years is the time when I'll get a stainless steel model, I suppose...