How Long Until the Watch Has a SIM Card?

[Joshw0000]

The LG Urbane 2 (Android Wear) is the first smart watch capable of making and receiving calls without a phone. It was previously released but LG recalled it due to some hardware issues.

It shouldn't be long before other similar Android watches hit the shelves. And in a few years Apple will invent this technology and sue Android manufacturers for patent infringements.

 

[Armen]

The LG Urbane 2 (Android Wear) is the first smart watch capable of making and receiving calls without a phone. It was previously released but LG recalled it due to some hardware issues.

It shouldn't be long before other similar Android watches hit the shelves. And in a few years Apple will invent this technology and sue Android manufacturers for patent infringements.

This has more functionality and usability compared to a sim enabled smart watch. Do we really want to take a step backwards? At least the flip phone has a keypad you can type with.

 

[rillrill]

Wow. There are a lot of great responses here. I still think Apple will separate the watch eventually. Personally, I'm getting more comfortable dictating messages in public. I'm not saying that Apple will kill the iPhone. But maybe it becomes just a small portable device. And the watch is just another choice.

 

[douglasf13]

I can't really imagine replacing my iPhone's screen with a Watch screen anytime soon, so I'd still usually bring my iPhone with me. Even for the occasional times that I don't, I wouldn't really want to give more money to a carrier for the occasional usage.

 

[BarracksSi]

This has more functionality and usability compared to a sim enabled smart watch. Do we really want to take a step backwards? At least the flip phone has a keypad you can type with.

Yup, exactly.

Let's say you have a 4G/LTE smartwatch. For now, brand doesn't matter, nor does the form factor (square vs round vs touchscreen vs rotating bezel vs crown vs whatever).

I'm comfortable dictating short messages and whatnot while walking down the street, but definitely not while standing in line at the store.

How am I going to do anything silently on a smartwatch besides short preset replies?

What I don't want is a tiny keyboard (or, God forbid, a rebirth of the T9 number pad…). It'll just piss me off and make me wish I had brought my phone with me.

 

[maxsix]

Never

I agree.

AW is an accessory that Apple will keep tied to the iPhone.

They cannot risk separating the two.

 

[Zirel]

I agree.

AW is an accessory that Apple will keep tied to the iPhone.

They cannot risk separating the two.

No because of that. Just look at the offerings on the market: bulky, poor battery life, too much effort of taking out your sim, append putting on the watch, then back again to the phone.

 

[madsci954]

What I see happening is a data only SIM being added, allowing for GPS and improving Continuity and Handoff between the watch and the phone. Not full independence from the phone but a few steps better than it is now.

 

[jasie02]

What I see happening is a data only SIM being added, allowing for GPS and improving Continuity and Handoff between the watch and the phone. Not full independence from the phone but a few steps better than it is now.

Until Smart Phone market increase significantly, SIM in AW will not happen. This will required Apple to create another new product line, similar as iPhone vs iPod. There is just not enough people buying smart watch, yet, for Apple to invest 2 smart watch interior design products. There is good reason for Apple to use exactly same interior for Sports/Watch/Edition version of AW, because market is not there to create different interior sku yet. They will need to offer both SIM and non-SIM version, since a lot of people, like me, has no interest to allow carrier to rob me on another data plan. I don't need to pay for 2 data plans on devices on me all the time.
Non-AW smart phone company need SIM version to help steal Apple smart watch market share, not Apple, yet.

Even when that day is come, SIM smart watch, enough people could not live without smart watch, and for some reason does not want to carry their phone, Apple will likely ensure AW paring always required a iPhone, regardless SIM or non-SIM version. So they could continue ensure iPhone/AW revenue go hand in hand. Buying and using AW without owning iPhone will probably never come. This is how Apple protect their own product design and market.

How do one search app and install it in AW? One will need carry magnified eye glasses all time to read paragraph out of that tiny screen or scrolling like crazy.

Also it will not be data only plan if AW ever has SIM, other wise, phone call will be dropping like crazy for someone without iPhone, if allow. LTE phone call does not work everywhere and cut off like crazy when moving with tall buildings. If AW with SIM still required iPhone, why pay for another carrier plan when bluetooth/wifi with iPhone 95+% of time?

 

[sziehr]

The apple watch will never have a sim card and yet it will gain LTE access sooner than many think. There have been a few patent applications from apple about a virtual sim card. This theory kinda came to market with apple sim. They will do an Apple virtual sim in the apple watch when LTE does come to the watch. They will not have anything you removed that would be anything like a sim card. The tech team has been laying the ground work for sim-less LTE for a few years now. The carriers are the last bit of hold out on some of this. I think though as we approach the time the apple watch goes online all alone we will see no issue in getting a apple virtual sim based solution to market.

The time to LTE well probably something like 36 months give or take. They will also set some sort of harsh threshold on signal strength to keep it from getting sapped trying to connect to the tower. So expect for it to still talk to the phone for most of its data connection needs. This will be a fringe (in the sense your not using your watch running all day) use like when your on a run with out your phone and want get to get messages. This also dove tails in nice with the new ATT number synch. So all of this is coming to a nice continuum of service eventually.

in short apple virtual sim using number synch and in a limited capacity in 3 years. They have to tackle the battery life monster of there OS and chip then of a LTE radio. This again is a nice dovetail with the Intel rumor of them creating an OnDie Baseband for apple to replace the current vendor.

The bread crumbs are out there you just have to piece them all together into a complete picture of where they are headed and that is no more sims faster LTE and lower power consumption networking this is not just for the iPhone

 

[jasie02]

The apple watch will never have a sim card and yet it will gain LTE access sooner than many think. There have been a few patent applications from apple about a virtual sim card. This theory kinda came to market with apple sim. They will do an Apple virtual sim in the apple watch when LTE does come to the watch. They will not have anything you removed that would be anything like a sim card. The tech team has been laying the ground work for sim-less LTE for a few years now. The carriers are the last bit of hold out on some of this. I think though as we approach the time the apple watch goes online all alone we will see no issue in getting a apple virtual sim based solution to market.

The time to LTE well probably something like 36 months give or take. They will also set some sort of harsh threshold on signal strength to keep it from getting sapped trying to connect to the tower. So expect for it to still talk to the phone for most of its data connection needs. This will be a fringe (in the sense your not using your watch running all day) use like when your on a run with out your phone and want get to get messages. This also dove tails in nice with the new ATT number synch. So all of this is coming to a nice continuum of service eventually.

in short apple virtual sim using number synch and in a limited capacity in 3 years. They have to tackle the battery life monster of there OS and chip then of a LTE radio. This again is a nice dovetail with the Intel rumor of them creating an OnDie Baseband for apple to replace the current vendor.

The bread crumbs are out there you just have to piece them all together into a complete picture of where they are headed and that is no more sims faster LTE and lower power consumption networking this is not just for the iPhone

Do you work for Apple, because this is specific timeline you have, unless you work for Tim....

 

[Trius]

It took five generations for the iPhone to become PC-free so probably not anytime soon.

Due to the acceleration of progress and the exponential nature of technology, it may happen sooner than we think.

 

[Trius]

I don't think it will ever have it. The design philosophy of the AW, is to be an extension of the phone, not an independent device like some other smart watches.

Right now, sure. Not ever? Idk, that's a long time.

Using the watch everyday for months now, it seems to be the obvious progression to me. Watch would be the main data device in your Apple ecosystem but pretty limited on it's own outside of basic connectivity. You then will have an iPad/iPhone/iPod/Macbook/otheriDevice that will do all of the heavy lifting on a larger display, using the watch as a hotspot.

If not the watch, some other wearable will take this roll, mark my words. Maybe not next year or even 5 years, but I bet it happens.

 

[Quu]

I don't think we'll ever see a sim card in the Apple Watch. It's already an annoyance with the LTE iPad requiring a separate data plan if you wan't to use it over cellular, they've been able to sidestep that annoyance on the Watch.

Requiring a second data plan just for the Watch would be a downgrade.

 

[sziehr]

Do you work for Apple, because this is specific timeline you have, unless you work for Tim....

I wished i did. I would make more than i do now. Apple is just predictable now.

 

[nicho]

There's no reason why Apple can't make it a world Apple Watch (compatible with all carriers like certain world iPhone/iPad models). Unless it's a technology limitation, they won't restrict it to any one carrier if they can help it.

doesn't that require multiple antennas?

 

[Mac2me]

I almost never use my iPhone held to my head except on rare occasions where the ambient noise is too loud to hear otherwise and then I keep the call short. I don't think I would be comfortable having a watch with antenna pressed against my wrist for countless hours during the day, day in an day out either. Turning my Watch into a separate phone doesn't have any appeal to me and actually I'm pretty happy with how it functions right now. Rather see other improvements made down the road for that precious internal real estate.

 

[JT2002TJ]

I almost never use my iPhone held to my head except on rare occasions where the ambient noise is too loud to hear otherwise and then I keep the call short. I don't think I would be comfortable having a watch with antenna pressed against my wrist for countless hours during the day, day in an day out either. Turning my Watch into a separate phone doesn't have any appeal to me and actually I'm pretty happy with how it functions right now. Rather see other improvements made down the road for that precious internal real estate.

If you don't use your iphone at your face, I'm going to assume you use bluetooth when talking on the phone (if you do talk on the phone). If this is the case, why wouldn't you use the same bluetooth connected to the watch when talking? So it (holding the watch to your face) wouldn't be countless hours, just when there is too much ambient noise.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

If you don't use your iphone at your face, I'm going to assume you use bluetooth when talking on the phone (if you do talk on the phone). If this is the case, why wouldn't you use the same bluetooth connected to the watch when talking? So it (holding the watch to your face) wouldn't be countless hours, just when there is too much ambient noise.

I think the member meant speaker phone and only uses it at the face on rare occasions where the ambient noise is too loud to hear via speaker phone.

 

[Mac2me]

I think the member meant speaker phone and only uses it at the face on rare occasions where the ambient noise is too loud to hear via speaker phone.

Yes exactly. My concern lies with the primary cellular antenna that transmits and receives and whether it is next to a body part that can absorb the energy. On cell phones it is located at the bottom of the phone to keep it as far away from your body (head) as possible. On a watch it's always going to be right there pressed to your body (wrist)...unless you picture a Dick Tracy watch with the little antenna pulled up in the air.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

Yes exactly. My concern lies with the primary cellular antenna that transmits and receives and whether it is next to a body part that can absorb the energy. On cell phones it is located at the bottom of the phone to keep it as far away from your body (head) as possible. On a watch it's always going to be right there pressed to your body (wrist)...unless you picture a Dick Tracy watch with the little antenna pulled up in the air.

Totally unsubstantiated. Since the vast majority of people tend to hold their cell phones against their heads, we haven't seen an increase in overall cases of brain cancer if it were true that cell phone radiation causes cancer.

 

[bniu]

The Apple watch with a SIM card would literally be a flip phone with no keypad. I don't quite get the appeal of a 1.5" screen device with Internet connectivity as a stand alone device.

combined with bluetooth earbuds, convenience of answering a call here and there without having to lug the phone around. I'd prefer to leave the phone behind when going jogging.

 

[rillrill]

combined with bluetooth earbuds, convenience of answering a call here and there without having to lug the phone around. I'd prefer to leave the phone behind when going jogging.

exactly. i'm not saying people should get rid of their devices, just give the watch the same abilities for getting online.

 

[Armen]

combined with bluetooth earbuds, convenience of answering a call here and there without having to lug the phone around. I'd prefer to leave the phone behind when going jogging.

jogging or at the gym make sense. I can't think of anywhere else where it would be more convenient not to have your phone nearby.

 

[jasie02]

combined with bluetooth earbuds, convenience of answering a call here and there without having to lug the phone around. I'd prefer to leave the phone behind when going jogging.

Personally I would prefer Apple come up with separated 30m or 100m waterproof sleeping/water-sport/gps bluetooth bracelets, which will not only provide bluetooth gps for AW, but also use for sleeping monitor while AW is charging, and water sports like diving, surfing, swimming when officially AW should not be wear. Data will be store offline when AW or iPhone is not in bluetooth range, and automatically download when sense AW or iPhone in range. Not having GPS include in AW will ensure AW battery life not sacrifice, since GPS is not needed when iPhone is in range or in wifi mode.