Question about cellular service on AW

[ssledoux]

I have the AW series 4 with cellular, but I’ve never actually gotten the service activated on the watch.

Is there the same risk wearing the cellular version on your body if the cellular isn’t activated as there is having the activated cellular watch?

I realize not everyone believes in the exposure being an issue - not really arguing that point. I just wonder if the cellular exposure can be there if it’s not activated.

 

[tgara]

I have the AW series 4 with cellular, but I’ve never actually gotten the service activated on the watch.

Is there the same risk wearing the cellular version on your body if the cellular isn’t activated as there is having the activated cellular watch?

I realize not everyone believes in the exposure being an issue - not really arguing that point. I just wonder if the cellular exposure can be there if it’s not activated.

I doubt it. It's a separate circuit that is off until you activate it.

 

[StumpyBloke]

I doubt it. It's a separate circuit that is off until you activate it.

I don’t believe that to be correct. Even if your cellular plan is not activated, you can still use the watch to make emergency calls. That is the law in some countries and certainly applies to America. Therefore, at least at some point, the cellular circuitry has to be active.

As a side note, the risk from any exposure anyway, is absolutely infinitesimally small.

Edit: apparently I’m completely wrong, so disregard the first part of my post.

 

[Newtons Apple]

I don’t believe that to be correct. Even if your cellular plan is not activated, you can still use the watch to make emergency calls. That is the law in some countries and certainly applies to America. Therefore, at least at some point, the cellular circuitry has to be active.

As a side note, the risk from any exposure anyway, is absolutely infinitesimally small.

The above is NOT correct and the cellular on a non-activated cellular watch would only turn on when you activated the 911 emergency. If not activated the cellular circuits are dead!

 

[StumpyBloke]

The above is NOT correct and the cellular on a non-activated cellular watch would only turn on when you activated the 911 emergency. If not activated the cellular circuits are dead!

Completely incorrect or partially?

 

[perezr10]

The above is NOT correct and the cellular on a non-activated cellular watch would only turn on when you activated the 911 emergency. If not activated the cellular circuits are dead!

The cellular radios exact a huge toll on battery life. Apple bends over backwards to NOT trigger them. I think this is closer to the truth.

 

[Pspressart]

The cellular radios exact a huge toll on battery life. Apple bends over backwards to NOT trigger them. I think this is closer to the truth.[/QUOT
I have an Apple Watch 4 with cellular. It does not have a serious impact on battery life. If I do not use the phone on the watch, I usually have about 75% after one day.

 

[perezr10]

thats because your not using the radios most of the time. If your phone is within range, the watch radios shut down. Try doing a 1 hour call without your phone nearby and get back to us.

 

[Newtons Apple]

Completely incorrect or partially?

Pretty much “completely”.

 

[StumpyBloke]

Pretty much “completely”.

Oh. Well that’s me told then.

 

[ssledoux]

Thanks!

 

[xraydoc]

Thanks!

Even if you activate cell service on your watch, it would only turn itself on if the watch was out of bluetooth range of your phone and there were no known wifi networks to which it could connect. Only then would the cell circuits and antenna switch itself on.

 

[Thai]

Even if you activate cell service on your watch, it would only turn itself on if the watch was out of bluetooth range of your phone and there were no known wifi networks to which it could connect. Only then would the cell circuits and antenna switch itself on.

if so, then do you guys leave Cellular ON all the time or switch on as needed?

 

[StumpyBloke]

if so, then do you guys leave Cellular ON all the time or switch on as needed?

Always on

 

[xraydoc]

if so, then do you guys leave Cellular ON all the time or switch on as needed?

On. This allows the watch to activate cellular connectivity when needed (i.e., no Bluetooth or WiFi) and disconnect when not necessary. WatchOS will turn it on and off intelligently so as not to kill the battery.

Set it to off, and the watch will never activate cellular connectivity, even when no BT or WiFi connection is available.