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One small point of clarification. The Apple Watch can use either LTE or a know Wi-Fi connection to communicate with the paired iPhone when out of Bluetooth range. For example, I use the current free Xfinity Wi-Fi in one specific area where I have no Cell coverage.

Dave

Yes - I was thinking in context of being out on a run, where there is no wifi available, but was not clear about that.

I also believe the known wifi must not have a click-thru / TOS page else the watch won't work - but I may be misremembering.
 
When you make calls from your watch, do you make them using airpods? A lot of people say trying to call with just the watch is difficult

Dick Tracy style isn't ideal, and could be difficult in a noisy environment, but generally it's not bad.

Even so, I don't care to share my business with everyone around me so I'll use airpods or keep the call super short.
 
Ok was getting conflicting info. See link below 2nd to last poster says...



& apple link...


"1. To receive SMS, MMS, or push notifications from third-party apps on your cellular Apple Watch, your paired iPhone must be powered on and connected to Wi-Fi or cellular, but it doesn't need to be nearby. "
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Interesting. See above reply..

SMS definitely works with the phone powered off, I tested it a little bit ago. I'm on T-Mobile so YMMV.

Some stuff, particularly third party things, may not work if the phone is powered off. They'll still work though if phone and watch can communicate via cellular.

Personally though, I can't think of many scenarios where my phone is turned off or unable to connect to wifi or cellular. Just not a situation I find myself in.

I would also point out that the Community thread you cited above is from 2017 - three years and three WatchOS versions ago, as well as at a time when Apple Watch cellular connectivity was brand new and the carriers were kinda figuring it out too. Thus I wouldn't necessarily take those comments as gospel with respect to today's capabilities.
 
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Ok was getting conflicting info. See link below 2nd to last poster says...



& apple link...


"1. To receive SMS, MMS, or push notifications from third-party apps on your cellular Apple Watch, your paired iPhone must be powered on and connected to Wi-Fi or cellular, but it doesn't need to be nearby. "
[automerge]1600964347[/automerge]



Interesting. See above reply..

Here’s the clarification: an LTE watch with an active data plan will receive calls, iMessages, notifications from apps installed on the watch and can stream audio even with the iPhone turned off. It may not receive green text messages or push notifications from apps installed only on your iPhone with mirrored notifications because those need to be routed through (or originate from) the iPhone.

If the paired iPhone is connected to any network, the watch will operate as normal even if the iPhone is halfway across the world.
 
Dick Tracy style isn't ideal, and could be difficult in a noisy environment, but generally it's not bad.

Even so, I don't care to share my business with everyone around me so I'll use airpods or keep the call super short.
Did you miss the very next sentence in my post?
... just raise to talk like "Dick Tracy" on the old Comics (very old reference from my Grandfather but fun as it came true). In mixed company or in a busy or noisy environment Air Pods are the winner.
Dave
 
I thought so until it was "suggested" that I was somehow limiting or "suggesting" that the reference to Dick Tracey vs Air Pods was some how doing something to someone about "suggesting" limiting their ability to share their own views.

It seems that you can't even bring up Dick Tracey any more... bye

Dave
 
I thought so until it was "suggested" that I was somehow limiting or "suggesting" that the reference to Dick Tracey vs Air Pods was some how doing something to someone about "suggesting" limiting their ability to share their own views.

It seems that you can't even bring up Dick Tracey any more... bye

Dave

I don't have a problem with Dick Tracey. Tho, I'm 35 and I just remember Dick Tracy in the LA Times as a child. :p I don't remember much about him tho. I do know that pics / memes I've seen have him talking to his watch a lot. lol. Seems applicable to me.
 
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I thought so until it was "suggested" that I was somehow limiting or "suggesting" that the reference to Dick Tracey vs Air Pods was some how doing something to someone about "suggesting" limiting their ability to share their own views.

It seems that you can't even bring up Dick Tracey any more... bye

I have no idea what you're going on about.

I replied to the OP, coincidentally using the same cultural references as in your post that I hadn't yet seen.

You seemed to have a problem with that, thus my question.

Whatever, dude. Cheers.

Wait, aren't you two saying the same thing>? ME confused.

Yes, we were saying the same thing and I guess that was a problem. Dunno why.
 
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Yes, we were saying the same thing and I guess that was a problem. Dunno why.

Yeah maybe I missed something but I didn't get the idea that you had a problem with Dick Tracy. lol.

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Those buttons!
 
It’s worth it to me, I don’t like carrying two phones so I just have my work phone at work and my cellular watch. I also like having the piece of mind if my phone bricks or something else happens to it I have a backup. I like being able to go for a walk without my phone and be able to stream whatever song I want to

Its not necessary, but an extreme nice to have.
 
I have. It does.

BTW - Just how exactly were you thinking the watch might communicate with the phone two miles away if it weren't for the watch's cellular connection?

Edit - for clarification I'm talking the context of being out for a run or a walk with no wifi available

Have you tried if (green) SMS messages get through?
 
I have no problem with Dick Tracy style chatting, just not when it's too noisy or windy to hear anything!!

That’a definitely true, you need quiet to talk on the watch itself with much effectiveness. Now watch plus AirPods, that’s a pretty good phone replacement.
 
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Had a S5 Cellular, used it for running but the reception and battery life was poor. So never really used the LTE connection. If i need my phone i will use a running belt and my phone. Now rocking a S6 GPS, and i can also leave my phone at the desk because the watch is using wifi.
 
Interesting benefits, the challenge I face is that I use Teams and WhatsApp for 95% of my non-email communications - neither of them have AW apps hence I can't be apart from my phone...

That aside, I also don't have the three most common use cases where I wouldn't have my phone with me:
- Going for a run
- Gardening (I see a surprising number of references to this!)
- Phone dies on battery (this has only happened to me twice in the last 8 years... totally avoidable)

Unfortunately, I will be forced to buy Cellular+GPS if I want anything other than an Aluminium watch!

I really like the emergency SOS though. One of those ones you hope to never need but if you do, it pays for the cellular feature 100x over.
 
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Keep in mind Spotify has no streaming or offline mode till now, and the battery life with LTE on and low reception isn’t that great.
 
I thought about going with cellular on my new S6, and decided to stay with the GPS option, because when outside of the house, I nearly always have my phone with me. I've only forgotten my phone two times that I can think of.
I've answered calls from the watch when the phone was in another room, and it works surprisingly well. If it's going to be an extended call, I switch to my headset.

If I ran regularly, the cellular option might be worth it for me, but even then I'm not so sure.

Oddly enough, the two times I forgot my phone and went to the store, Apple Pay on my watch still worked.
 
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Have you tried if (green) SMS messages get through?

See my previous reply. Had I meant iMessages, I would've written that.

Why such a focus on the phone-off condition? In what circumstances are you expecting that to be a common occurance?

SMS definitely works with the phone powered off, I tested it a little bit ago. I'm on T-Mobile so YMMV.
 
Why such a focus on the phone-off condition?

Such as...

my iphone gets stolen, lost and switched off, or my iphone battery dies or gets damaged and dies

It would be really appealing to not have to rely on taking a phone without everywhere

Apple specifically states SMS and MMS will not work if your phone is off. So interesting that you don’t experience this
 
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