The Apple Watch wont become really useful until..

[Wallabe]

I have no doubt the watch is capable of being completely independent. I think the main concern here is battery life. How would it do with LTE/5G connection with a 1 bar (poor) signal?

Apple is certainly capable of putting all those cellular antenna, a built-in SIM, and anything else needed to be used independently inside the watch.

 

[Supermallet]

Wouldn't need to be separate data plans. Lets say you leave your phone at home on accident and need to forward your calls, texts and emails that come to your phone on to your watch and you could do so by activating a forwarding feature on your watch. We live in 2015, Im sure the technology exists to do this.

Oh really? Turn on all your forwarding options on your phone, then leave it at home, and take a wifi iPad out with you. Without a wifi signal, what do you think you'll get? Nothing.

The watch would need a cellular connection to remain connected to the internet without being tethered to the phone. Remember how long Apple waited to implement LTE in their iPhones because of battery concerns? Well the watch has a way smaller battery than any iPhone and Apple has made every battery saving decision they could, including opting to have the phone do most of the processing and data transference.

I agree with many of the members here, having an additional data plan for the watch is not desirable at this point, and the battery life would be atrocious. Not worth it.

 

[mightyjabba]

its capable of being used independently of the iPhone. I know I'll get flamed for this but it needs to be said. I sold my Watch after 2 days after paying over retail for it on Craigslist.

I said this in another thread, but I think it's a huge mistake to make any kind of judgment about the watch in one or two days. You just can't appreciate how it makes your life easier in that short amount of time. In fact, you may very well get the wrong impression since you'll be playing with it a lot and trying to use apps that are often pretty sucky at this point. The watch is at its best when you don't actively use it a lot.

Its so dependent on the iPhone for everything, even native apps. Things like not being able to read most my emails and being told to read it on my iPhone was ridiculous.

You mentioned not being able to read most of your emails earlier, and while I think this is an annoying issue (it should be able to read ALL emails in some capacity), in my experience it reads about 95% of my email. Either you get a lot of unusual email (HTML emails without plain text versions) or you didn't wait long enough to see how big the problem really was (see my point above).

The Watch wont become a really useful device until it can be used in a pinch when you forgot your phone in your car and you're in the grocery store, or you leave it at home and you have to get somewhere and don't have time to turn around. Having to have your iPhone with you really defeats the purpose IMO. Who's this really benefiting aside from people just looking for a new toy to show off?

While the idea of the watch being independent is cool in some ways and may very well happen at some point, I have my doubts about how it would really work. I already carry my phone everywhere. I have no intention of paying a monthly fee for the watch's connectivity just for those occasions when I forget my phone.

 

[McCool71]

I know a watch that can be used fully independent of the phone sounds great, but do you really want to buy a separate contract and data plan for your watch?

This might be a challenge in the US where the carriers almost have a death grip on their customers. In other continents though this is really not much of an issue.

I have two SIM cards linked to the same data/call plan (and same number), one in my cell phone and one in my smartwatch. I pay around 5 bucks extra per month for the second card, other than that there are no extra costs.

Personally I think it is great to have a functioning phone (and texts, e-mail, simple web browsing, navigation and so on) with me in the shape of a watch without bringing the phone along all the time.

 

[AdonisSMU]

its capable of being used independently of the iPhone. I know I'll get flamed for this but it needs to be said. I sold my Watch after 2 days after paying over retail for it on Craigslist. Its so dependent on the iPhone for everything, even native apps. Things like not being able to read most my emails and being told to read it on my iPhone was ridiculous. The Watch wont become a really useful device until it can be used in a pinch when you forgot your phone in your car and you're in the grocery store, or you leave it at home and you have to get somewhere and don't have time to turn around. Having to have your iPhone with you really defeats the purpose IMO. Who's this really benefiting aside from people just looking for a new toy to show off?

See I agree that Apple should've made the watch work without the phone. However I love my watch still and am keeping it. I am looking forward to ditching my iPhone. Its my least favorite mobile device between the iPad, iPhone and AppleWatch.

 

[IndomitableBana]

This might be a challenge in the US where the carriers almost have a death grip on their customers. In other continents though this is really not much of an issue.

I have two SIM cards linked to the same data/call plan (and same number), one in my cell phone and one in my smartwatch. I pay around 5 bucks extra per month for the second card, other than that there are no extra costs.

Personally I think it is great to have a functioning phone (and texts, e-mail, simple web browsing, navigation and so on) with me in the shape of a watch without bringing the phone along all the time.

Fair enough. My experience with mobile data contracts is limited to North America.

 

[zmunkz]

Because he, like so many others, didn't do the research before he purchased.

To his credit, he didn't use "...gate" and he didn't use "first world problems".

Yeah, or "your _____ing it wrong". None of these are funny anymore, people!

And I don't see a single thread in here about starving, or lack of access to clean water, or lack of access to medical care.... So it seems to me the entire forum is dedicated to firstworld problems... Do we really need to label them all?? </mini-rant>

 

[Zxxv]

I saw this posted on arstechnica forum

Cool story: Last night I went for a walk around my neighborhood with my dog, but my phone was drained from WhatsApp (not sure why) so I left it home charging. I stopped by my parents house, since they live in the same neighborhood and I got an iMessage on my watch from my wife who was still at work. I was like ???, but then I realized since the watch remembers my parent's wifi hotspot due to having it on my phone, the watch automatically connected to it and enabled iMessage. So I got to reply to her immediately instead of not catching and replying to the message until sometime after I got back. Just one of the many cool experiences I've had with the watch over the course of a few days.

 

[bchreng]

It was never intended to be used independently of an iPhone. Why is this so hard to grasp?

At some point in time, the iPod couldn't really be used independently from a computer, and now look? To say things like "never" and ridiculing others, stifles innovation and progress. So how about we change that tone? Or not. I'm sure the internet can care less.

 

[jtrue28]

*you're

 

[SixtyK]

Let's address your questions and statements one at a time.

At some point in time, the iPod couldn't really be used independently from a computer, and now look?

Other than the act of actually transferring music from the computer to the iPod, the iPod has always been a stand-alone device.

To say things like "never"...

To say "It was never intended" is an accurate statement. I am referring to the product as it exists and made no claims about future iterations.

...and ridiculing others...

Who have I ridiculed?

...stifles innovation and progress.

So you're saying Apple R&D is going to suffer because I made a comment on a message board?

So how about we change that tone?

Is it lonely way up there on that horse?

Or not. I'm sure the internet can care less.

Well this statement was just simply used incorrectly and I'm not even sure how to respond.

 

[ReardenMetal]

... it supports wifi calling. Otherwise, you're not truly liberated from the iPhone.

 

[hemon]

I decided to sell my Apple Watch too. I simply don't need it and I don't find any reason to keep it. For me it's just hype! ...and my iPhone battery unload too fast and I hate this..

 

[Kestrel452]

Saying the apple watch won't be "useful" until it's an iPhone-indepenedent device is wrong. It's usefulness is driven by what it can do, not really from what platforms it can run through. Sure, it would be nice if it could work with a Mac laptop, or a Windows running PC with the proper application to sync with...but as a device in its infancy what do you expect?

Honestly, I would classify the watch as useless, but for different reasons. Namely: No biometric sensors worth a crap, silly digital crown interface, tiny screen with even tinier app logos (the iPhone is hard enough for someone with large hands), and no built in GPS. It's just an expensive wrist-based interface for an iPhone at this point. Give it a few years, some advancement in non-invasive biometric sensors, and it'll start to have some more merit as something to spend hundreds of dollars on.

 

[DavidLynch]

I have ZERO interest in the watch if it requires a sim card and separate line. It's an accessory for the iPhone, not a wrist-mounted iPhone.

 

[samiznaetekto]

I have ZERO interest in the watch if it requires a sim card and separate line. It's an accessory for the iPhone, not a wrist-mounted iPhone.

What watch requires a sim card and separate line? I have one that has a SIM slot, but I don't use it and pay nothing. However, some people might find it useful. If not for separate number, then for cellular data/remote connectivity.

 

[mightyjabba]

It just occurred to me that in some ways the ideal situation would be if only your watch had a SIM and a phone number, and no other devices did. Any other devices you happened to have with you could then be tethered to the watch. After all, you will presumably have the watch with you at all times, but not the other devices.

I realize this wouldn't work at the moment because of battery limitations, among other things, but it makes you think.

 

[Cory Bauer]

its capable of being used independently of the iPhone. I know I'll get flamed for this but it needs to be said. I sold my Watch after 2 days after paying over retail for it on Craigslist. Its so dependent on the iPhone for everything, even native apps. Things like not being able to read most my emails and being told to read it on my iPhone was ridiculous. The Watch wont become a really useful device until it can be used in a pinch when you forgot your phone in your car and you're in the grocery store, or you leave it at home and you have to get somewhere and don't have time to turn around. Having to have your iPhone with you really defeats the purpose IMO. Who's this really benefiting aside from people just looking for a new toy to show off?

Um, no. Apple Watch is already incredibly useful as it is today. Hell, the "ping my phone" feature alone practically makes the Watch worth it's price.