Too many limitations

[danmart]

Something that i find much more of a limiting factor than the roaming issue is the fact that the LTE Watch can't be set up with anything else than an iPhone.Why can't i have it connected to an iPad or MacBook? I hope at some point the Apple Watch won't be dependent on the iPhone, because with it being able to have its own connection i could live without the iPhone entirely.

You have answered your own question...

Apple aren't going to let people obsolete a $700-1000 device with one costing half as much...

 

[GoFlex]

You have answered your own question...

Apple aren't going to let people obsolete a $700-1000 device with one costing half as much...

But couldn't they just make the watch more expensive later on?? The LTE one is like £50 more than the non cellular. I'm sure as it becomes more independent it'll eventually hit a £1000 mark itself.

 

[danmart]

At that point people will be either-or, not both. Apple would still lose out.

 

[GoFlex]

At that point people will be either-or, not both. Apple would still lose out.

I suppose people will still buy the phone for the same reason they buy an iPad - For a screen.

 

[Vermifuge]

I suppose people will still buy the phone for the same reason they buy an iPad - For a screen.

I travel a lot and I have stopped using a DSLR / Mirrorless camera. my iPhone is my camera. Especially with my DJI Osmo.

 

[username:]

Too many limitations in your use case, not for the majority of people.

I suspect its related to the fact there's no SIM card, and apple has been working with carriers but it hasn't been all rainbows and unicorns and the carriers may have been resistant.

Aside from the LTE issue, what other limitations are you concerned about? You mention too many limitations but only mention the issue about traveling.

LTE is the main reason I want the Apple Watch. As I am currently in a country that I will not be living in in the future, there is no point buying it here. If it could work in different countries, I would buy it. Also roaming would be a great feature too.

I mean when I say too many limitations, I am referring to the limitations to cellular. Otherwise I think it's a great product, just will wait until it makes sense for me to buy it.

 

[maflynn]

I mean when I say too many limitations, I am referring to the limitations to cellular.

Gotcha,
I thought you were listing off limitations but then only mentioned a single one.

 

[fischersd]

People need to understand that the roaming restriction is a temporary one. This is Apple lighting a fire under the carriers to get the rules for VoLTE roaming finalized (so you CAN roam).
Microsoft, Intel and Qualcomm have been pushing the eSIM adoption....I watched a video on remote provisioning for eSIM that Qualcomm did - you could easily load half a dozen profiles on the eSIM (that's half a dozen carrier profiles you can pick through) - so for those that travel extensively, more than a little handier than doing a SIM swap on a regular basis.

As for the "in country" thing - need to see if that's actually true - it should be the same SKU for Canada/US - I'd rather snag one in the states to get a better exchange than what Apple offers here.

Oh...and regarding the frequencies - you will still be able to roam internationally once the VoLTE roaming is worked out - there's about a couple dozen LTE frequencies used around the world Apple's splitting these into different SKU's as it's problematic to have all of those bands supported within the Watch.

 

[KrisLord]

Up until literally two months ago, when the law changed, going abroad in Europe was a nightmare for everyone from a roaming prospective because you were charged for it. At best you could spend a few pounds a day for a modest allowance. At worst you were billed per megabyte.

So being able to painlessly roam is a very new thing.

Hence I can't help but feel "the Series 3 is rubbish because I can't use it in isolation from my iPhone when I travel abroad" is an overreaction to say the least, when two months ago doing so would have meant £££ if, hypothetically, it was possible.

I’d rather pay what we’ve paid over the last year or so for roaming than have to pay what the US seems to require for any kind of usable mobile service