What will I miss if I don’t get cellular? Other than the obvious...

[ssledoux]

I have a cellular AW now, but the cellular has never activated properly, so I cancelled the plan, and don’t have cellular. I’m thinking of buying a series 5 because my son could really use an AW, but I‘m not buying him a new one, so I was considering passing him my 4 and getting myself a new one.

What features will I miss out on if I don’t get cellular? Obviously this time I’m gonna be more diligent about getting it functioning if I DO wind up with cellular - I just let it go too long last time and didn’t feel like bothering with it.

 

[26139]

My wife has a Series 4 with cellular. We started the phone plan, kept it for a month, and then cancelled it.

There was no reason for her to use cellular, as all her podcasts synced easily for runs and whenever she needed a phone, there was an iPhone for the watch to connect to nearby.

I suppose she did lose the ability to call for help in the middle of a run, but that didn't seem to bother her at all.

 

[Apple_Robert]

If you forget your phone or the battery dies etc., you wouldn’t be able to call 911 from your watch, should the need arise. You don’t need a cell plan to use 911 on the cellular watch version.

The link shows the difference between GPS and cellular.

Space Gray Aluminum Case with Sport Loop

Shop Apple Watch Space Gray Aluminum Case in 40mm and 44mm. Available with built-in GPS and altimeter. Learn more at apple.com

www.apple.com

 

[Ericdjensen]

As they said, just 911, peace of mind. Certainly wasn't enough for me though. I got GPS only.

 

[IJBrekke]

Cellular function has always been a price point issue in the U.S. For most people, taking and making calls on the watch are no more than a backup and/or emergency function. Almost no one is using it as a primary device for calls. This makes the $10/month cost just a bit too much for low usage. For $5 I think a lot more people would say “why not” and try it.

For very specific situations where carrying a phone is inconvenient but you still need notifications delivered it makes sense. But there’s a certain peace of mind attached to going for a run without data - I personally enjoy the break.

Essentially, for $120/year you get to never be fully unplugged. If that’s appealing, go for it. If you can carry your phone when needed, why bother?

 

[JerseyDoug]

I got my AW5+Cellular so I could listen to music via Apple Music at the gym without having to fiddle with setting up and downloading playlists, etc.. Of course, now that my gym is closed ...????

 

[shakopeemn]

I have the cellular AW3 and didn't find the value in AT&T $15+tax monthly fee after a year. I like the idea of having 911 available by holding the side button, but it ends there. On the AW3 Cellular, it came with an additional 8 GB RAM.

My next AW will be non-cellular. I do appreciate the AW, but in daily use it's the phone that is more helpful 90% of the time. I'd rather spend on a current / faster phone.

 

[Ericdjensen]

It's worth pointing out that the cellular model can make emergency calls even if you don't have a plan on it

 

[glenthompson]

Never felt the need for the cellular version. It’s very rare that I will have the watch without my phone. I have a phone mount on my bike. I don’t wear my watch when swimming. I always play podcasts, audiobooks, and music from my phone.

 

[GRT89521]

I use cellular for one thing. When I go running I don't need my phone. Otherwise, I always have my phone and cellular is a waste (in my opinion). That being said; the 12-15 times a month I go running its nice to stream music, share my location with family, and send and receive text. I can't tell you the last time I actually took a call on my watch while on cellular. I have cellular turned on for my Series 3 and I haven't activated it on my Series 4 because I really don't workout with that watch.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I pay $10 a month (taxes included) with T-Mobile. I think it is worth it for me, as I do use my watch to run 6 days a week, not to mention getting texts and up to date weather updates etc. 24/7.

 

[FenC]

For me the biggest thing would be the sapphire glass that comes with the SS or higher Watch, but I'm guessing you have an Alu LTE S4, so that's not a concern for you.

 

[artfossil]

I'm 72. There are two reasons I have a cellular Watch and a cellular plan for it:

1 Convenience. I like to walk and to swim without my phone. I can still get important messages or calls.

2 Safety. Back in the days when we could leave the house (!) I used to forget my phone pretty frequently. The peace of mind that comes with the ability to call for help wherever I am, without my phone, is well worth the cost of my Watch cellular plan.

 

[Itinj24]

Cellular AW came to the rescue on more than one occasion for me. The most notable one was when my iPhone bricked for no apparent reason on my commute home and my wife called to pick up the kids from school because she was stuck in traffic. I would’ve never got that call if I didn’t have cellular on the watch. I’ll gladly pay the $120-$150 a year. That amounts to less than one night out for a fancy shmancy dinner.

 

[44267547]

I'm 72. There are two reasons I have a cellular Watch and a cellular plan for it:

1 Convenience. I like to walk and to swim without my phone. I can still get important messages or calls.

2 Safety. Back in the days when we could leave the house (!) I used to forget my phone pretty frequently. The peace of mind that comes with the ability to call for help wherever I am, without my phone, is well worth the cost of my Watch cellular plan.

For me personally, I just don’t like carrying around the larger Plus/Max device with me, it’s cumbersome and quite frankly, it’s too obtrusive in my pocket. The Apple Watch eliminated that burden while still being able to communicate.

Now, If the carriers want to continue to benefit by Creating a larger gross revenue with LTE, they need more specific plans in place that would be attractive to the consumer to want to add the additional fee on an already expensive monthly carrier bill. I think there’s a lot of great uses for LTE on the market, but consumers aren’t willing to spend the extra $10–$15 dollars a month, which I think is something that Apple and the carriers could further improve upon as a selling point.