Would This Be a Wise Purchase For Me?

[Newbert]

I'm considering purchasing this Apple watch from Amazon. I know that it's not the latest and greatest version, but my needs are pretty basic - I simply want something that I could wear that would detect whether I've fallen and need help and/or any other potential medical emergencies.

That said, I have a few questions:

1. Will I need to set up a separate account for the watch with my cell carrier (Straight Talk Wireless)? Or can the watch simply be "linked" to my iPhone 6s's existing account?

2. If linking works, will the watch's emergency detection features still work if I'm not carrying my iPhone at the time?

3. Is an Apple watch harmful for someone with a cardiac pacemaker?

4. If I order it, how do I determine "40mm" vs "44mm" (which I assume is wrist size)?

5. Any other reasons NOT to go ahead with this purchase?

Thanks!

 

[Howard2k]

1 and 2 - yes, you don’t have to activate the cellular feature if you just want fall detection, but if you do wish to activate your best bet is to talk to your specific provider about your plan options. Assuming you are in North America of course. You can now get the Internet in other countries too ?

3 - check with your pacemaker provider but I’m certain it’s not. This is not the best forum for medical equipment advice though, considering the implications of a pacemaker malfunction.

4 - wrist size and personal preference.

5 - it shows as out of stock

Good luck!

 

[deeddawg]

1 - best to double check but in the past US prepaid carriers haven't supported Apple Watch cellular models.
2 - yes, emergency/fall detection works - and cellular models are supposed to work for emergency even if you don't have a cellular subscription albeit it can be slower than if you do.
3 - I'd recommend seeking medical advice from your medical professional and not random strangers on the Internet.
4 - whichever you prefer, go to a store and try them on to see how the case size looks on your wrist.
5 - find out the answer to #1 first. I'd probably buy from Apple though rather than Amazon.

 

[Hunter5117]

Regarding #4, 40mm vs 44mm is the actual physical size of the watch aka vertical size of the face. To some extent this is dictated by your wrist size but some people like a large watch, others don't.

This is NOT the size of the band which you can get in multiple sizes to match your wrist.

 

[deeddawg]

Regarding #4, 40mm vs 44mm is the actual physical size of the watch aka vertical size of the face. To some extent this is dictated by your wrist size but some people like a large watch, others don't.

This is NOT the size of the band which you can get in multiple sizes to match your wrist.

Do remember that Sport Bands and Sport Loops are sized slightly smaller for the 40mm bands than for the 44mm bands. Won't make a different for most people, but it could make a difference at the extremes.

 

[Newbert]

1 and 2 - yes, you don’t have to activate the cellular feature if you just want fall detection, but if you do wish to activate your best bet is to talk to your specific provider about your plan options. Assuming you are in North America of course. You can now get the Internet in other countries too ?

3 - check with your pacemaker provider but I’m certain it’s not. This is not the best forum for medical equipment advice though, considering the implications of a pacemaker malfunction.

4 - wrist size and personal preference.

5 - it shows as out of stock

Good luck!

Thanks for your replies, everyone!

Yes - Fall detection and emergency calling to 911 and my emergency contacts is the main reason (by far) that I'm interested in this watch. (LifeAlert and equivalent services are expensive and (I'm told) unreliable.)

Howard - You say that the cellular feature does NOT have to be activated for fall detection. If it's not activated, can the watch still contact 911 and my emergency contacts? And, if so - is that regardless of my iPhone's cellular carrier? I've been told that Straight Talk Wireless does NOT currently support the Apple watch, so would the watch's fall detection and 911 calling still be useful for me?

If cellular is not necessary for my needs, can I get by with just GPS? (That would save me $50 and it's currently in stock. - (GPS Only)

Sorry, but I'm a bit confused on which option would work for me under my present circumstances.

Thanks again!

 

[deeddawg]

Thanks for your replies, everyone!

Yes - Fall detection and emergency calling to 911 and my emergency contacts is the main reason (by far) that I'm interested in this watch. (LifeAlert and equivalent services are expensive and (I'm told) unreliable.)

Howard - You say that the cellular feature does NOT have to be activated for fall detection. If it's not activated, can the watch still contact 911 and my emergency contacts? And, if so - is that regardless of my iPhone's cellular carrier? I've been told that Straight Talk Wireless does NOT currently support the Apple watch, so would the watch's fall detection and 911 calling still be useful for me?

If cellular is not necessary for my needs, can I get by with just GPS? (That would save me $50 and it's currently in stock. - (GPS Only)

Sorry, but I'm a bit confused on which option would work for me under my present circumstances.

Thanks again!

In the US, all cellular devices are able to make emergency calls without needing service enabled. Reportedly if not activated it can take a little bit longer to connect - guess the device needs to figure out which provider to connect with.

See https://support.apple.com/guide/watch/make-an-emergency-phone-call-apd4ea933124/watchos

Note - all this is only if your phone is not connected to your watch over wifi or bluetooth. Otherwise your phone's cell service will be utilized. See https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208944

 

[Howard2k]

Canada too. And many countries in Europe. Unactivated phones can call 911.

 

[Newbert]

Thanks for all of the info guys! I decided to order the GPS-only version of the SE.