I’ve been using an Apple Watch almost all my life. was done Since the Apple Watch and the big upgrade to Series 4, I’ve been wearing it all day every day. However, I’ve never bought a cellular model because I thought I probably wouldn’t need it. Sure, there are plenty of things you can do with your Apple Watch without an iPhone, but you can do those things too. and iPhones are also nearby, and many don’t require a cellular connection (sometimes just Wi-Fi, or sometimes not at all).
So I conducted an experiment. For a change, I bought a version of the Apple Watch Series 10 with cellular capabilities (read my review), turned on the monthly service, and intentionally left my iPhone alone for a few weeks. The situation is as follows.
It’s hard not having an iPhone
Let’s start with the obvious…my iPhone goes everywhere. It’s my car keys, my music player, my food and exercise trackers, my social media pipeline, and of course, how I text and call. Misplacing your cell phone is something most people don’t want to do, and when your cell phone is nearby, your cell phone connection becomes redundant.
I often answer calls on my Apple Watch, simply because it’s convenient (and the sound quality is amazing). This works fine as long as your iPhone is nearby. Want to track your workouts and activities? This works even if your Apple Watch isn’t connected at all. When you get back within range of your iPhone, your data will sync. Notifications? Again, you will receive notifications if your watch is connected to Wi-Fi. If not, what do you do with notifications from your iPhone when it’s not nearby?
I tried to do things like stream music and podcasts to my AirPods while I left my iPhone in my gym locker or at home while walking the dog. Of course it worked, but half the time I was listening to something that could have worked just fine if I had downloaded it to my watch beforehand, and I was mostly thinking, quick. “
Apple Watch Series 10 with cellular functionality looks the same as the Wi-Fi model, as Apple has stopped adding a red dot to the Digital Crown.
Apple Watch Series 10 with cellular functionality looks the same as the Wi-Fi model, as Apple has stopped adding a red dot to the Digital Crown.
foundry
Apple Watch Series 10 with cellular functionality looks the same as the Wi-Fi model, as Apple has stopped adding a red dot to the Digital Crown.
foundry
foundry
Wi-Fi is basically everywhere
In fact, if your iPhone is connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot within Bluetooth range of your Watch, your Watch will also use that Wi-Fi hotspot. This allows you to connect to the internet for streaming, maps, messaging, notifications, and anything else you want to do with your Watch.
Leaving your iPhone in your gym locker while you track your workouts or stream music from your watch to your AirPods Pro 2 can be a somewhat liberating experience (at least on the treadmill). (until I realized I wish I had a cell phone to ride and watch videos). But if your iPhone is connected to your gym’s Wi-Fi, your Apple Watch can also connect, so a cellular connection is no longer necessary.
Ask yourself. How often do you need your Apple Watch for live Internet connectivity when you don’t have your iPhone? and I don’t have a Wi-Fi connection? It can happen, but it’s never worth paying an extra $100 for a watch and $10 a month for cell phone service. To begin with, the price of the Apple Watch has essentially doubled in just a few years.
The following situations may actually require a cellular model:
People often ask on social media whether they need a cellular Apple Watch, and I’m not sure if my experiments suggest that, but it’s probably not. If you regularly leave your iPhone at home and know you need access to the outside world, a cellular Apple Watch can be very useful.
Cellular connectivity on the Apple Watch may be useful at times, but it’s not required.
Cellular connectivity on the Apple Watch may be useful at times, but it’s not required.
Petter Arnstedt
Cellular connectivity on the Apple Watch may be useful at times, but it’s not required.
Petter Arnstedt
Petter Arnstedt
For example, if you’re a runner who wants to run outdoors without the hassle of tying your iPhone somewhere, and don’t want to give up listening to music or podcasts, the Apple Watch streaming to earbuds is perfect for you. Solved. You can always pre-download music and podcasts. You can stream on your phone, but it’s not very convenient. The real benefit is that you can stay in touch via text or phone calls while you’re running without your iPhone.
I’ve seen people report that they were glad they had their Apple Watch with them to make calls when they went hiking without their iPhone, and I think that can happen. But… do you hike without your iPhone? Don’t want to carry your camera around or need the ability to connect to a satellite when you’re out of cell phone range? (Emergency SOS via satellite is not a feature of Apple Watch.)
If you want to set up your child’s Apple Watch using a kids account, must I have a mobile phone. It’s aimed at kids who don’t have their own phones and lets you always find them with Find My, send and receive texts and calls, and control access to apps and notifications. Parents will probably end up buying their kids an Apple Watch SE, which is significantly cheaper than the Series 10, and there are rumors that Apple will release a new Apple Watch SE for kids next year, which could make the phone more popular. There is a possibility that Even cheaper version. So for that particular use case, cellular has a purpose and a good price point.
But after two weeks of intentionally designing situations where the regular Apple Watch wouldn’t work, I convinced myself that the Wi-Fi-only version was fine. Instead of finding new ways to use my Apple Watch to make me happy, I just ended up getting frustrated with myself for misplacing my iPhone when I wanted it.
