Do I need cellular on Apple Watch? This is a question that most Apple Watch owners ask themselves when they find themselves in a number of situations. So, do you really need cellular on your Apple Watch for you to enjoy all of the functional benefits it provides?
The Apple Watch is one of the company’s finest products that has been released in the past few years. Apple is very selective about the kind of technology that it releases, and the Apple Watch has quickly become one of their best product offerings apart from their laptops and mobile phones.
If you like using smartwatches and need one that will go well with your iPhone, getting an Apple Watch is a no-brainer. However, you might already know that the Apple Watch works only with the iPhone.
If it is not connected to the iPhone, the connectivity is severely limited. The watch relies on the Wi-Fi from your mobile phone to update apps and settings. However, many people have been talking about cellular being integrated into the smartwatch.
When you think about the fact that many competitors have released smartwatches that now come with cellular, it’s only a matter of time before Apple thinks about doing that as well.
Do I Need Cellular On Apple Watch?
The case for cellular on Apple Watch is becoming stronger by the day. Having cellular connectivity on your smartwatch could actually play a pretty important role, and completely change the way people use their smartwatches.
For instance, instead of carrying your iPhone and your Apple Watch on you at all times, you could simply leave your house with the watch.
There’s already a bit of functionality that the company has integrated that works without your iPhone, such as Apple Pay and their fitness tracking features, but if you had cellular working on it, you would be able to access even more features and services with ease.
For people who are into fitness, this poses an excellent advantage. For instance, many people who like to run often like to stream music from Apple Music. However, this is difficult when you consider the fact that keeping your iPhone on you while running is a bit of a hassle.
Most people usually have to put the phone on their arm, or put it in their pocket. But, if you had the Apple Music functionality through cellular on your Apple Watch, you wouldn’t have to worry about the extra bulk.
Furthermore, you could also receive notifications while you work out in peace, giving you greater freedom and making it easy for you to remain up to date with your messages or emails.
Some may refer to it as a benefit, especially the hyperconnected crowd, though many would also consider it a distraction. Now, while recent reports state that the Apple Watch will not be able to make calls on its own, it’s important to note that some VoIP apps are likely to work.
Why Is Cellular Not a Wise Choice?
Many people want to know why cellular might not be such a good addition to the Apple Watch. Isn’t the watch just right in its current iteration?
If you were to ask more Apple users, especially those who already own the watch, about whether they prefer using it in its current iteration or if they would like cellular, there is a strong chance that many will just say they like it currently.
However, you need to understand that the answer primarily does not depend on the capabilities of the watch itself. Most people aren’t really annoyed when they don’t receive notifications on their watch, especially when their phone isn’t nearby.
The answer to this is simple: most people usually have their phone nearby at all times, so it’s never an issue. Furthermore, you also have to consider the challenges faced in the engineering department.
Cellular radios not only put a significant burden on your battery life, but they are also slightly bigger in size. This size is not a problem in a 5-6” phone, but when you consider the size and shape of the Apple Watch, it’s easy to see that this could be a problem.
Adding another chip to your Apple Watch is just a big problem, because it has a major impact on the battery life. There are quite a few people who are already dissatisfied with the battery life on the Apple Watch, claiming that they have to charge the device at the end of the day.
So, is that tax on the battery life really worth it? Then, you have to consider the financial aspect of things. It’s evident that a model that comes with cellular connectivity is going to be more expensive because of the increased cost of adding a radio.
Also you will have to get a monthly plan, which is likely to cost anywhere between $10 to $15 a month. The question again stands: are these costs really worth an additional cellular radio?
Additional Models
Apple has already begun to flex its creative muscles over time as the newer models of the Apple Watch have been released.
Therefore, you can rest assured that the company is going to be looking closely at consumer feedback and adapting these changes into their upcoming models.
If you were in the mood for a new Apple Watch, you will definitely want to consider waiting it out for new models.
The company has slowly begun to introduce new models into the mix, and just like with the iPhone, there is a pretty high chance that the newer models will come with several variants.
There’s likely to be a less expensive, standard-priced variant that includes the base features, and the company is likely to offer an additional model that comes with cellular radio.
It’s the same pattern that you might have noticed with the iPad and other devices that the company has released in the past few years.
They first carefully test the market and create a niche for themselves, and once people are used to the new product and it finds a suitable place in its ecosystem, they are able to release different versions.
These are just a few things that you should know about cellular radios on the Apple Watch, and when to expect them.
