Apple Watch :: LTE is a game changer
by Volker Weber
Ten days in I am pretty sure that LTE is a game changer for the Apple Watch. I have worn an Apple Watch for two and a half years and have been hooked on the activity tracking feature. That's why I never took it off.
Notifications were always nice to have, since I did not have to fetch my iPhone for unimportant updates. But I still had it on me, no matter where I went. And this has changed.
I often leave the iPhone behind when I leave the house. I still have my notifications, I get all my WhatsApp or Signal messages, and I can keep conversations going in iMessage or reply to emails via Siri Dictation. I get my phone calls and I place phone calls in a pinch.
I probably would not leave for a full day without the iPhone, but it is a perfect solution for dog walks, bike trips, running errands or going out.
Comments
That's great to hear! From your experience, do you see any differences in battery life? Or is it similar to the previous generations?
I see no big difference. With LTE off it's definitely longer, with LTE on it's about the same. I am not stressing the watch though. No conference calls, not "playing" with the watch.
My observations match yours except, I now wear an Apple Watch instead of Garmin. The LTE is a game changer and it genuinely makes a difference. I have four kids and, thus, a hectic life around the house on the weekends. It is nice being able to roam around the house and neighborhood without my phone. I didn't carry the phone all the time because I'm important, rather, it is necessary because of the unexpected. Perfect example, our 2 year old wanted to walk a couple blocks (600m) down the street to go look at the "diggers" (Kipper). Instead of my wife having to run back in the house and grab her phone, she left with her watch and was able to give me a heads up as to what they were doing. This doesn't seem like much, but the lack of "friction" in that interaction is what makes the LTE watch extraordinarily valuable. I am still having issues with the watch "intelligently" switching from iPhone to wifi to LTE in our house, but I expect that will get better as the software improves. For right now, this is an improvement worthy of an upgrade for those who are very mobile and would like tech to work with them, not against.
Thanks, Steven. Great feedback.
