I switched to a cellular Apple Watch just to confirm I don’t need one

Macworld

I’ve been using an Apple Watch for almost the entire time there has been an Apple Watch, and since the big upgrade with the Series 4 I’ve worn one all day every day. But I’ve never gotten the cellular-equipped model, because I figured I probably didn’t need it. Yes, there are lots of things the Apple Watch can do without an iPhone, but it can of course do those things with an iPhone nearby as well, and many of them don’t require a cellular connection (only Wi-Fi or even no connection at all).

So, I conducted an experiment: I got a cellular-equipped version of the Apple Watch Series 10 (read my review) for a change, activated the monthly service, and spent a couple of weeks deliberately leaving my iPhone behind. Here’s how it went:

It’s hard to not have your iPhone

Let’s start with the obvious… my iPhone goes with me everywhere. It’s my car key, my music player, my diet and exercise tracker, my social media pipeline, and of course, how I text or call people. Leaving it behind isn’t something most people want to do and when my phone is around the cellular connection is redundant.

I often answer phone calls on my Apple Watch simply because it’s convenient (and the sound quality is surprisingly good), which works fine as long as my iPhone is somewhere nearby. Tracking workouts and activity? That works even if the Apple Watch has no connection at all—the data will sync up once you get back within range of your iPhone. Notifications? Again, you get them if your watch is connected to Wi-Fi, and if not, what am I going to do with a notification from my iPhone if my iPhone isn’t around?

I made an effort to do things like stream music or podcasts to AirPods while leaving my iPhone in the locker at the gym, or at home while I walk the dog. It worked, of course, but half the time I was listening to things that would have worked fine if they were downloaded to my watch ahead of time, and I usually wound up thinking, “I wish I had my phone to look something up real quick.”




The Apple Watch Series 10 with cellular looks identical to the Wi-Fi model now that Apple has stopped adding a red dot to the Digital Crown.



The Apple Watch Series 10 with cellular looks identical to the Wi-Fi model now that Apple has stopped adding a red dot to the Digital Crown.Foundry

The Apple Watch Series 10 with cellular looks identical to the Wi-Fi model now that Apple has stopped adding a red dot to the Digital Crown.Foundry


Foundry

Wi-Fi is basically everywhere

The fact is if your iPhone has connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot while within Bluetooth range of your Watch, the Watch will use that Wi-Fi hotspot as well. That gives it a connection to the Internet to do any streaming, maps, messaging, notifications, or other things you want your Watch to do.

Leaving my iPhone in the locker at the gym while I track my workout and stream music from my watch to my AirPods Pro 2 is a somewhat freeing experience (at least, until I get on the treadmill and wish I had my phone to watch videos). But as long as my iPhone got on the gym’s Wi-Fi, so did my Apple Watch, making the cellular connection unnecessary.

Ask yourself: How often do I need my Apple Watch to have a live internet connection in a place where I don’t have my iPhone with me and I don’t have a Wi-Fi connection? It can happen, but it’s definitely not worth paying an extra $100 for the watch and $10 a month for cellular service. Over a couple of years that’s essentially doubling the price of the Apple Watch in the first place!

You may actually need a cellular model if…

I see people often asking if they need the cellular Apple Watch on social media, and if my experiment is any indication: probably not. A cellular Apple Watch is really useful if you know you need access to the outside world in a situation where you’re going to leave your iPhone at home on a regular basis.




A cellular connection on your Apple Watch might come in handy every so often, but it’s not essential.



A cellular connection on your Apple Watch might come in handy every so often, but it’s not essential.Petter Ahrnstedt

A cellular connection on your Apple Watch might come in handy every so often, but it’s not essential.Petter Ahrnstedt


Petter Ahrnstedt

For example, if you’re a runner that wants to run outdoors without the awkwardness of an iPhone strapped to you somewhere, and don’t want to give up listening to music or a podcast, an Apple Watch streaming to your earbuds is a great solution. You can always download the music or podcast ahead of time—cellular would let you stream, but that’s a minor convenience. The real benefit would be staying in touch via text or phone while out on your iPhone-free run.

I’ve seen reports of people who were glad they had their cellular Apple Watch to make a phone call when out on a hike without their iPhone, which I suppose could happen. But… you hike without your iPhone? You don’t want your camera with you, or the capability to connect to a satellite if you’re out of cellular range? (Emergency SOS via satellite isn’t a feature of the Apple Watch.)

Note that if you want to set up an Apple Watch for your child using a Kids account, it must have cellular. This is meant for a child that doesn’t have their own phone and ensures that you’ll always be able to locate them with Find My, send or receive texts or calls, and control their access to apps or notifications. It’s likely a parent will be buying an Apple Watch SE for a child, which has a significantly lower price than the Series 10, and there are rumors that Apple will release a new kid-friendly Apple Watch SE next year, which could make the cellular version even cheaper. So for that specific use case, cellular has a purpose and a decent price point.

But after two weeks of deliberately trying to engineer situations where a regular Apple Watch wouldn’t have worked just as well, I well and truly convinced myself that I’m fine with the Wi-Fi-only version. Instead of finding new ways for my Apple Watch to delight me, I just frustrated myself by leaving my iPhone behind when I wanted it.