Is It Worth Getting a Cellular Apple Watch — 3 Months Later…
Over the last ten years, I’ve had various smartwatches, with my first smartwatch being the Sony Smartwatch 2. But I never went for a cellular model. I guess I didn’t need to, as I always tend to be connected to the Wi-Fi.
This time around, I decided to change that and instead of buying out a new model, I decided to add one to my mobile phone contract through my provider.
It’s now been 3 months since the Apple Watch Series 9 cellular became my everyday driver. Based on my experience so far, I think that it is a decent watch and a big upgrade to my previous watch, the Apple Watch SE 1st generation.
But, without any further ado, here’s what I think after three months…
Setting it up and first impressions
Setting up the watch was easy, as it is with any Apple Watch. But setting up the eSim proved unnecessarily long, and it took a few phone calls to Vodafone to get working.
But in all fairness to Vodafone, once I got through to the correct people, they were incredibly helpful and went above and beyond to help. Massive thumbs up from me! Let’s face it, things don’t always go the way we plan in life, but you can really tell how much a company cares for their customers in these situations, and Vodafone went above and beyond in this instance. (Not sponsored to say this).
Once everything was set up, I started leaving my phone at home to firstly ensure that everything was working correctly, but also to see what it’s like and whether I can get used to not having a smartphone with me.
Initially, it felt strange not having my smartphone with me, but I got used to it after a while. But was it worth it? Continue reading for my full experience…
The reason I decided to go cellular
Before we get any further in this article, I wanted to discuss my decision, particularly as it was something I was considering for a long time.
I already mentioned that I never had a cellular smartwatch earlier in this article, but that wasn’t the main reason I decided to go cellular. There are various reasons for my decision.
My current everyday smartphone is the iPhone 14 Pro Max, I know it’s not the latest and greatest, but it’s perfectly adequate for my needs. But, with the display being 6.7 inches, it’s a large phone and sometimes, it’s nice to not carry it with me, particularly when cycling, running or doing any other outdoor activity.
On top of that, I would rather not have to rely on my phone being with me 24/7. For example, when I’m out in the garden (where my Wi-Fi doesn’t reach) I don’t always take my phone with me, but it’s nice to be able to know when my doorbell rings. The same could be said for any urgent calls or notifications.
But above all, I guess I wanted to try it to see if it suits me and whether I find it useful in everyday life.
My first week with the Apple Watch Series 9 Cellular
I know that the Apple Watch Series 9 is considerably newer than the Apple Watch SE 1st generation and that it has better features and hardware. However, from the user perspective, initially I didn’t see any major differences apart from it being cellular.
I remember the first time I left my phone at home, I was only popping to the local shops and on my way to the shop I received a notification. I don’t remember what the notification was, but I have to admit that it felt really cool.
On top of that, I was able to use the watch to pay for my shopping. How cool is that!
In normal day-to-day life, I tend to take my phone with me everywhere I go. Therefore, I can’t class the watch as a total replacement, but I do tend to leave my phone at home when going on cycling trips, walks or when I go out running.
To summarise my first week with the watch, I thought that the ability to add an eSim to the watch really completed the smartwatch experience.
Benefits of Cellular
There are many benefits of owning a cellular Apple Watch, but one of the main reasons is freedom from your phone, while staying connected. That doesn’t make sense, right?
I think it does because smartphones can do a lot of things and for many people they are effectively their main computer. You can use them to browse social media, reply to messages and emails, you can use them to take photos and videos. The list is endless!
I guess the point I’m trying to make is that many people are dependent on their phones, whether it’s work purposes, or staying in touch with family and friends. A smartwatch can effectively help people stay connected while limiting usage of a smartphone.
A cellular Apple Watch will work great in this instance, say that you are out with friends or family, but you need to stay in touch with a family member or even work. You will be able to respond to messages and answer calls without having to carry your phone with you!
A cellular Apple Watch works great for sports. I like to connect my AirPods Pro to my watch so that I can listen to music when I go out running or hiking. With the help of cellular connectivity, I can stream music from my watch! Based on my experience so far, I think that this is a game changer!
If I need to, I can even use my watch for directions. I don’t know what it is about running, but I like to find new routes to places, it’s astonishing what new things you can discover along your route. With the help of Maps, I am able to find my way around in unfamiliar areas and get back to my usual track if I get lost.
There are many more advantages to using a cellular watch. I tend to use this feature a lot when at work, as it means that I can leave my phone at my desk or in my backpack when going into meetings. At the same time, I can view notifications and emails without having to get my phone out. But I’m not sure how I feel about looking at my watch during a meeting. That brings me to the disadvantages.
Disadvantages of Cellular
Based on my experience with the watch so far, I think that there are many advantages to owning a cellular model. However, there are a few disadvantages that I wanted to discuss.
Starting with the fact that there is an extra cost for the ability to link your phone number with the watch. As part of my contract, I pay £7.50 per month for the privilege.
Another disadvantage I recently noticed is that my watch plan doesn’t work abroad. I’m not sure if it’s just my particular plan or provider, but when I went abroad last month, the cellular function did not work. This meant that I had to use my watch as a normal Apple Watch connected to my phone.
I haven’t yet had a chance to test this properly, but from what I read online, cellular connectivity can drain the battery faster.
I have the 45 mm Apple Watch Series 9, and I think that the screen is decent. However, performing certain tasks on a small screen, such as responding to emails and messages, can be less convenient compared to using your phone, which has a much larger screen.
Although a cellular Apple Watch offers phone-like features, I don’t think it can be a true replacement for an iPhone. The small screen and limited power and app capabilities can make it less suitable for some tasks like writing long emails or browsing the internet.
Final Thoughts
Although it’s been three months, I still think that it’s early days for me and my experience with a cellular watch. Mainly because I tend to carry my phone with me most of the time.
However, a cellular watch has proven to be excellent when going out for a run, hike, or walk. When going to the local shops, I don’t tend to take my phone with me either, as I have everything I need on my watch.
I know people who leave their phones at home all the time and use their smartwatches as their primary phones when they are out. However, I don’t think I’m ready to do that full-time yet, or if I ever will.
When it comes to making a final purchasing decision for any smartwatch, I seriously think that it’s worth considering how you will be using the watch and what you will be doing on it. I mean, in many cases a Wi-Fi connection may be enough. For me, however, I wanted to start leaving my phone at home when I didn’t need it and I wanted to start doing more outdoor sports. Therefore, I find the cellular feature useful.
Based on my experience so far, I think that a cellular Apple Watch is perfect for anyone who does sports, particularly outdoor sports, as it allows you to leave your phone at home while still being contactable. At the same time, I believe that a cellular Apple Watch is also great for people who want to limit their screen time while still being contactable.
To summarise my three-month review, I am incredibly satisfied with my cellular Apple Watch. Not only is it helping me limit screen time on my phone, but I find it great that I don’t have to worry about carrying a phone with me when I’m out. Not having my phone around has in numerous instances helped me be more productive as it has limited distractions.
What are your thoughts on a cellular smartwatch? If you have one, how do you use it in your daily life? Let us know in the comments!