Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
In a few generations it may seem unknown that smartwatches used to be little more than glorified accessories for smartphones , and the Series 3 is understandably a footstep towards the mathematical product ’s future as an autonomous machine . In the short term , and bearing in mind the bombardment drain , extra cost and hassle of setting up a contract bridge , we ’d probably boost supporter and family to clean the non - cellular model . If you ’re do-or-die to keep in touch while out extend with your vigil and no iPhone , however , then go for cellular , and good luck to you .
TheApple Watch Series 3has murder the street , but one question remains : is LTE cellular a good idea ? The Series 3 is uncommitted with cellular or without , so in this clause we compare the feature and pricing of the two pick to facilitate you make the right buying decision for you .
If you turn over a decision after interpret this , you could buyfrom Appleor ( on contract)from EE .
Apple Watch History
These Apple Watches are soon to be replaced with New models . We ’re expecting to seeApple Watch Series 10 , Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3rd genesis , runningwatchOS 11 , plunge in September 2024 at the company’sGlowtime event(seehow to watch out the September outcome ) . If you ’re in the market for a raw Apple Watch , see ourApple Watch buying guide , one shot - up of thebest Apple Watch deals , and advice on whether you shouldbuy Apple Watch now or wait . You might also be interested in what othernew Apple productsare coming this year , and when is thenext Apple event . you could find tie to all our Apple Watch reviews below
Design
Visually there ’s almost nothing between the cellular and non - cellular versions of the Apple Watch Series 3 – the only giveaway is the lustrous cherry spot on the Digital Crown , which only appears on the cellular model . We do n’t specially like this ( it ’s brilliant and cheaper - looking in someone than it seemed in the publicity snapshot ) , but it ’s very much a issue of mouthful .
You also get a far smaller range of colours , materials and straps if you go for the non - cellular option , as you ’ll see in the pricing tabular array at the end of this clause . The top - terminal ceramic Edition models are cellular - only , as are all of the Hermès bundles ; even the untainted blade mannequin have to come in the cellular edition if you purchase from Apple .
If you buy a non - cellular Series 3 from Apple , you ’re stuck with the aluminium physical structure in either atomic number 47 , gold or Space Grey , and either a Sport Band ( in grey , smuggled , Fog or Pink Sand color options ) or a Nike Sport Band . ( Of course , you canbuy a different strapin the appropriate size individually and append it to your watch later . )
Cellular connectivity
plainly the chief departure is the front , or absence , of the newspaper headline characteristic : cellular connectivity . This intend that the watch can connect to the cyberspace even if its companion iPhone is out of Bluetooth kitchen stove , so you may pick up e-mail and iMessages ( but not texts ) , serve calls and see Maps and the Weather app , and even stream songs through Apple Music , all while out for a test .
A establish - in LTE and UMTS radio alternate automatically to cellular when you ’re aside from the companion iPhone , and knows to lead calls to your watch rather of your telephone when appropriate . The phone number is the same across both twist .
It ’s a cool feature of speech , and those who take to keep in touch at all time will benefit – but it has downsides , such as reduce barrage life story ( of which more in a minute ) , initial monetary value , the hassle and on-going cost of a contract ( in the UK you ’ll need to set up a contract withEEto get data on your watch ) . You have to think about how often you ’ll use it , how of import it is that you ’ll be capable to do so , and how much it will cost you .
Ultimately the decision is yours , but we suspect that for many people cellular will be an extravagance that does n’t make sense in the short term . In the foresighted condition , however , for the product line , this is doubtlessly the ripe direction to go : like the wireless sync / updating iniOS 5 , the importance of which was plausibly underestimated at the sentence , this pose the foundations of independency – of cutting the electric cord from the parent equipment .
Battery life
The biggest downside of cellular in our view is the loss of battery living .
This was one of the most significant improvements in theApple Watch Series 2 . Unlike thefirst - gen mannequin , which was reliably good for a 24-hour interval ’s function ( except at first , when we run mad with app usage ) but struggled badly if you missed a single nighttime ’s charge , the Series 2 mirthfully turn through two days and two night , and keeps on going until around lunchtime on the third day . This is fantastic .
The Series 3 start from a like starting point – early in our testing , in fact , we were excitably question if it might really exceed the Series 2 – but battery power tails off alarmingly whenever you switch to a cellular connexion .
Taking it out for a 30 - second run – using the Workout app and depending on its own cellular connecter to pick up iMessages and check electronic mail during a mid - run prison-breaking – caused a drop from mid-40s to high 20s . On another occasion we kept the Series 3 forth from its iPhone for a morning , and in five hours it dropped 32 percentage points ; as a control , the Series 2 fell just 19 % in the same period .
Now , we must stress that we have n’t tested the stamp battery lifetime of a non - cellular Series 3 . But the cellular version appears to have an fantabulous battery unit ; it just struggles when place under the strain of a cellular connecter . It therefore follows that plumping for the non - cellular mannequin will result in better stamp battery performance .
Specs
In virtually every respect other than the cellular equipment , these two versions of the Series 3 have identical spectacles . The one other exception is storage : the cellular - equipped version has 16 gilbert , while the GPS - only role model offers 8 G .
They both get the Modern and improved S3 processor scrap ( which come along to have come at exactly the correct time , reach that the S2 - equipped Series has slowed down slightly since instal watchOS 4 ) , and the faster W3 wireless chipping . And both models get the raw barometric altimeter , which allow the ticker to depend steps climb and superlative gained in exercise story .
Prices & where to buy
Cellular capability be you an extra £ 70/$70 , where unmediated comparison are possible . But as you ’ll see from the pricing board below , going for cellular hugely expands your buying options – and your capacity to spend money .
The non - cellular watch all cost £ 329/$329 , or £ 359/$359 if you require to go for the larger 42 millimetre sizing . The cellular models range from £ 399/$399 all the way up to £ 1,399/$1,399 .
Here ’s the full range . Remember that you may range all the choice and buyon Apple ’s website . Also note that all Price in GBP are the same in USD .
