6 reasons why you should order an Apple Watch with LTE today

By

Apple Watch Series 3
Get yours for as little as $259.
Photo: Apple

Apple Watch Series 3 is now available to pre-order ahead of its sales debut on September 22. If you move fast, you may still be able to claim one for launch day delivery.

But do you really need one? Maybe you already have a previous Apple Watch that’s still serving you well. Maybe you’ve never really seen the need for a smartwatch at all. Well, forget all that.

Here are 6 reasons why you should buy an Apple Watch with LTE today.

Series 3 is just as slim as its predecessors, and it has all the same great features introduced with last year’s refresh — including a brighter display, a bigger battery, and GPS connectivity. But it’s even more powerful under the hood.

Apple has packed in a faster dual-core S3 processor that makes watchOS and all your favorite apps even snappier, and an improved W2 wireless chip. It has also added an LTE modem, which makes Apple Watch even more useful.

Here are 7 reasons why this changes the game — and adds even more purpose to a smartwatch.

You can leave your iPhone at home

With its own LTE modem, Series 3 can connect to a cellular network. That means it no longer needs to be tethered to an iPhone over Bluetooth. You can leave your iPhone at home when you go grocery shopping or out for a meal, and you won’t miss a thing.

You’ll continue to receive notifications just as your normally would, and you’ll be able to reply to them there and then. You’ll also be able to use apps that require data without having to stare at a never-ending loading animation.

You can make calls

Series 3 won’t just let you receive and reply to notifications; it also allows you to make and receive calls. That means if the babysitter needs to get in touch or you decided to have a drink and need a cab, Apple Watch has you covered.

And because Apple Watch is tied to your iPhone’s wireless plan, it uses exactly the same phone number.

Apple Watch 3
Do all this and more without an iPhone.
Photo: Apple

You can enjoy 40 million songs on Apple Music

An Apple Watch with LTE can connect to Apple Music. That means that if you have a subscription, you also have 40 million songs on your wrist — and you don’t have to worry about syncing a playlist, or updating it when it gets old.

Simply connect a pair of wireless earbuds — such as AirPods — and you’re good to go. It makes Apple Watch even greater for fitness activities, when you don’t want a heavy iPhone in your pocket.

You can use Siri

Siri is another feature that continues to work as normal over LTE without a tethered iPhone. You can use it to fetch information, to reply to text messages and emails, to create calendar events and reminders, and to keep on top of the things that matter most to you.

What’s more, Siri is more intelligent on Series 3 devices, with the ability to talk back.

You can navigate

With LTE and Apple Maps on your wrist, it’s even more difficult to get lost in strange places. You can find coffee shops, bars, and other places nearby, and get turn-by-turn navigation to wherever you need to be — even with a dead iPhone battery.

Your friends can find you

If you use Find My Friends, the service will automatically display the location of your Watch when you’re away from your iPhone. That means your friends will still be able to find you when your iPhone is sat on your nightstand at home.

Apple Watch Series 3
Some days, you won’t need your iPhone at all.
Photo: Apple

And there’s more!

These are just the things you can do now that Apple Watch has LTE connectivity, but of course, all the things that made it a great device before are still present. It’s still the best activity tracker money can buy. It’s still swim-proof. It still has Mickey Mouse faces.

By adding LTE, then, Apple just gave Watch even more purpose. It’s no longer a secondary device that replicates functionality you already had on your iPhone. It can now replace your iPhone in many situations — and that’s huge.

Have you ordered yours yet?

Newsletters

Daily round-ups or a weekly refresher, straight from Cult of Mac to your inbox.

  • The Weekender

    The week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.