The Apple Watch Series 3 looks, acts, and feels almost exactly the same as the Series 2 with a key difference—LTE wireless connectivity, whether your iPhone is nearby or not. We tested the Series 3 on-site at Apple's unveiling event, including trying just a few of the new features.
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The Series 3 watch still uses your iPhone's connection when the phone is nearby, but as soon as you move away from the phone, the Series 3 LTE seamlessly kicks in. We weren't able to test this at the event; all the Watches on display were flying solo, sans phones.You can make calls directly from the Watch by tapping a button on the top-left corner of the watch face. From there, you can browse contacts to reach out to through a few interfaces: favorites, recents, contacts, and the keypad. So it's just like using your phone—or really, like the previous Apple Watch, for the most part. The difference is that you can do it anywhere.
The Watch intelligently picks up your voice, and you do not have to hold it up to your mouth—in ideal conditions, anyway.
Dick Tracy fans rejoice.
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The major feature of the third iteration of the Apple Watch, LTE cellular connectivity, can fail due to a bug involving Wi-Fi. This problem has been reflected in reviews of the device:
The new Apple Watch is mostly an iterative update over its predecessor, but for one major feature: LTE. The addition of cellular connectivity has been touted as everything from "nice" to "game changing," but reviewers appear to have early issues in testing. I didn't run into any in my own testing, but the Verge reported some big hiccups connecting to the cellular network on the device.
An Apple spokeswoman confirmed the problem with TechCrunch, stating, "We have discovered that when Apple Watch Series 3 joins unauthenticated Wi-Fi networks without connectivity, it may at times prevent the watch from using cellular. We are investigating a fix for a future software release."
The LTE also does not work if you take the device to another country.
Also at The Verge, Fox Business (WSJ/Dow Jones reprint), and Fortune.
(Score: 2) by coolgopher on Thursday September 14 2017, @03:42AM (1 child)
Does it come in a Star Trek communicator edition yet?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 15 2017, @02:21AM
Can you still steal baseball signs with it?
(Score: 2) by lx on Thursday September 14 2017, @04:41AM
No longer prisoners will have to rely on dumb phones from Amazon. [youtube.com]
(Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday September 14 2017, @05:18AM (6 children)
Other smartwatches [gizmodo.com] have implemented the Dick Tracy experience (badly). We'll see if Apple can do any better. Well, it has had the ability to make/take calls when your iPhone is in your pocket, so I guess they already have their take on the Dick Tracy experience.
The real killer feature for the smartwatch could be some sort of holographic display or 3D trickery to make the screen size appear much bigger than 1.5 - 2.5 inches. And then you get to wave the fingers of your other hand in the air instead of touching the tiny screen. But even then, it's questionable that you'll want to make phone calls by holding your posterior wrist up to your face for X minutes. I guess I could put a regular watch on and hold it up to my face for a while to see how long it takes for me to absolutely hate it.
But there is a viable solution to this idiocy. A Bluetooth headset. Yup, if you add a Bluetooth headset, you no longer need to hold up your posterior wrist for 20 minutes. Just briefly in order to tap to accept the call. But remember to keep your smartwatch fully patched [soylentnews.org].
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 3, Funny) by Mykl on Thursday September 14 2017, @07:17AM (5 children)
Bluetooth headset? Pfft. How about we just implant a Tooth Microphone [newscientist.com] and Bone Conduction [wikipedia.org] speakers.
The upgrades are expensive, but you can always reduce the extraction costs by getting into a bar fight.
(Score: 2) by NotSanguine on Thursday September 14 2017, @08:10AM (4 children)
What a wonderful idea!
Especially since we know that bluetooth devices are subject to immediate and complete pwnage [securityweek.com], as was discussed just the other day [soylentnews.org].
I wouldn't even need to go to the dentist to have my teeth hacked. I love this country!
Oh, and I'd rather have my tonsils extracted through my ears before buying anything from these folks at Apple [thevillager.com.na] [Possibly NSFW].
No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
(Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday September 14 2017, @02:47PM (3 children)
So you would stop using Wi-Fi if a vuln was found in it?
You wouldn't use nanobots if they had a wireless communication protocol?
Just allow the tooth cam to be updated using something that requires near physical contact.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by NotSanguine on Thursday September 14 2017, @05:06PM (2 children)
That's not what I said at all.
I implied (sarcastically) that I wouldn't want to have bluetooth devices installed in my bones and teeth.
In fact, I have no interest in having any electronic devices implanted in my body.
Then I said that I won't purchase Apple gear.
As an aside, I keep bluetooth disabled on my devices that support it unless I have a specific need to use it, and once the need passes, I disable it again. I've been doing so for as long as I've had bluetooth-capable devices.
Is there anything else you'd like to know?
No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
(Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday September 14 2017, @05:31PM (1 child)
I need to know your coordinates so please turn on your GPS (favor for the CIA).
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by NotSanguine on Thursday September 14 2017, @05:51PM
Sorry, no can do. You'll need to send an NSL to my mobile provider to get my location information.
That said, you're welcome on my lawn. If you can find it. :)
No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
(Score: 3, Informative) by Maddog on Thursday September 14 2017, @02:11PM
You mean just like the Gear S3 is already doing today. I'll admit I like having the ability to call from my wrist without a phone at times--but I don't do it all the time. There's a reason everyone doesn't walk around with their phones on speakerphone.
Nice to see Apple is finally catching up here.
(Score: 3, Informative) by ilsa on Thursday September 14 2017, @03:40PM (1 child)
I've always wanted a watch that can run out juice after only a single hour of use. (or up to 18 hours at the absolute best)
http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/apple-watch-3-release-date-series-3-rumours-features-price-3196092 [trustedreviews.com]
I was getting very close to buying a Pebble, but then then were bought by FitBit and shut down. Now there are *no* smart watches on the market that can last more than a day or two. And manufacturers wonder why smartwatches are limited to being a niche product?
(Score: 3, Funny) by bob_super on Thursday September 14 2017, @05:57PM
That's why you have so many limbs: a Rolex for the time (EMP-proof), a Pebble for the mails, a Gear 3 (or now Apple) for the calls, a fitbit for your health, and that monitoring bracelet thingy for your probation for doubting Apple.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 14 2017, @04:17PM
No camera. Less space than a Neptune Pine. Lame.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 14 2017, @04:27PM (1 child)
It's Apple, and this is SN, so there must be a walled garden somewhere and this is evil, proprietary, hardware that will control our minds and our wallets. Bad bad bad
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 14 2017, @06:52PM
Exactly, but it isn't because this is SN. If you're a fan of Apple maybe you should pay more attention and stop treating critics like loons?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 14 2017, @07:29PM
I think the people of the past had the crazy expectation that people would be in control of this wonderful technology. Not some slave tracking bracelet. Pitiful.