Can you get Apple watch 3 with LTE, but NOT active LTE

[brookwood_skunk]

At this time, I don't want Apple watch 3 with LTE, but I may want it later.

 

[doogald]

Apple says yes.

 

[TripleOne]

Yes you can!
You can simply turn off cellular from the control center on your Watch.

 

[Mac Guy]

Yes you can!
You can simply turn off cellular from the control center on your Watch.

I don't know if that makes any difference or if you avoid a nag, but just don't sign up for cellular in the first place.

I'm waiting a bit, a month, week, or day, I don't know which, before activating. It galls me a little to have to pay anything, but $10 is just enough to bug me. If I frequented Starbucks just skipping a day or two would pay for my subscription.

Maybe I'll get a ramen subscription from Amazon.

 

[TripleOne]

I don't know if that makes any difference or if you avoid a nag, but just don't sign up for cellular in the first place.

I'm waiting a bit, a month, week, or day, I don't know which, before activating. It galls me a little to have to pay anything, but $10 is just enough to bug me. If I frequented Starbucks just skipping a day or two would pay for my subscription.

Maybe I'll get a ramen subscription from Amazon.

I won’t be using it at all on my Watch, since it’s not supported here.

 

[doogald]

I don't know if that makes any difference or if you avoid a nag, but just don't sign up for cellular in the first place.

Absolutely. It should also be noted that the US carriers offering three months free for the watch require that the device be activated for those three months to get the full credit, and if you de-activate and re-activate later, you'll have to pay an activation fee (which I believe is around $25.) They'll only waive the fee once.

 

[swimbikemom2]

Absolutely. It should also be noted that the US carriers offering three months free for the watch require that the device be activated for those three months to get the full credit, and if you de-activate and re-activate later, you'll have to pay an activation fee (which I believe is around $25.) They'll only waive the fee once.

What BS! Another way for carriers to get you stuck in an agreement......

 

[donnation]

What BS! Another way for carriers to get you stuck in an agreement......

I don’t believe there is any agreement involved. The plans are month to month and you can cancel at any time.

 

[Mac Guy]

I don’t believe there is any agreement involved. The plans are month to month and you can cancel at any time.

I don't know anything about the Watch/LTE subscription, but I don't think it's like the iPad non-subscription. But I don't know for a certainty.

You can (or could?) buy iPad cellular by the chunks and use it within a month. As often or infrequently as you like. But that's not the same with the Watch. I think the carriers want you to pay for the watch continuously. Anybody have a better handle on that?

 

[Jude526]

No. That’s why they have a Bluetooth version

 

[Rob Phillips]

No. That’s why they have a Bluetooth version

Are you sure the LTE Apple Watch won’t work without an LTE subscription? Even the LTE version still uses Bluetooth most of the time.

 

[Jude526]

The carriers aren’t going to sell the LTE not on contract. There is a Bluetooth version you can purchase for 329

 

[Jude526]

The LTE can be used without your phone being on you. The Bluetooth version needs phone close by

 

[Rob Phillips]

The carriers aren’t going to sell the LTE not on contract. There is a Bluetooth version you can purchase for 329

I understand that if you purchase directly from a carrier on a payment plan then you’ll have to activate on their network but what about units purchased directly from Apple that aren’t tied to a particular network?

 

[Jude526]

Call Apple but they probably will ASK for Your carrier

 

[Jude526]

Apple stores have the phones and watches for all the carriers that carry their products. They offer their customers connecting without going into a carriers store if they choose. So that being said I would think the same applies on the watch.
Again they have a Bluetooth version
If the LTE can be purchased without contract that’s great but I personally doubt it. I could be wrong

 

[Rob Phillips]

The LTE can be used without your phone being on you. The Bluetooth version needs phone close by

I very much understand the features of the different models of Apple Watches, including how LTE and Bluetooth works. My question was simple: Can an LTE Apple Watch work without being activated on a cellular plan? I questioned it because you stated in a prior response that it wouldn’t work. That said, I found an Apple Support article that says that the LTE Apple Watch does NOT require activation on a cellular network. You obviously won’t get the additional benefits of having the LTE model but it will still work as if it were a non-LTE model.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207578

This is relevant for people like me who might want the Series 3 and are okay spending a little more to be able to activate it on a cellular network at a later time if we so choose.

 

[Jude526]

Ok. I have a friend who works for Verizon. You can at Apple store but if you purchase from a carrier it must be on a data plan

 

[Jude526]

I stand corrected. No worries.

 

[Rob Phillips]

I stand corrected. No worries.

No problem. Just making sure our members (including you and I) are getting good information. I really don’t see much use for the LTE service as I’m hardly ever far from my iPhone but I may in the future. I’d rather spend an extra $70 and have LTE available if I change my mind.