I use family setup for iCloud etc., which this extends, with my wife and two kids, and the kids live in different states from us. (They don't own watches so we won't add that part.)
You don't have to be in the same physical location, no. Family setup requires a cellular S4 or newer (though strangely a cellular plan is recommended though not required.)
I wouldn’t know.
I also have no idea if iCloud family plans are the same as Apple Watch family set up. One is In the cloud and the other is used locally on the device, or I would assume.
What would happen if the iphone used to set up the apple watches needs to be replaced or was stolen. That could be a mess.
Currently if you get a new iPhone you would need to unpair the Apple Watch or transfer it over to the new iPhone, could you do that remotely or would you still need the iPhone to be in range of the Apple Watch.
Clearly not as black and white as some posters are trying to make it out to be.
Family Setup actually invalidates the arguments for no brick.
I don’t know how it works but I still don’t believe it does.
For example how would you update the Apple Watch without an iPhone?
Or add/remove/adjust a mobile data plan Or Apple Pay. Perhaps with iOS 15, but some things still require the Apple Watch app on the iPhone.
Those people using an Watch through Family Setup will need their own charger brick, as one brick definitely won’t be enough for 2 people with 4 devices, let more people with more than 1 device.’.
True, but 2 Individuals with 4 devices, 2 iPhones and 2 Apple watches would have 2 apple bricks. If one has an old Apple Watch, series 5,4,3, etc, that would make 3.
But I’m still team ‘no brick’.
We need some T-shirt’s,