Apple announces $399 Apple Watch Series 3 with cellular, letting you ditch your iPhone for...

Posted:
in Apple Watch edited September 2017
The new Apple Watch Series 3 will let users make phone calls, stream music, use Siri, get directions and much more without the need for an iPhone to be nearby. It launches on Sept. 22 with a starting price of $399 with integrated cellular radio.




Unveiled at a media presentation Tuesday at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, Calif., the Apple Watch Series 3 boasts a new dual-core processor with up to 70 percent more performance.

But the real stand-out feature is cellular connectivity, which will let users use features like Apple Music, Beats 1 radio, Find My Friends, Messages and more without an iPhone within range. It will also work with third-party apps like WeChat.

Apple said Apple Music support will arrive next month.




Apple executive Jeff Williams said adding cellular to the Apple Watch proved to be a huge challenge, particularly given the compact size of the wearable device.

"If you don't do it right, it gets so big it looks like a house arrest bracelet," Williams said.




Rather than add an antenna, Apple turned the display itself into the antenna. The Apple Watch Series 3 also has an integrated e-SIM that is a fraction of the size of a regular SIM card.

The casing for Series 3 is the same size as Series 2, with the only difference being a back crystal that was extended 0.25 millimeters, or the equivalent of two sheets of paper.




The new dual-core processor enables Siri to speak for the first time, so users don't need to look at the screen. And the W2 wireless chip adds 85 percent faster Wi-Fi while being 50 percent more power efficient.

The Series 3 also includes an altimeter, that tracks flights climbed and should improve apps that track skiing and snowboarding.




The Apple Watch with cellular starts at $399 for a 38-millimeter casing, while a 42-millimeter model with cellular is $429.

In the U.S., the cellular models will be compatible with AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile. Williams said carriers will offer special entry plans.




An Apple Watch Series 3 without cellular will also be offered starting at $329. And the Apple Watch Series 1 remains in the lineup, with the price dropped to $249.

Apple also has a new sport loop band coming, designed for an active lifestyle. And Nike+ has exclusive new colors with a new version of Nike+ Run Club app forthcoming.

For the ceramic Apple Watch Series 3, Apple is also introducing a new grey finish. Both white and gray come with pebble sport bands and are priced at $1,299.

Finally, there will also be new colors for bands, and new Hermes watch face styles and bands.

Preorders for the Apple Watch Series 3 begin on Sept. 15, and the product officially launches on Friday, Sept. 22.

The Apple Watch Series 3 ships with watchOS 4, which will also become available to all other Apple Watch owners on Sept. 19.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 98
    wonder how much that streaming music eats into your data?
    doozydozen
  • Reply 2 of 98
    Watch face as an antenna. I'm no engineer but that seems like some freaking advanced stuff.
    doozydozenLukeCagewatto_cobraMetriacanthosaurus
  • Reply 3 of 98
    NY1822 said:
    wonder how much that streaming music eats into your data?
    Look into a new data plan. Unlimited data, which only slows down after hitting a defined limit is being offered by most carriers in the US.
  • Reply 4 of 98
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    Love it. And Apple says it was the Apple Watch they always wanted to make! Ha!

    Two nit-picky critical points:

    It's too bad they couldn't do FaceTime and have the Apple Watch provide its own video over that cellular connection when he called the engineer on the SUP board.

    That surfer video made me absolutely cringe. I do want cellular when I'm sitting out on the lineup, but not to receive calls. I can't think of anything worse then catching the best wave of the day, and have a call call ring through on my wrist! I'd definitely turn calling off while I'm surfing. The draw is being able to be out there while I'm expecting a call, or message, and be able to check it at my pace. I get that commercial makes Apple's point very clearly, but I doubt there were any surfer's involved with this concept except the one being filmed for it. But man I would have loved to have been on that commercial shoot! Beautiful shot!
    edited September 2017 watto_cobradws-2
  • Reply 5 of 98
    you would still need an iPhone to make this all work right?
  • Reply 6 of 98
    diruocco said:
    you would still need an iPhone to make this all work right?
    Nope. You can use it without a phone, but you would of course need to have a cellular plan. I don't believe they mentioned how much such plans would run for the new Watch.
    edited September 2017
  • Reply 7 of 98
    Was anything said about battery life?
  • Reply 8 of 98
    NY1822 said:
    wonder how much that streaming music eats into your data?
    Fire up your iPhone and check out how much data it uses. It will be the same.
    StrangeDaysschlackwatto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 98
    I don't understand why they'd keep the Series 1 and get rid of the Series 2. Why not lower the price of the Series 2 to Series 1 levels? 
    space2001
  • Reply 10 of 98
    Fantastic! That's exactly the watch that was needed! Other sport watch makes like Polar or Garmin will get in a lot of trouble. Apple Watch now is a fabulous sports watch. All you need. That is the upgrade I was looking forward to.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 98
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    NY1822 said:
    wonder how much that streaming music eats into your data?
    This all depends on your usage habits and it's all easily calculable.


    edit: As Lowededwookie notes, you can just go into Cellular and check. Perhaps do a reset and see what you average over, say, 3 days (1/10th of a month) or a week.
    edited September 2017 watto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 98
    The one product I really looked forward to at this event, and in fact had been waiting for for years, is the LTE Apple Watch. It's totally deflating to learn it won't be available here in Denmark. So disappointed and sick of this. This is something, that would have made an actual difference in my daily life.
    NorwegianWood
  • Reply 13 of 98
    Not sure if I appreciate all the cellular models featuring a red Digital Crown...
    edited September 2017 dws-2
  • Reply 14 of 98
    cgWerkscgWerks Posts: 2,952member
    dkimak said:
    Was anything said about battery life?
    Not that I've seen, which I'm guessing is quite purposeful. I think it's going to be a case of very little if you use the LTE much.

    But, I'll admit that while I'm not sure I'll get one anytime soon, this *finally* makes the Watch a bit useful. While I'm sure it will be quite limited (in comparison to what people are imagining), this is the killer feature for the Watch.
  • Reply 15 of 98
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Ok, well, an interesting development here in my home front. My wife, who hasn’t worn a watch for years, says she wants the Series 3, because of cell. My daughter, who really doesn’t like the idea of wearing something on her wrist, wants one because of the same reason.

    i wasn’t going to upgrade my series 2 this year, but now, I think I just might.
    bageljoeywatto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 98
    I think Apple hit a home run with the LTE Apple Watch. It is a game changer. This is the first one that will very likely get me to say yes. I'm really glad the rumors that it would not be able to make standard LTE calls were false.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 98
    entropysentropys Posts: 4,148member
    ZRyser said:
    The one product I really looked forward to at this event, and in fact had been waiting for for years, is the LTE Apple Watch. It's totally deflating to learn it won't be available here in Denmark. So disappointed and sick of this. This is something, that would have made an actual difference in my daily life.
    It just means that negotiations with your local carriers weren't complete yet.  In my country they seem to have finalised negotiations with two carriers, but not others. Vodafone, for example, was not listed as a series 3 carrier.
    Not sure if I appreciate all the cellular models featuring a red Digital Crown...
    That's so everyone else also knows how cool your new apple watch is, and by extension, you're cool too.
    doozydozenwatto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 98
    Cripple Watch is the namn of this watch. At least outside US. No LTE and still paying a huge premium. No thanks!
  • Reply 19 of 98
    JanNLJanNL Posts: 327member
    cgWerks said:
    dkimak said:
    Was anything said about battery life?
    Not that I've seen, which I'm guessing is quite purposeful. I think it's going to be a case of very little if you use the LTE much.

    But, I'll admit that while I'm not sure I'll get one anytime soon, this *finally* makes the Watch a bit useful. While I'm sure it will be quite limited (in comparison to what people are imagining), this is the killer feature for the Watch.
    Stays the same, with the same thickness of the case.
  • Reply 20 of 98
    entropysentropys Posts: 4,148member
    I wonder if this is a stealth way to get carriers to start accepting esims more broadly?
    it would seem the LTE watch will be an add on to your iPhone contract and thus the same number. 
    I wonder if stand alone is possible, and also data only?
    edited September 2017
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