Cellular support for Apple Watch finally arrives in New Zealand
After years of missing out, New Zealanders are finally able to take advantage of the cellular Apple Watch after the country's first carrier to offer eSIM support takes the service live.
Apple Watch Series 5
To date, users in New Zealand were unable to use cellular-capable versions of Apple Watch due to Apple's implementation of wireless network functionality. Specifically, Apple relies on virtual eSIM modules rather than traditional physical SIM cards.
Until now, no carrier in the country supported eSIM cards, meaning Apple Watch owners had to remain tethered to iPhone or known Wi-Fi networks to ferry data and phone calls to the wearable.
Now, as The Herald reports, cellular Apple Watch hardware can be used in New Zealand as local carrier Spark launched support for eSIM alongside Voice over LTE (VoLTE) services. Spark launched the new eSIM support with the One Number Wearable Plan, which at the moment only supports the Apple Watch Series 5. According to Spark, more devices will be added in the future.
As such, GPS + Cellular Apple Watch Series 5 is available to purchase in New Zealand for 929 New Zealand dollars, though cellular access comes at a NZ$200 premium over the GPS-only variant.
Cellular data on Apple Watch allows users to make and receive calls, send messages, and stream music without a nearby iPhone. Cellular support also enables free international emergency calling.
The One Number Wearable plan runs $12.99 which gives the Apple Watch unlimited data, though it can be throttled once it goes past 40GB.
Apple Watch Series 5
To date, users in New Zealand were unable to use cellular-capable versions of Apple Watch due to Apple's implementation of wireless network functionality. Specifically, Apple relies on virtual eSIM modules rather than traditional physical SIM cards.
Until now, no carrier in the country supported eSIM cards, meaning Apple Watch owners had to remain tethered to iPhone or known Wi-Fi networks to ferry data and phone calls to the wearable.
Now, as The Herald reports, cellular Apple Watch hardware can be used in New Zealand as local carrier Spark launched support for eSIM alongside Voice over LTE (VoLTE) services. Spark launched the new eSIM support with the One Number Wearable Plan, which at the moment only supports the Apple Watch Series 5. According to Spark, more devices will be added in the future.
As such, GPS + Cellular Apple Watch Series 5 is available to purchase in New Zealand for 929 New Zealand dollars, though cellular access comes at a NZ$200 premium over the GPS-only variant.
Cellular data on Apple Watch allows users to make and receive calls, send messages, and stream music without a nearby iPhone. Cellular support also enables free international emergency calling.
The One Number Wearable plan runs $12.99 which gives the Apple Watch unlimited data, though it can be throttled once it goes past 40GB.
Comments
The result is that "Good enough", but very cheap Android devices being dominant. Apple is known, but comparatively very expensive (2-3x the cost.) The elephant in the room is also socioeconomic values. (The consumer value of advanced personal technology is not consistent from market to market.)
The result is that smart watches don't have much penetration as they tend to rely on premium handsets, and have a minimal service offering. In many of these countries Apple doesn't even market their Edition line, despite there being no technical reason not to.
Sure it would be great if Apple rolled everything out in unison, but I think they're right to focus their efforts to countries that are likely to return value.
One final note: It's often the carriers: Those good enough Android phones make the carriers plenty of $$$, Apple hardware doesn't.
Not as long as the phone can work on other networks.
Barely an inconvenience 😎
Spark is out AT&T. It's an ex-government state-owned asset which got privatised and in doing so sent New Zealand backwards by 30 years. NZ went from having the best telecommunications system in the world due to test contracts with telco manufacturers to being so far behind that when Bell South came in they looked pathetic. When Vodafone purchased Bell South then cellular really began to develop in NZ and Telecom found themselves haemorrhaging customers.
Dealing with Telecom was so bad they've changed their name twice from Telecom to XT to what is now Spark but the service and reliability are still pretty pathetic.
I guess eSIM is a good move for them. It might have many side effects like flowing down to their resellers which would be a good move but that'll be years down the line I suspect.
Hopefully this will enable dual-SIM iPhones to be sold here. I really need a dual-SIM phone for work and play.
It gets worse because you need a $39.95 plan then you need to pay $12.95 on top of that to use the Apple Watch. This is indicative of Telecom/XT/Spark who charge ridiculous amounts for services on sellers charge less for. Just let that sink in for a second. Spark’s on sellers can charge less for the services Spark owns and they resell as their own.