Apple 2017 year in review: Apple Watch gains further independence from iPhone
With the Series 3 and watchOS 4, Apple continued to push the Apple Watch steadily forward in 2017, above all making the important leap of adding LTE cellular.
The upgrade meant that people willing to pay the premium for a cellular model -- branded with a special red dot -- were suddenly able to make phone calls, send text messages, talk to Siri and more while leaving their iPhone at home. Apple did make a gentle push in that direction with 2016's Series 2, which added GPS for some offline tracking, but with the Series 3, people were finally able to stay in touch outside of Bluetooth or Wi-Fi range.
The Watch still has some ways to go before it achieves total independence. An iPhone remains mandatory for setup, updates, and installing apps, and some functions may not be available over cellular. A Watch also has to be associated with an iPhone number, and you can't roam internationally.
U.S. carriers have been a little draconian in their data plans, too. Typically it costs an extra $10 per month to use a Watch on LTE, even with a generous iPhone plan. Exact subscriber numbers are unknown, but the online world has seen plenty of backlash at the idea of spending $120 per year on a smartwatch.
With or without LTE, the Watch became a little more practical in 2017. For fitness fans watchOS 4 added new coaching and challenges, and an improved Workout app with upgrades like high-intensity interval training (HIIT), better swim tracking, and GymKit sync with compatible cardio machines.
Later updates introduced support for streaming Apple Music and more over cellular, and using Apple Pay Cash to send money or make payments.
It's hard to tell where Apple is headed going into 2018. There have been hints of the Watch getting an EKG monitor, but little else has been rumored about a "Series 4" or "watchOS 5," except maybe the addition of native podcast support. Apple will presumably keep pushing in the direction of making the Watch independent -- though it's hard to see the company completely detaching it from the iPhone experience.
The upgrade meant that people willing to pay the premium for a cellular model -- branded with a special red dot -- were suddenly able to make phone calls, send text messages, talk to Siri and more while leaving their iPhone at home. Apple did make a gentle push in that direction with 2016's Series 2, which added GPS for some offline tracking, but with the Series 3, people were finally able to stay in touch outside of Bluetooth or Wi-Fi range.
The Watch still has some ways to go before it achieves total independence. An iPhone remains mandatory for setup, updates, and installing apps, and some functions may not be available over cellular. A Watch also has to be associated with an iPhone number, and you can't roam internationally.
U.S. carriers have been a little draconian in their data plans, too. Typically it costs an extra $10 per month to use a Watch on LTE, even with a generous iPhone plan. Exact subscriber numbers are unknown, but the online world has seen plenty of backlash at the idea of spending $120 per year on a smartwatch.
With or without LTE, the Watch became a little more practical in 2017. For fitness fans watchOS 4 added new coaching and challenges, and an improved Workout app with upgrades like high-intensity interval training (HIIT), better swim tracking, and GymKit sync with compatible cardio machines.
Later updates introduced support for streaming Apple Music and more over cellular, and using Apple Pay Cash to send money or make payments.
It's hard to tell where Apple is headed going into 2018. There have been hints of the Watch getting an EKG monitor, but little else has been rumored about a "Series 4" or "watchOS 5," except maybe the addition of native podcast support. Apple will presumably keep pushing in the direction of making the Watch independent -- though it's hard to see the company completely detaching it from the iPhone experience.
Comments
As you state, the emergency call option is a great feature for many people. There are very simple GPS devices that will only send a beacon to a satellite and have a very limited battery life once activated. Before ACR came out with a product with no annual subscription fees there was SPOT which was $200 a year (I don't think you could do it by the month) and they also cost hundreds of dollars up front. Despite this clear barrier to entry I anyone is going to say that the life of loved one hiking in the mountains isn't worth a couple hundred dollars a year.
You sound just like the people that come in here and say how this or that product from Apple is a "rip off" because they can get something else from somewhere else for less money or that they don't want a feature so it's worthless to count its value to the product, just like we're seeing with the new iMac Pro. Do you also agree that the iMac Pro is "a rip off" because someone doesn't need TB3 or can build a questionable tower for a less money? I'm guessing you wouldn't, so why determine this product offering in that way?
Another issue, which may be my car, is that it won't pair with the handsfree system. Each device sees each other but ends up failing to pair. I should look into this one more to see if I can at least narrow down whose issue it is as it could determine which vehicle I buy in the future and how I plan out my future Watch use.
I would also like to see Sirius XM for cellular streaming, and I don't understand why it doesn't include a Podcast or List apps, which push you to 3rd-party options if you're so inclined.
edit: It looks to be a Watch issue.
As for what I sound like to you, you're free to have you own polar opinions. Seeking your approval is at the very bottom of my list of things that are important in life.
It's faster than most current Android flagship at half the price too.
It will probably get an upgrade soon.