Before it gained the option for cellular functionality back in 2018, the Apple Watch used to be unfavorably compared with rival smartwatches that included LTE support. But is the capability really that useful? The latest Apple Watch models being able to process Siri queries and requests on-device, for example, means one less reason why you would need a cellular connection.
When you consider that the cellular version of the Apple Watch Series 10 costs $100/£100 more than the standard model (and that’s before you pay for data!), you may well be wondering if it’s worth the extra expense of getting a cellular Apple Watch. We’re here to help answer that question.
Why you need an Apple Watch with cellular
The benefits of cellular connectivity on an Apple Watch are pretty clear-cut. Rather than having to carry both your Watch and your iPhone around with you, you could leave the house with simply your Apple Watch. There’s already some functionality that works without any kind of internet connection—Apple Pay, for example, or fitness tracking—but having cellular on the watch expands the roster of features you can use without your phone.
The Apple Watch Ultra always comes with cellular but you can get the Series 10 and SE in GPS or cellular configurations.
Jim Martin / Foundry
Fitness enthusiasts can get a lot from a cellular Apple Watch. Runners, for example, can stream music from Apple Music or another service, rather than fussing with syncing music to the Watch’s local storage. They can also continue to get notifications while they work out, including iMessages and emails—though whether that’s a benefit or a distraction is a matter for personal preference.
A cellular Apple Watch will also be able to make and receive phone calls without requiring your iPhone.
Another reason why you might need cellular is if you plan on setting up a device using the Apple Watch For Your Kids (formerly Family Setup) feature. This allows you to set up an Apple Watch for a family member who doesn’t have their own iPhone. “A cellular plan isn’t required to set up an Apple Watch for a family member,” Apple explains, “but is necessary for some features.” To get full functionality you’ll need an Apple Watch Series 4 or later with cellular.
Why you don’t need an Apple Watch with cellular
Let’s look at the other side of the coin.
There are plenty of things that your Apple Watch can do without a cellular connection (or the assistance of an iPhone). For many features, all you need is to be able to connect to Wi-Fi, which may well be available. And you might not even need that. One feature that used to require a cellular or Wi-Fi connection was Siri, but the Apple Watch Series 9 and later can process Siri queries and requests on-device, with no web connection required. We discuss all the things an Apple Watch can do without an iPhone in a separate article.
Whether or not you need cellular will depend a lot on what you intend to use your Apple Watch for. Ask current owners about their usage, and I guarantee that the answers will be far more limited than the Watch’s full capabilities. But little of that has to do with the lack of cellular connectivity on the Apple Watch—we don’t think most Apple Watch users are annoyed that they can’t get their notifications when their phone isn’t nearby, because most of the time their phone is nearby.
Another reason to avoid an Apple Watch with cellular is that the capability may be a drain on battery life. The device’s battery performance will be impacted by the extent that you use cellular, so you might not want all those notifications, and you might not want to stream Apple Music at the highest quality, for example. (Look at ways to maximize battery life on the Apple Watch and ways to save data on the Apple Watch for related advice. Or for accessories that could help, check out our round-up of the best Apple Watch chargers and docks.)
Finally, there’s the financial question. The cellular-enabled model is more expensive than the non-cellular offerings, of course. And on top of that cost, no cellular provider is going to give away data for free, so there will either be an additional monthly data cost, or you will be sharing data with your iPhone. Either way, it’s likely to cost you more.
On balance we don’t think that those tradeoffs are worth the relatively meager benefits of adding cellular connectivity to the Apple Watch. But it’s important to reflect on what you need from your smartwatch and consider how the tradeoff looks for you.
How much does a cellular Apple Watch cost?
The cellular Apple Watch Series 10 costs $100/$100 more than the standard version, while the SE costs $50/£70 more if you want to include cellular. The Apple Watch Ultra is only available with cellular.
Some networks will charge you extra to get data on your Apple Watch, while others allow you to add it to an existing iPhone contract and share the data.
In the U.S. you can get a cellular Apple Watch plan with AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Xfinity Mobile, and many more. See Apple’s exhaustive list of providers. Most plans cost $10 a month for unlimited data in conjunction with an existing wireless phone plan.
- AT&T offers the 42mm Apple Watch Series 10 for $13.89 a month for 36 months, though you can get it for less with a trade-in.
- Verizon offers the same model for $13.88 a month.
- T-Mobile will sell you an Apple Watch SE, in the 40mm size, for $99, when you activate a new line on a qualifying Apple DIGITS or Apple Watch Standalone line. This will allow you to activate your existing T-Mobile plan on your Apple Watch.
- Xfinity Mobile includes unlimited talk and text with a $10 smartwatch fee.
In the U.K., you can get a cellular Apple Watch contract with Three, EE, O2, and Vodafone. (Only Three and EE support Family Setup/Apple Watch For Your Kids, though).
- Three lets you connect your watch to your iPhone on its network and share the data allowance between the two, so there’s no additional cost. You’ll need to sign up for the company’s Smartwatch Pairing Plan.
- EE’s Apple Watch offers include an Apple Watch Series 10 (42mm) with 4GB of data for £26 a month and zero upfront cost.
For more advice on buying an Apple Watch, take a look at our round-up of the best Apple Watch deals and our in-depth Apple Watch buying guide.