Apple Watch GPS vs Cellular - Is It Worth It?

[@chriswhetton3584]

I love my cellular watch. I go on runs, hikes, bike rides, and weight lifting without my phone. I stream my music to my AirPods. It’s awesome. I probably have my phone with me 80% during the week and 50% on weekends. It’s hilarious to me that I am using and paying for a device to help me disconnect from my other device but here we are…

[@Safwaan]

That balance is the dream. I love it. So true, it’s almost like you’re paying for peace of mind.

[@ToriDanielle]

This is my second time getting a watch without cellular and although I miss it sometimes I don’t need it since I work from home now. Even if Covid was gone my company said we are still staying home. I use to miss it for the gym until I realized as long as my phone is on the gym Wi-Fi I’ll get calls in the building.

[@Celisar1]

You don’t need WiFi to get or make telephone calls. Or do you mean with Whatsup?

[@ToriDanielle]

@@Celisar1 you do need Wi-Fi if you are far away from your phone within a certain distance. If your phone is on Wi-Fi and you have your phone set up to operate calls under Wi-Fi it will work. If I didn’t have my phone on the gyms Wi-Fi in the lockers when I go to the second floor of my gym I will get the red symbols meaning my phone is not close by but if it is on Wi-Fi in the locker my watch is on the Wi-Fi and I still get everything.

[@mightymurph550]

I think its a great backup to have at the ready. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. And ive been in plenty of situations before where i needed it and didnt have it. So i say go ahead pay the extra price for more peace of mind

[@targadave]

Nice review! But you really need to acknowledge the SE cellular model. Cellular is only a $50 usd upgrade to the SE. Just got my first AW (having switched from a Garmin Instinct) and I got 44mm SE-LTE. One thing I see missing on all the AW-cellular reviews is an actual quantification of how they use cellular during the day and it’s impact on battery life. You made quick mention of an extra ~15% daily battery usage with intermittent cellular usage, but I’d really like to hear more detail on that. Thanks!

[@Safwaan]

Oooo you make a great point on the SE. I’ve not used it before but I’ll consider getting one for reviews going forward. Also, yes, cellular drain quoted is a ballpark guesstimate, it would be cool to run an experiment using 2 watches for a day, one with LTE and one without, then compare battery life differences at the end.

[@mikeh5928]

And if you get ans SE 2 with LTE on amazon renewed the usd upgrade cost is even less. I got mines on Amazon for $200 LTE version. $5 monthly with Tmobile for cellular service. I barely if ever even use the cellular service. I always have my phone. For the cost though why not?

[@thesnakeanddragonreptilebr2988]

Everyone that I know with the cellular say the watch only lasts hours when no iPhone is connected. So I my opinion the non cellular is the best buy.

[@johnpackham5832]

Nice to see some good videos from a British bloke about the AW. You've helped me decide which size and cellular / not cellular to get. Thank you!

[@suminsussanlee1800]

Thank you for this succinct and useful video! Exactly what I was looking for. I will be getting the cellular one.

[@Safwaan]

Nice! Let me know how you find it after using cellular for a while

[@ThandoTracy_]

So helpful I’ve been in between not knowing the difference

[@adampanker]

Finally a cool vid to break down the most important features and differences. Thanks for the vid, keep it up! :)

[@niyiayoolatitus4260]

Hey, nice video sir. Pretty instructive.& informative. Quick question though: can I still stream from my non cellular apple watch when I'm with my iPhone? Thanks.

[@Safwaan]

Yes, the non-cellular Apple Watch can stream when it’s 1) connected to your iPhone or 2) connected directly to the WiFi network.

[@tech4life884]

That's ridiculous. The cellular version in the States is only $50 difference. £100 is like $132. Almost triple the price.

[@mohandast6730]

Battery back up which one is good, cellular or GPS, both of same????

[@ECM05]

Does cellular work with pay as you go?

[@misha4422]

Thank you for your cellular use thoughs. Helped clarify my thinking. Inhsve a new Apple Watch snd opted for cellu. But, for now, I will leave it unconnected. I always have my phone, so far.

[@kazu5131]

Is the size you are wearing in the video 41mm? Or is it 45mm?

[@panjmenz8449]

Is it still okay ir worth it to just purchase the apple watch SE gps?

[@danielstrasser1779]

I, have the Apple Watch SE. 44 mm I am pleased with it I use it everyday in the am till evening. For my walks runs whatever I don’t have to carry my iPhone 14 pro max with me it is such a big phone but I do like the Apple Watch combo when I don’t want to carry my iPhone

[@skrasel6508]

Cellular version Battery doesn't last a day - - without iPhone it doesn't active. It doesn't work most countrys cell network nor it has separate esim option to work standalone

[@rickiehoxton]

I just got the Apple Watch ultra and signed up for the cellular connectivity. It does NOT work for all apps. It works for apple native apps as you say, like messages, mail and APPLE music but not for WhatsApp for example (I know there isn’t an official WhatsApp watch app but there are third party apps which work when linked to the phone but not when the watch is on cellular connection). This is a major limitation so you should not assume that it will work for anything other than apps in the ecosystem. I believe Spotify does work but I’m not a subscriber so you should check that. So I love it for listening to podcasts when running instead of having to download them, but I don’t get music because I’m a KZbin music subscriber. I hope this will change in time but if you’re thinking about going cellular, bear this is mind.

[@Safwaan]

The workaround for WhatsApp is to install an app called ‘Watchchat 2’ and it should work.

[@rickiehoxton]

@@Safwaan not for cellular (ie when you’re phone isn’t connected). I’ve been in touch with the developer and he’s working on it but Apple doesn’t allow data to be freely accessed thus the issue.

[@CECE1839]

Great review, we decided to go with the cellular version...

[@amirullahamirul7195]

So what ur suggestion for me.. gps+cellular or gps only? I hear many people say gps+cellular drain fast battery..what hour i can get if im activated cellular..tq..

[@Safwaan]

Cellular will use extra battery, but I don’t know how much. From my POV, I wouldn’t make a decision purely based on battery life. The Series 7 will comfortably last all day.

[@user-sf1lr8pv4h]

I'm still trying to find daily battery life on the LTE AW SE cause I'm thinking battery drain will last me maybe 5 hours if that using it for calls,texts.emails, and surfing the web

[@trillvill2914]

Man very satisfied with this Apple Watch review clip answered all my questions 👌

[@glennsak]

Replace all the notifications and screen time from your desktop and phone - with another device that gives you notifications on a smaller screen...

[@SuperYtc1]

While cellular isn’t connected to cellular does it drain battery at the same rate as the gps version? Or does it still drain faster even when connected to wi-fi for example?

[@belovedChristian]

Pretty much same rate. If it’s connected to your phone via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, cellular service is put on standby. My source is that I have had both and currently have a cellular Apple Watch.

[@SuperYtc1]

@@belovedChristian Thanks. So if I didn't want to use the celluar for a day for example, the battery life would be as good as the GPS?

[@belovedChristian]

@@SuperYtc1 just as good. Your Apple Watch will default to the most power efficient method of connection. If you charge your Watch daily like most people, you honestly don’t even need to think about battery life

[@SuperYtc1]

@@belovedChristian Thanks. :D Super looking forward to the AW7 or SE2 this fall now!

[@tech4life884]

Not that many people leave their homes without their smartphones on them. It's rare and not worth paying £160 a year for when it's only for rare moments.

[@dds4911]

What I realized is that … if your not receiving heavy calls … on your work/job that irritates you grabbing your phone and receiving a call the w/Cellular is good for you !!! But if your average users w/o cellular version is good enough !!! Save your hard earned money/salary !!!

[@richardjackson5670]

The irony is, although you may think you’re “disconnecting” from your smartphone using the watch, you’re definitely still connected at all times because of the cellular version, so are you really disconnected?? The short answer is a resounding NO!! So it’s not worth it in my opinion. Now, if you really want to disconnect and not be bothered, then the gps version is the way to go, but the watch will still work if you just have gps because of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, so the cellular version is a huge waste in my opinion.

[@Safwaan]

Most people need a baseline level of connection to function in society. Cellular Apple Watch enables you to do that without the full iPhone experience which comes with endless distractions. I hear your point about GPS only, but you’ll be limited to the features that work without an iPhone/Wifi nearby. If you wanted to be extreme about disconnecting, then a traditional watch is better - after all you wouldn’t need to charge it up every morning. Different people have different tolerances/needs, and therefore draw the line at different places.

[@Austinfdp]

i was confused with cellular, didnt know that it automatically switches

[@MichaelJessen]

Emergency calls are also an attractive feature of the cellular option. I wonder if you can make an emergency call on Apple Watch in the UK without having a cellular plan?

[@Safwaan]

Emergency call feature will use the iPhone’s cellular connection or a nearby wifi connection. If you have neither of those available, I can’t see how the Watch would make the call without having a cellular plan configured / connected to the network.

[@MichaelJessen]

@@Safwaan I’ve just been looking at the Apple support page re emergency calls from a cellular watch without iPhone or wifi. For the UK they claim the cellular watch will make emergency calls on a lapsed plan. For Australia where I live, apparently it will make emergency calls straight out of the box. That would make it worth it to me to pay the extra for the cellular+gps option.

great video thanks

[@groslait7814]

it is worth it !!! i don’t have to carry pro max phones while go out for a walk or anything that last few hours ,

[@69Solo]

Can I use a cellular apple watch as a stand alone device even if I dont own an iphone or any phone for that matter? Please respond.

[@Safwaan]

You need an iPhone to pair it with

[@gcopter1963]

@@Safwaan I keep coming across this statement. I was under the impression that you only needed the iPhone for activation of the AW, downloading complications or apps. So, what's the point of cellular if I can't just leave my iPhone at home?

[@Safwaan]

@@gcopter1963 if you have an Apple Watch with cellular and an active cellular plan, you can stay connected even when away from your iPhone. But for non-cellular models of Apple Watch, there are limited things you can do while away from iPhone and not connected to WiFi.

[@kreiinna]

Do I need to pay monthly fee for cellular if paired it to my iphone?

[@Safwaan]

Yes

[@Paul-ng4jx]

Yes the cellular model is 100 percent worth it. If you know how many times people can forget your phone or wallet or even both. To me Apple Pay is worth the cost the the cellular model. Plus you can text and make calls If you happen to forget your phone again or just don’t have it on you sometimes I just leave mine in the truck when I run tour restaurant next-door to where I work for lunch

[@Safwaan]

Agree with your points. Except Apple Pay works on non-cellular devices / when you don’t have service

[@thetorresons297]

Thank you for saying this so clearly.😘

[@jaynemarvin5506]

This was so helpful thank you ☺️

[@clarrissaharrison4491]

I have Apple Watch and iPhone 13

[@ImogenValkyrie]

I am waiting for S8 gps + cellular. Reason being that I don’t always want to bring my phone everywhere I go, especially during morning walk

[@luigi386541971]

So can you use listen to offline music anywhere on the gps model!?

[@Safwaan]

You can do that. I download 1 podcast episode at a time. But it wouldn’t be practical to download entire libraries of music. The Series 7, 6, 5, and SE have 32GB of storage, and there's only 16GB on the Series 4.

[@pagpapaitim]

this is good insight!

[@omkarsubakade3020]

Only Cellular makes sense to me. Why would someone buy GPS model if phone needs to be carried along anyway? Isn't that too much laziness to pay only for notification on wrist without needing to take the phone out of the pocket?

[@Oreade23]

Because cellular it's not available in some countries unfortunately.

[@krishind99]

Have you tried Samsung wear. I’d like to see what your thoughts are

[@Safwaan]

Not yet, but it’s on my radar

[@drabhishekaggarwal]

Great review. To the point.

[@theyeetingstudiotys3378]

I think the cellular is worth it in MY experience i think u should be able to leave ur phone without ur watch not working without wifi

[@Raiders-wm5kb]

Let's say I can get both for the same price which one should I get?

[@Safwaan]

Cellular is worth more at resale

[@tausheenaminmolla]

Which one do u use?

[@Safwaan]

I use GPS right now

[@chase0073]

You are really good! Thanks much!!

[@feissalomar2091]

Hey am using the series 7 gps version and i dont get access to text mensages What is the solution?? Many thanks

[@Safwaan]

iMessage is available on all devices. SMS messages are available on GPS + Cellular devices only. Not enough details to give you a solution, you should contact Apple’s customer service team.

[@harshadrahul7863]

which mm watch u wore in this video?

[@Safwaan]

I wear the 45mm Series 7 at 1:48

[@kcdaman11]

Can I convert non cellular to cellular??

[@Safwaan]

Sadly not

[@manonthemoon997]

As an actuarial student, seeing you sum up payments over the year made me cringe so hard 😂😂😂😂💀

[@tamannaferdous5504]

Make a Apple Watch cases video

[@markmedley6849]

Who would be so bold to go with the Apple Watch Cellular and not have a cell phone at all?

[@Safwaan]

The Apple Watch can only be activated/used with an existing iPhone - so you can’t go without a mobile all together, instead you could take breaks from it for short periods of time

[@zachbudnick1641]

My cellular service doesn’t support the cellular version so I went with gps version but even I use my phone less no matter where I go even though I have it with me when out otherwise it mainly sits on my counter

[@DanBCooper]

Excellent video, easier to make my decision now, thank you dude ! ps you're literally the most pleasant person I've ever seen, you should do audiobook readings / narration or something lol

[@Safwaan]

😂 that’s a nice comment

[@mrk4818]

Thank you sir. Your advice is thumbs up

[@EastMontana1]

Well, I think everyone question is: can you use the cellular phone without cell connection. That is the key question that no one answers in these videos.

[@Safwaan]

You need a cellular connection to make a phone call from Apple Watch.

[@EastMontana1]

@@Safwaan thank you, but the question is if everything else works normal. I am not calling, streaming or texting. I just want the watch telling time to work. I just want to use the watch as a regular watch. I don’t need cell connection.

[@Safwaan]

@@EastMontana1 You can disable cellular and it’ll show the time like a regular watch. If you don’t want notifications, you can silent those so they don’t make noise or vibrate.

[@auunnfannarhafthorsson2106]

The bigger question for me is, should I get an apple watch or something else?

[@Safwaan]

Hey. What other smart watches are you considering?

[@rakeshbalamkar3403]

@@Safwaan hi bro Im interested in Apple Watch first time buyer I don’t know whether I should go for it or not But im in search of a watch with health tracker Plz guide me

[@aquarius4953]

The biggest question you should ask to yourself : am I able to choose without asking anybody else ? You must know if you want an Apple Watch or not. If you can buy an Apple Watch or not. Asking to one hundred people and the answers will be : yes, no, hum maybe, no, of course you should ( I don’t pay for you so I don’t give a damn.)

[@jmrub06]

Sounds like a waste of money.

[@imshashank800]

I think spending more money on cellular will result into more money. Like if you got it

[@Safwaan]

As in, it will result in you spending more money long term? Or earning more money?

[@imshashank800]

@@Safwaan basically it will reduce our phone usage, we carry phone to call each other but we do more useless stuff on that.

[@Safwaan]

@@imshashank800 I like that thinking

[@tittiesjim]

The tittle says gps vs cellular now you talking only about cellular. That’s deceiving and not helpful

[@Safwaan]

GPS is default. Cellular are the added features. So you can work backwards.

[@kwabenasarfo3285]

Wow….thanks for your wonderful explanation 🫣😻😻✌️