I’m planning on replacing my Garmin Fenix 3 watch with an Apple Watch. What do you prefer or find most useful, the GPS only, or cellular? This wii be a daily wear watch, and will get used for things like hiking, mountain biking, running, and other workouts. The idea of not having to always carry my phone with me is appealing, but how useful or functional is that in reality?

Are there any any issues with the cellular watch when traveling internationally, like roaming fees and such? Also, if I buy a cellular watch, are there any issues with not having service for it? At that point, does it function just like the base model without cellular capacity?

My Iwatch 8 is GPS only as was my older one. Never found a need for a separate cell plan since I always have my phone on me or in the close vicinity.

It really depends on whether you carry your phone or want to dispense with it for periods of time. If that's the case, you'll want the cell version - which is also more expensive to buy and will need an additional line from your carrier.

A cell version will suffer the same issues internationally as a phone, I believe it defaults to GPS without service, but as that depends on your phone to work, you are no better off. Basically, without service, in either case, you end up with a watch.

Others' opinions may differ

Went through this IRL. We first bought a WiFi only Apple watch. Our reasoning was (a) the phone would always be near (b) the extra cost was not desirable. We tried it this way for a month or so. We learned that the cellular watch was truly needed for us.

1. Fall detection and auto-magic calling of 911
2. Phone calls with phone only (truly useful)
3. Running without carrying a big iPhone while listening to music on Airpods
4. Integration with notifications and device unlocking

We have enjoyed the cellular watch for three years.

However, if you are a runner, or walker, or outdoorsman, consider the Apple Watch Ultra today. Better controls, display, etc.

If you really like the Garmin functionality, a new Fenix would be great. I am tempted sorely to pick up a new Garmin for my exercise watch, or a Wahoo.

Gps/cellular…

I rarely carry my phone when out on short trips. Get calls, texts, etc all on the wrist.

Why get the watch if you have to also carry the phone? That was my thinking.

Service is an adder to your phone, $10 xtra a month. If no service, it’s just like the Wi-Fi only watch.

I'm doing fine with the GPS only version.
The phone is always with me anyway and during the first month it was frequently prompting me to call 911 about a fall when I was doing activities (like hammering, chopping wood, etc.) thinking I had fallen.
Aside from using it for the time, I mostly use it for the Heartline app health monitoring.

quote:

Originally posted by Pyker:

Never found a need for a separate cell plan

and will need an additional line from your carrier.

Not true about the xtra line. It’s an $10 adder to your phone. Same number.

quote:

1. Fall detection and auto-magic calling of 911
2. Phone calls with phone only (truly useful)
3. Running without carrying a big iPhone while listening to music on Airpods
4. Integration with notifications and device unlocking

My GPS only iW8 does 1 & 4.

I stand corrected on the extra line, but it's still an additional cost, and the watch itself is more expensive by a significant amount - $200-250.

quote:

Originally posted by Patriot:
Why get the watch if you have to also carry the phone? That was my thinking.

So you have a watch?

Plus there's a ton of stuff the watch offers, in conjunction with the phone, you wouldn't have w/o the watch. HR monitoring, sleep monitoring, fall detection, workout tracking, etc., etc. Plus you can make and receive calls on the watch, even if the phone's not in BT range, if phone and watch are on the same WiFi network. I did it all the time at my gym and do it all the time at home.

I don't run or do any of that other stuff that would make carrying my phone un-handy, plus my iPhone isn't a iPhablet, so I've a non-cellular SE.

Meets my needs.

I've had GPS only up till this fall. I wanted a new one and I realized once optioning the series 8 with cell I was in the ballpark of the Ultra, so I went that route. It's handy for when I'm on the road (which is often) and head down to the hotel gym to exercise. It can not only play my music but keep me connected so I get texts and such. Also do occasionally leave the phone at home on quick errands but that still feels weird after years and years of it being basically part of my EDC.

I have owned both. I went back to GPS as I always have my phone on me and didn’t want to waste the monthly fee for something I would rarely if ever use. Only question you need to answer is whether you would use the watch without a phone nearby and want the extra monthly fee.

quote:

Originally posted by Pyker:

quote:

1. Fall detection and auto-magic calling of 911
2. Phone calls with phone only (truly useful)
3. Running without carrying a big iPhone while listening to music on Airpods
4. Integration with notifications and device unlocking

My GPS only iW8 does 1 & 4.

I stand corrected on the extra line, but it's still an additional cost, and the watch itself is more expensive by a significant amount - $200-250.

Where are you getting those numbers?

Looking at the Apple website, I'm seeing a cost differential in the vicinity of $90 to $100 for same watch, with and without cellular capability.

I know very little about the cellular type watches, but I can't imagine the cell phone radio/antenna in the watch being as good as a full size phone. Compromises in antenna, battery life vs performance or TX power, and just limited size seems like there would be places where a full sizes phone could get to the cell towers but the watch couldn't.

Plus I can't imagine they are putting all the Cellular RF bands in the watch.

But the techno0logy keep changing and I've been surprised before. Maybe the watch is just as good as a full sized phone. Dunno the answer. Worth looking into. An inferior radio would be a non-starter for me.

I'd hate to be on some bike or jogging trail with just the watch and not able to get cellular coverage when a full-sized phone would have. you know, emergencies and all.

quote:

Where are you getting those numbers?

Looking at the Apple website, I'm seeing a cost differential in the vicinity of $90 to $100 for same watch, with and without cellular capability.

You need to look closer. The Stainless steel all dancing version is $749. My Aluminum GPS was $399.

https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-watch/apple-watch

I bought the Ultra to use it as a wrist phone really. I use Strava and Spotify while running and can take a quick text or call without touching the device (AirPods). For me, I wouldn't want one, at all, if it didn't have cellular. I still use the Garmin for races. I just don't trust the Apple Watch version of Strava for big events. It's fine for training runs.

quote:

Originally posted by Pyker:

quote:

Where are you getting those numbers?

Looking at the Apple website, I'm seeing a cost differential in the vicinity of $90 to $100 for same watch, with and without cellular capability.

You need to look closer. The Stainless steel all dancing version is $749. My Aluminum GPS was $399.

https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-watch/apple-watch

You’re not comparing the same watches. The Apple Watch 8 gps is exactly $100 less than the cellular version

I have the GPS + cellular version, it never activated the cellular as I always have my phone with me so didn’t want the nominal extra cost.

And for the OP, email incoming…

The first iPad I ever bought I got with cellular. I really never had a need for the cellular so each iPad I have had after were only WiFi and saw no difference.

When I decided to get an Apple Watch, I did the same and did not get cellular. I guess it depends on the individual person and what they do, but for me I see no need for cellular on the watch. My phone is always with me so my watch has access it needs.

quote:

Originally posted by Pyker:

quote:

Where are you getting those numbers?

Looking at the Apple website, I'm seeing a cost differential in the vicinity of $90 to $100 for same watch, with and without cellular capability.

You need to look closer. The Stainless steel all dancing version is $749. My Aluminum GPS was $399.

https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-watch/apple-watch

You need to compare apples to apples, not apples to kumquats.

The aluminum case watches start at $399, cellular capability adds $100.

The stainless case watches start at $699 including cellular, so to go from the base model aluminum with cellular to the base model stainless with cellular, there's a two hundred dollar difference.

First I'm a cheapskate. $10 for stand alone cellular capability on the watch doesn't do much for me as I always have my phone near by. But if you don't mind the extra cost and don't want to have your phone with you I suppose it's a good feature. Just know that, full phone functionality, although technically possible, is a big PITA on the watch alone.

Mine's cellular. I like that I can take off on the bike without lugging my phone, my bike computer logs everything and the watch grabs strava.