Review: Apple ’s New Watch Only Partly Frees You From Your iPhone

The good: Offers LTE connectivity without a bulky design, can now measure flights of stairs climbed. The bad: Expensive, and not all third-party apps work without your phone. Who should buy: With LTE support, integrated GPS and better health tracking, the Apple Watch Series 3 is Apple’s most comprehensive smartwatch yet. But the LTE is only worth the extra monthly expense if you feel burdened by your smartphone. When Apple introduced the Apple Watch in 2014, CEO Tim Cook used the word “personal” to describe it. In some ways he was right: the watch is a device that’s meant to be worn on the wrist, in full display, all and every day, not tucked away in a pocket or purse. It knows how fast your heart is beating, can nudge you when someone calls, and lets you pay for things without reaching for a wallet or iPhone. For all that our smartphones rule our lives, Apple wanted its smartwatch to be a semi-liberating alternative. For all it’s done to free up those functions, it can still feel shackling. The Apple Watch is literally a miniature wrist-sized computer, but it relies on your iPhone to do all the heavy lifting. Without a Bluetooth tether to your phone or a connection to a compatible Wi-Fi network, your Apple Watch is a glorified pedometer with a clock. That’s finally starting to change with the Apple Watch Series 3. It’s the company’s first smartwatch to have a cellular radio built-in, which means it can connect to data networks...
Source: TIME.com: Top Science and Health Stories - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Apple Apple watch Apple Watch Series 3 Fitness Trackers Gadgets iPhone 2017 Smartwatches Source Type: news