Apple releases statement revealing connectivity problems with the Apple Watch Series 3

by Alan Friedman / Sep 20, 2017, 2:09 PM

Apple releases statement revealing connectivity problems with the Apple Watch Series 3

While the Apple Watch Series 3 won't be found on consumers' hands until Friday at the earliest, Apple has already released a statement referring to issues that the smartwatch is apparently having when it comes to maintaining a cellular connection. According to Apple, when the Apple Watch Series 3 tries to join unauthenticated Wi-Fi networks without connectivity, the timepiece is prevented from connecting to a cellular network. A fix is being looked at for a future software update.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple Watch models it has received that connect to AT&T and T-Mobile's cellular network have experienced dropped calls; the AT&T connected model also had problems reaching Siri. The Series 3 Apple Watch features a built-in LTE radio and an embedded eSIM card. With a cellular or Wi-Fi connection, it can make/take calls, activate Siri, send texts and connect to the internet without pairing with an iPhone, as previous variants were required to.

"We have discovered that when Apple Watch Series 3 joins unauthenticated Wi-Fi networks without connectivity, it may at times prevent the watch from using cellular. We are investigating a fix for a future software release."-Apple

Another issue, which is actually by design, limits the battery life on the Series 3 Apple Watch to just one hour of 4G LTE talk time. If the cellular connected Series 3 pairs with an iPhone, talk time triples to three hours.

source: WSJ

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38 Comments

1. nikhil23

Posts: 442; Member since: Dec 07, 2016

and people say they don't release a half baked product.

posted on Sep 20, 2017, 2:20 PM 19

27. MrShazam

Posts: 987; Member since: Jun 22, 2017

You forget, herd master apple can do no wrong. Antenna gate, macbook staingate, apple maps, iOS 8 issues, bend date, touch disease, etc, are all due to the consumer using it wrong.

posted on Sep 20, 2017, 5:40 PM 4

37. Nabil111

Posts: 105; Member since: Apr 14, 2014

Hey, those were all...umm...not real.... ya, propaganda put out there by the fandroids trying to poison the name of the good Apple. Subterfuge at its finest!! /s Now that thats over, I'm kinda surprised "you're holding it wrong" wasn't on the dart board for this one.

posted on Sep 21, 2017, 11:27 PM 1

32. Leo_MC

Posts: 7432; Member since: Dec 02, 2011

The watch is yet to arrive to the public.

posted on Sep 21, 2017, 12:42 AM 1

2. thxultra

Posts: 457; Member since: Oct 16, 2014

Have a gear S3 with LTE now and was looking at the apple watch/ iphone X. I use the LTE on my watch a lot for the gym (so I don't have to carry my phone). If the battery life is this bad I think I will stick with my gear S3 and Samsung phone. Really surprised Apple would release the watch with such bad battery life.

posted on Sep 20, 2017, 2:33 PM 6

6. uncle_gadget

Posts: 1050; Member since: Sep 20, 2017

I think the battery is too tiny, when you consider the size of the Gear vs the Apple Watch.

posted on Sep 20, 2017, 3:09 PM 0

33. thxultra

Posts: 457; Member since: Oct 16, 2014

The apple watch has a 205mah battery the gear s3 has a 380mah battery. I would rather have a bigger watch I could at least use. Was really hoping Apple would have better battery life by making it more efficient. Guessing next years model with boast better battery life.

posted on Sep 21, 2017, 7:54 AM 0

38. Nabil111

Posts: 105; Member since: Apr 14, 2014

Better battery life by 1 minute and they will consequently cut 50mAh off the battery to make it smaller, cause everyone is yelling that the watch is too big and heavy... right?....

posted on Sep 21, 2017, 11:28 PM 0

34. jonathanbohner

Posts: 24; Member since: Apr 21, 2012

they limit talk time to 1 hour when there is not an iphone present, do you talk on the phone for an hour at the gym?

posted on Sep 21, 2017, 8:08 AM 0

36. thxultra

Posts: 457; Member since: Oct 16, 2014

No but I do use my watch for other things through out the day like notifications. I do stream over a hour of music off it in the gym thinking the battery isn't going to hold up.

posted on Sep 21, 2017, 2:36 PM 0

3. imran86

Posts: 208; Member since: Sep 14, 2012

1 Hour of talk time, wow, expecting to see more Iphone wall huggers ads from Samsung.

posted on Sep 20, 2017, 2:40 PM 8

13. therealestmc

Posts: 679; Member since: Jul 23, 2012

One hour of talk time on a watch is a long time. I would think people would use their watches too tall for a brief moment.

posted on Sep 20, 2017, 4:02 PM 1

18. imran86

Posts: 208; Member since: Sep 14, 2012

combine all the other tasks it will be doing and all you get is maximum half day life which personally for me is unacceptable.

posted on Sep 20, 2017, 4:16 PM 5

4. Feanor

Posts: 1365; Member since: Jun 20, 2012

Embarrassing; two years later than LTE on Android Wear, three years later than on Samsung smartwatches and still half-baked... On top of it, average life with screen that doesn't offer an "always on" mode, still no possibility to download watchfaces, design that looks like a mini smartphone plastered on a strap. This must be the worst smartwatch and it's still hailed as the best. Let alone that I have visited numerous times Apple stores and still I cannot figure out how it works with its menu...

posted on Sep 20, 2017, 2:52 PM 14

5. slannmage

Posts: 289; Member since: Mar 26, 2013

A lot of haters here.. 1. Every product these days has a few bugs they need to squash at launch. 2. 1 hour talk time... what do you expect with a tiny Watch battery? Who is talking on their Watch for a long period of time? I do on my current Series 1 and it's only ever for 2 mins if I don't have my phone. 3. You can point to other Smart Watches all you want, but none of them pack so many features and have a largely well optimised and bug free experience as the Apple Watch. I've used a lot of Smart watches over the years now, still the Apple Watch wins out. The only way it won't for you is if you hate the look of it, usually most people say they hate it isn't round... for me it doesn't bother me, a Watch doesn't need to be round if it isn't mechanical. Apple deserve a lot of crap... Apple TV sucks, their products are overpriced, the iPad has been largely pointless, they keep failing to put good GPUs in their MacBooks... But The Apple Watch is great and so is the iPhone... I'd also say their Customer Services is second to none as well.

posted on Sep 20, 2017, 2:59 PM 2

7. nikhil23

Posts: 442; Member since: Dec 07, 2016

You can call me a hater but I agree there might be bugs at launch but not on one of it's core capabilities. It's like getting a mobile which cannot call or message anyone at launch And using the same/similar tiny battery LG watch urbane and Gear S3 did wonders on battery life including talktime I would say Apple watch series 3 caught up with most of smart watches so this might be a tie breaker. I have a friend who's a big fan of apple products and her 6s plus had so many problems, recently we went to Apple store to find out that her phone needs to be replaced for $350 and those problems cannot be fixed. I guess Apple really is making a phone that lasts only an year.

posted on Sep 20, 2017, 3:17 PM 5

8. trojan_horse

Posts: 5868; Member since: May 06, 2016

"with a tiny Watch battery? Who is taking on their Watch for a long period of time?" So that means a smart watch having more than an hour of call isn't good, right??? "I do on my current Series 1 and it's only ever for 2 mins if I don't have my phone." As far as I know, you can't make calls on an Apple watch series 1 if you don't have an iPhone with you... no? So how the heck did you make a 2-minute call without your phone? Wow!

posted on Sep 20, 2017, 3:18 PM 5

9. Sakeem

Posts: 857; Member since: Sep 05, 2012

I thought the same thing about series 1.

posted on Sep 20, 2017, 3:20 PM 0

12. uncle_gadget

Posts: 1050; Member since: Sep 20, 2017

Because he is untruthful!!!

posted on Sep 20, 2017, 3:39 PM 1

15. therealestmc

Posts: 679; Member since: Jul 23, 2012

The phone just has to be nearby.

posted on Sep 20, 2017, 4:07 PM 0

11. uncle_gadget

Posts: 1050; Member since: Sep 20, 2017

No one is saying the device needs to be perfect. But if other OEM's can have a relatively perfect working products 3 times in a row, namely Samsung and the Gear S; why can't Apple get just one working? There is always a made up excuse for Apple, but any other OEM is bang for even the slightest misstep.

posted on Sep 20, 2017, 3:37 PM 3

21. ph00ny

Posts: 2031; Member since: May 26, 2011

What other watched have you used besides apple watch? Let's see what is wrong with the current apple watch 1. Battery life. Wife's series 2 barely lasts a day (by day i'm talking less than 18 hours). I asked the tech at genius bar about the battery life and the suggestion from tech was to disable all fitness tracking features. 2. Charging dock. Little flimsy charging dock comes off the watch easily and the wire is way too short. It's not like the wire can be replaced with a longer one since the whole thing is one piece 3. Sluggish performance at times. Not sure why but it's slow in the UI elements at times 4. Lack of features to distinguish itself from other smartwatches. 5. Siri, siri, siri. It sucks ass. Wife whips out the phone half of the times because hey siri gets ignored I think the design sucks but she likes it because the colors match her rose gold iphone 7+ perfectly. Few things i do like is the way the strap is secured on the wrist and the ability to unlock the mbp when you have the watch on.

posted on Sep 20, 2017, 4:46 PM 0

10. kryme

Posts: 469; Member since: Oct 24, 2013

So I'm guessing this doesn't affect the gps version...

posted on Sep 20, 2017, 3:33 PM 0

14. nivek4011

Posts: 49; Member since: Jul 31, 2014

My Gear S3 with LTE has had no connectivity issues over the last year. I can turn off LTE and it seamlessly switches from Bluetooth to WiFi when I am out of reach of my phone. Calls, texts, emails all come thru perfectly. Take note Apple.

posted on Sep 20, 2017, 4:04 PM 2

16. therealestmc

Posts: 679; Member since: Jul 23, 2012

Look at the size of the Gear S3 though.

posted on Sep 20, 2017, 4:09 PM 0

20. nivek4011

Posts: 49; Member since: Jul 31, 2014

exactly.... its the size of a real watch. not dainty and delicate like the apple watch, which only looks appropriate on a female. the Gear is for men who want a real looking watch....that can also connect. just sayin.

posted on Sep 20, 2017, 4:45 PM 3

24. kiko007

Posts: 7493; Member since: Feb 17, 2016

I can here your voice cracking as you wrote this. In all seriousness, if you feel more "masculine" wearing a different brand of watch, you might be going through some sort of gender crisis. Same as those guys who buy Hummers.