[MBCook]

I love my S2, but I have a hard time seeing why I should pay the cell phone company $120/yr to connect my watch. I don't go without my phone and I don't think this would change that.

For people who want to run and listen to Spotify this may be great.

But that stupid cell company fee will keep me away. Just like it keeps me off cellular iPads.

[gkanapathy]

If this happens, it seems likely that Apple would work out a special plan or add-on with the carriers just for this.

[JustSomeNobody]

Yep, a single exclusive provider. Because that tends to be the norm with tech companies who have to deal with cell companies.

[X-Istence]

On the iPad they have the ability to create virtual SIM's and you can select from a list of providers, including one-time payments to activate an account for X amount of data.

Apple could move to something like Google's Fi easily with the virtual sim capabilities...

[ubernostrum]

I know Amazon originally used only Sprint for the Kindle cellular connectivity; has that changed?

[MBCook]

I think they're still on Sprint, but I'm only ~70% on that.

[Avshalom]

Like the years of ATT exclusivity?

[DaiPlusPlus]

Apple doesn't need AT&T anymore - the original exclusivity was because Apple didn't want any carrier interference (as carriers love to add their logos to handsets, install crapware into the firmware, lock-down settings and features, etc) - none of the carriers would agree except for AT&T, who demanded an exclusivity period to compensate for the risk of loss-of-revenue from evil things like only allowing photographs to be sent by MMS.

[Filligree]

Some cellular companies allow you to get multiple SIMs, specifically for this purpose.

Maybe it isn't an option in your area, but a lot of people do have the option.

[MBCook]

I've never heard of that, but I'm in the US with Verizon and fully trust they'll either want $10/mo (because it's a device) or $20/mo (if it can make phone calls).

Because they're nice like that.

[digi_owl]

Well Verizon is a special kind of "evil" from what i can tell.

In most places that's not as balkanized as the US carrier market, you basically get multiple SIMs for your plan and that's it. Nobody gets to question what kind of device you put those SIMs into.

[MBCook]

From what I've read I've always got the impression that cell networks are one of the things the US is furthest behind in. Even when we are more or less technologically up-to-date, the customer experience part is still terrible.

[krzyk]

In Poland you can get a "sub" simcard that will use your cell/data plan from the main one, for just 10 pln/month (sometime ago it was 5 pln/month probably some of the carriers can have it even cheaper) ~ 2.8 $/month.

It is used mostly for tablets here(main simcard is in the phone) or a mifi for car.

[MBCook]

See I'd happily pay three dollars a month to get my iPad on the network. That seems like a reasonable fee.

I don't expect to use my iPad (or anything else) away from Wi-Fi all that much, so that may be part of the issue. If I thought I'd use it more $10 may seem more reasonable. Like if I traveled a lot.

[archvile]

Verizon has an exclusive Android wear watch that has cellular connectivity and it is (only?) $5 extra/mo.

[rodonn]

Google's project Fi is great about letting you get extra data only sim cards for free.

[keymone]

What if it could pair with air pods and function as a proper phone?

[aetherson]

It might function as a proper phone, but it can't function as a proper smartphone, because you need a real screen for that.

[gehwartzen]

At that point may as well have the cellular and processing function in the AirPods themselves.

[keymone]

sure i won't get the display but i get speech to text, text to speech, calls, messages, calendar, activity tracker and all the other stuff that one can install on apple watch.

are you saying that everybody who has smartphone needs 100% of what makes it a smartphone?

[erikpukinskis]

What you're implying is that blind people can't properly use a smartphone, which I believe is false.

[harpastum]

I'm not sure what the grandparent was implying, but there's definitely a major benefit for larger screen sizes, even for those that are completely blind. iOS voiceover and other accessibility UI affordances are much more difficult to implement on the watch form factor, where a very small amount of content can be 'active' at a time.

There are some interesting startups targeting the possibilities here, but right now, smart watches provide a less capable experience for everyone right now.

[owenwil]

What do you mean what if? This is something you can already do for calling + streaming music direct from the watch.

[MBCook]

Also when you can listen to music or podcasts from the watch, they have to be preloaded. If there is an episode that you didn't download and put on the watch or you want to listen to a streaming music service… you're stuck unless the phone is there.

[keymone]

you can't call without carrying iphone with you

[Avshalom]

How would you properly dial?

[Bud]

It's 2017. Nobody dials. You say the person's name.

Anyway, the Apple Watch has a perfectly usable 10-key entry screen; that's what is used to unlock the Watch. Have you actually seen an Apple Watch?

[Avshalom]

it's 2017 nobody calls, voice dial is 2001.

that said my 5.2" phone doesn't have a perfectly usable tenkey, forgive me if I'm skeptical of a watch screen.

[MBCook]

I use the pin pad to unlock my watch when I don't have my phone nearby, it works fine. I'm not going to say it's a great experience, but it's OK.

I agree I'd be more likely to use Siri or the Contacts app on the watch.

[drewmol]

Don't they support speech to text? Unfamiliar never really played too much with one, but selecting from contacts isn't wasn't difficult. Rotary dial?

[yjftsjthsd-h]

Rotary dial.

... I'm not sure yet whether that was a joke or not.

[ISL]

On Ting, each device is $6/mo.

[drewmol]

Nice to see a Ting mention, parent company is TuCows, a Canadian ISP. Check em out if you've never heard of them, I really like their pricing model if you don't need much data or rural coverage areas

[smcl]

That's a weird memory from the 90s/early-00s, I remember downloading software from their FTP and I've no connection with Canada (this would be in the UK). Linux images etc, iirc?

[trts]

I switched to Ting for a couple months. Not sure if the pricing is still the same, but I still talk with people on the phone, and paying by-the-minute felt restrictive. First month my bill was <$40 -- that was great. Next month it was $80 because I'd had some long phone calls. I've been much happier with a $40/month prepaid Verizon plan. Unlimited calling and 3gb of data, and then I don't have to think about the cost of making or accepting a call.

[gaius]

But that stupid cell company fee will keep me away. Just like it keeps me off cellular iPads

This entirely depends on your carrier. I have a single account for both iPhone and iPad wth 10Gb/mo to "spend" between them however I see fit. I'm with EE.

[MBCook]

I'm in the US. I have a pool of data too, but there is a monthly charge for every device I add to the pool.

If adding a device to the pool also came with a little bit of extra data that might make it work out, but that's not the way it works.

Essentially I'm penalized for trying to use their services more. Instead of a nominal fee and making their money from selling more data, I have to pay a bigger fee just for the possibility of using the small pool I already have.

Not having to deal with tethering is not worth $10 a month to me.

[teilo]

No one will be paying that for cellular connectivity. It's all about the shared data pools now. I pay $10/mo. for my iPad Pro cellular. I'm on T-Mobile, but when I was on Verizon, it was only $15/mo.

I have a friend with a cellular Samsung watch. He pays an additional $5/mo.

[MBCook]

$10/mo is $120/yr to get access to the shared pool. That's the exact plan available for my iPad.

And for extra cheapskate-ness you don't event get one extra GB when you do that. Pay more for less.

I didn't know watches were less. I can't find anything on Verizon's site (from a quick glance) that mentions them, only that "tablets and hotspots" are $10/mo.

Even at $60 I don't think I'd do it. I might for my iPad, but not my watch.

[wlesieutre]

And what's the initial plan cost to get that shared data pool?

I pay $30/5GB (then throttled unlimited), so if I have to switch to a $50/month plan for a shared pool and add another $10 for a second device, then we're up to $360/year.

[MBCook]

I'm assuming the plan is a sunk cost because I already have the necessary one for my cellphone.

The only question for the watch (or any other device) is the additional fee for that and any extra data I might end up needing.

I think the fact that it cost $20 to put my phone on the network (not including any data costs) is already stupid. But it's too late there.

[teilo]

If memory serves, he is on Sprint. Which I would never consider, frankly. I imagine once a cellular-capable Apple Watch is available, we will see those plans pop up everywhere.

Also, sorry, I didn't notice you were talking about the annual price.

[MBCook]

It's fine, don't worry about it.

I hope the plans would spread. I really wanted a cellular capable iPad but couldn't stomach the extra cost + monthly fee + extra data usage.

I've heard iPads with. Ugly in cell arenamazing since you can use them any time and it's so much easier than tethering.

But I won't know.

[johnvega]

I have google project fi cellular service, extra sim card for my 2nd device with no extra charge