Cellular hangup: Apple seeks software fix for Apple Watch
Well, that’s an unwelcome hangup.
Apple is acknowledging a connectivity snag with the banner feature in its brand new Apple Watch: Its ability to connect to cellular networks for calls, texts and more without a phone nearby.
In a statement shared with USA TODAY, Apple said, “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’s Series 3 watch (a pricey $399 on up) is supposed to automatically choose the most efficient network to glom onto in any situation. When your iPhone isn’t nearby, that network could be cellular, which owners of the Series 3 pay about $10 a month to their wireless carrier to access. Or it could be a known Wi-Fi network your phone would have previously signed into.
But reviewers at The Verge and the Wall Street Journal encountered times during their tests when the watch failed to execute this connectivity “handoff.”
I did not run into the issue during my review.
Apple’s acknowledgement tells us the problem is real, if not necessarily widespread, and the situation continues to bear watching. It remains to be seen whether the snag impacts sales, and though my experience was generally positive, I wouldn’t blame potential buyers who take a more cautious approach and decide to wait.