Just as shipments begin Apple Watch Series 3 experiences connectivity problems

As shipments of Apple's new Series 3 smart watch begin the watch is experiencing difficulties in certain situations with connecting to cellular.

One of the key differences between the Series 3 and earlier models are its built-in cellular capabilities as the iPad and iPhone have. If a Wi-fi network is not available the watch should be able to connect to a cellular network. A reviewer in the Verge reports: "While writing my review of the Apple Watch Series 3 with LTE capabilities, I experienced notable connectivity issues. The new Watch appeared to try to connect to unknown WiFi networks instead of connecting to cellular, when I was out and about without my phone. " The reviewer again had problems when he made a second review.

Eventually Apple acknowledged there was a problem and released a statement saying: “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.” However, it is not yet known when a new software fix will be released. This is the first time that Apple has acknowledged the existence of a problem after pre-orders and just before it officially ships. Potential buyers of the watch could put off purchases until there is software to fix the problem.

A Time article explains the watches' connectivity problem as follows:In plain language, the Apple Watch 3 seems to be connecting to wireless networks it shouldn't be, which then screws up LTE connectivity, since the Watch 3 is effectively creating a connectivity dead end, then doubling down on it. The ability to shift back and forth between connectivity paths is called a "handoff," and for some reason the Watch 3 can't manage it consistently.The new model 3 watch was celebrated at the recent new iPhone release last week. The new watch is able to send and receive data without a smartphone. However, the device is limited in the amount of talk time and the battery can soon run out as the appended video shows.

Critic Joanna Stern writes of the new watch:"A cellular device is, sometimes literally, a lifeline. That’s why I can’t recommend the cellular Apple Watch Series 3 until the connectivity is more reliable."At $400, the cellular version of the Apple Watch 3 is pricey — $70 more than the non-cellular version. It also requires an extra monthly data fee, in the vicinity of $10 per carrier. If you haven't ordered one yet, it's probably best to hold off, or opt for the non-cellular version, which includes the other Series 3 benefits like a faster processor and barometric altimeter. Not that you'd get a cellular Apple Watch 3 quick anyway: according to the Apple Store, orders for the LTE version are currently backordered 3 to 4 weeks.LTE or Long-Term Evolution is a standard for high-speed wireless communication for mobile devices and data terminals. The new Apple model 3 series smart watches appear to be experiencing a rough launch.

T-mobile will not after all put a cap on Apple Watch Series 3 data speeds

John Legere of T-Mobile USA has just announced that the company will not be placing a cap on data speeds for the Apple Watch Series 3 as it said it would earlier.

Legere is CEO of T-Mobile USA. The firm is the third largest wireless carrier in the US with 72.6 million customers as of the first quarter of 2017. Legere said he was responding to customer "frustrations" about the plan announced earlier by the firm to limit data on the Apple 3 Smartwatch. He promised that watch customers would be able to use full 4G LTE speeds at no extra charge. Long Term Evolution (LTE) is a high-speed wireless communication standard for mobile devices and data terminals. Its aim is to increase the capacity of and speed of wireless data networks.

Adding an Apple Watch to a T-Mobile One plan costs an extra ten dollars a month. This is still better than the company's original plan of limiting download rates to 512kps by default. For faster speeds customers would have had to fork out another $20 to $25. One reason for the change of heart may be the fact that Verizon Wireless, AT&T, and Sprint the main competitors of T-Mobile gave no indication that they would introduce similar charges. Originally, T-Mobile was intending to also cap other company's smart watches at the same rates. Originally a T-Mobile spokesperson sent an email to the Vergesaying: “Customers can do everything they want to do with the watch at 512kbps. If customers feel they need high-speed data, they can choose high-speed data with paired DIGITS for $20 with auto-pay.” If autopay in not enabled in the plan, the cost is 25 dollars.

But now Legere tweeted: "I heard your frustration about the Apple Watch plan. I sincerely believe in listening to our customers & have dug into this...7:30 PM - Sep 15, 2017 130 130 Replies 73 73 Retweets 680 680 likes". Then he added: "The Apple Watch Series 3 plan on @TMobile will be $10/m for unlimited 4G LTE. Thanks for your feedback. We always listen & act! #uncarrier 7:31 PM - Sep 15, 2017 347 347 Replies 478 478 Retweets 1,751 1,751 likes"

It is not clear why T-Mobile planned a limit in the first place since it was unlikely to place a burden on the company's network. The company has said that its network is built for the unlimited. In any event, now users of the Apple Watches Series 3 will not need to worry about any potential slowdowns and can use full power from the start at no extra charge. It is full speed ahead.