Christian Adams i agree with the ocean location but the truth is their LTE connection still not working even within city areas. I think this is the point they r talking about. Mine still not working at all on LTE since i received it 2 days ago. At least it worked twice on their watch...
It's so weird how you guys considered that the Apple Watch Series 2 was not worth it because it can't be used as a stand alone watch, and now that you have it, it's a "rare convenience".
Verge, there is bad reception in that city? Is that why you picked Half Moon Bay? There is also one of the biggest RADAR towers in America in that city. It's the big white thing on the hill on the beach she is running down
You got bad reception on ONE beach and decided that means it doesn't work as advertised! You could have at least tested a couple of beaches before making a statement like that! This review seems a little silly really.
This was filmed in a tiny ocean city that most people don't know about. Population 11,000. It's not even a surfer city. It's a boaters city. But it's a little romantic . It has art and restaurants and a secluded beach next to a cliff
At 2:15 she is right next to one of the worst places in the u.s. for cellphone reception. There is a military radio communications station on the cliff she is next to
How about they focus on battery life and give us an always on display for example, before throwing in features that drain battery like crazy. Like the headlining feature, streaming music on the go and streaming them to your Bluetooth earbuds.
I guess I never understood the argument for wanting an always on display. The screen activates when you raise your wrist. Isn’t that good enough? What’s the advantage of having the screen on all the time when your only glancing at it a for a few moments randomly throughout the day. My phones screen isn’t on all the time; it activates when I need it to
It's bad where she is. She is in Half Moon Bay California. It's a small California city South of San Francisco. It's where fishermen dock their boats and bring fresh fish that is sold to big cities. Tourists from silicon valley and San Francisco drive there to buy fresh fish that's sold in small old warehouses. The warehouses are very busy during crabbing season
I wonder if she picked a bad location on purpose. Half Moon bay doesn't have good surfing and it has bad reception. There is way better surfing is in Santa Cruz and it has good networks. Santa Cruz is also closer to Silicon Valley than Half Moon Bay so i really wonder why she chose that tiny city
Buzz LightBeer if that’s true, it’s an incredibly irresponsible review. The first thing that popped in my mind was, “is the cellular reception that far out even good?”
That keen dude, it's true and it's worse. There is a giant government communication complex there. It's has things like radar that looks across the ocean. You can see it on a hill at time 1:28
Or.. you could not assume she's out to get apple just because her experience wasnt good? In the video it showed that Apple even made a statement about the cellular issues and that it should be fixed in a future update.
Apple did the demo on a lake... not in the ocean... lakes are a small body of water with land all around them, and that land has cellular towers on it... the ocean doesn’t have that...
Fadeley I saw that after, however this video still says "when Apple announced the new Apple Watch" which is technically incorrect. In the keynote the lady was on a lake, not the ocean. However you make a valid point because of the commercial, but the signal doesn't necessarily have to do with the watch as much as it has to do with the service provider, or more technically how close to the cellular tower the user is. So The Verge chose a bad place on the coast to test it. If you were to test it on the coast nearest to the closest cell tower, I'd bet the results would be different.
So you're complaining that she is actually correct but just missed one small detail? You're implying it matters that she said when it was announced instead of on a commercial after the announcement. That doesn't change the fact that Apple advertised it to work in the ocean.
I agree. If you expect a phone or watch to work in the ocean then you shouldn’t review technology. However Apple did make that cool video of the girl on the surfboard answering a call so I can see see how the verge took advantage to prove Apple wrong. But I strongly think that the reason Apple is using surfboards is because you would never bring your phone on a surfboard and now you can bring your Apple Watch. Not a big fan of the verge and they seem to be unfair to Apple most of the time.
Having no LTE connection is a problem caused by the provider, isn’t it? So I wouldn’t really blame the watch for that having no connection at the ocean. Have you tested the internet connection with your phone at the ocean?
The ocean isn't a great place to test cellular connectivity because many carriers don't build towers to extend coverage out into the ocean. Did the battery test take into account that the device was constantly trying to find service (similar to a phone being drained while out of coverage)? Or was the battery test based on all kinds of use cases and the beach was just an example?
Daremachina If this is your try to backup Apple Watch LTE version on their LTE issue, I don’t think it’s working. Sorry respectively i have to also say that mine does not work on LTE at all since I received mine couple days ago. I tried different location, at home, work, at the parks, ... None of them work when my phone is not connected. At least for them it works twice. Both my phone service techs and apple care tech cannot solve my issue and at last shared to me that this is currently a major issue.
Nick J I do casual workout for an hour and a half every morning, I thought that will be the perfect time to just have the watch without my phone. I really hope this is just some software issue...
You can always opt out of having service on it just like you do an iPad And then the months you find you may want to have the service you toggle it back on
So, would you have signal on your iPhone in those locations? That's the thing that would tell us whether the watch connectivity is bad, or if it's a carrier issue...
orvan123 I don’t think anything could defend their LTE issues anymore. It clearly does not work. I had mine 2 days ago, tried multiple locations, LTE never works on my watch. At least it worked twice on their watch!
Why the hell would you need LTE? Are you streaming HD video on it? For its celular use, wouldn't old 2G work just as well and consume less battery? Talk about overkill and solving problems that don't exist...
Tiago Oliveira It’s more of a coverage issue and Siri ... 2G, or even 3G, would not offer the same coverage as LTE; and Siri would be too slow without LTE
2g no longer exists as of last year. even if it did it wouldn't help because of "race to sleep". the lte chip isn't on permanently, it only drains (most) power while in use, so the slower the connection, the longer it is on so the higher battery drain. this is already noticeable on other devices such as phones, where having a very low signal will drain more battery than a good signal. as for actual uses of that connection though .... marketing? mostly just streaming music and future compatibility, 3g will be turned off before 4g or lte are.
Well, where I'm from (Portugal), 2G, 3G and 4G are everywhere so that's not a problem. And as to Siri, it doesn't upload your entire voice recording. It uses transforms to reduce the signal to something much smaller and 2G/3G are enough for that sort of stuff. And also, here, our 3G networks are sometimes better than the US's 4G ones so in most of the world, 2G or 3G would be enough for this watch.
I have several issues with this review. First; the Apple video showed a young woman on a stand up paddle board on a lake (or reservoir) not the ocean. Second; did anyone demonstrate that the ocean location where this review was shot had cell service with a phone? If there was no reception on a cellphone, how could one expect the Apple watch to connect?
At least yours works on LTE 2 times. Mine does not work at all, and I did try different places not only at home. I’m upgrading from 2nd version so LTE connection and streaming are the only reasons I purchase this watch and it does not work at all. Apple offer me a replacement but I don’t know if it’s going to fix anything.
I was hoping Lauren will be the one to review it before clicking the video she always does a great job explaining the product and doesn't oversell it just because it's from Apple.
The reviewer is overblowing the concern with the battery. There's no reason to be using LTE *all the time*, unless you're actually planning to spend the entire day away from your phone. But I don't think that's the experience Apple is trying to deliver here. Rather, LTE is something that should be used for the times when it's actually needed - When you happen to be away from your phone. When it's near your phone, you just use Bluetooth. And sometimes you use WiFi. The only times my Apple Watch will be away from my phone are when I'm running outside, going to the gym, and running errands that are not too far away from my home. Using the LTE connectivity only during those times and pairing it with my phone the rest of the time should be able to get me through an entire day without much trouble. Also, the reviewer ignored what is probably the single most appealing feature of the watch - being able to play and control 40 million songs on your wrist without the need for your phone or wired headphones. (In fairness to the reviewer, this feature won't be available until next month)
I agree. I am getting the LTE watch, but only because I want stainless steel and they don't make that with GPS only, unfortunately. If I ever plan on activating the LTE watch plan, and because I ALWAYS have my phone on me, I would only ever use it if I left the house in a hurry and forgot my phone (which has happened a few times). But besides that, I will not purposely be using LTE for daily use. And even if I go for a run, I don't want people calling ME. I can always turn on the LTE if I have an emergency.
Joanna Stern of Wall Street Journal also reviewed the watch and had a very similar experience. Battery life was extremely disappointing. Connectivity to the cell network was also very inconsistent--lots of poor connections, choppy calls, and dropped connection. With heavy usage she barely made it half a day. I agree in most cases, LTE usage will be relatively light, since it's rare when one is away from one's phone these days. But having to manage when LTE is on and off is very different from "It just works." And I imagine streaming music during a run will drain the battery greatly. Paying $10/month for something you can only use sporadically is a bit of a hard sell.
I'd also only use it at the gym, and having music sans phone plus the ability to track workouts will be great. It's not hours and hours of use everyday, but it's a daily convenience I'm very happy to have. That said, connectivity problems would not be good. If the watch isn't reliable, what's the point?
The Sex Reporter but the update didn’t address her issue. They said while the Watch was trying to connect to a wifi Network. Was she trying to connect to a wifi Network while connected to LTE in the ocean. I don’t think so
Why cant they do a first impression video and then after actually using it for a month or even a week and really knowing how daily usage feels like put out a full review? It would be more profit from them cause they can churn out two videos from one product. I learnedly absolutely nothing from this video. It was very entertaining to a tech geek like me, but it wasnt really educational.
Another worthy Apple Watch tip. If you wear on the left wrist. The buttons are easier to manipulate if you wear it with the buttons on the left instead of the right. Take the bands off. Flip the watch. Put the bands back on and then go into settings and change the button orientation from right to left 😉
Hey Lauren! Thanks so much for the great review. I really like your hosting style, it's like I'm hanging out with a friend who's telling me about the product - very accessible and informative. The production values are through the roof, I love how you and the team took a lot of what apple showed in their marketing and demoed it. Congrats and thanks, big fan!
👍Terrific video. It makes no sense that the watch battery drains so quickly. They're skimping on the components or buildout...it's like when cellular first came out & we had those clunky devices with huge batteries & huge antennas (bag phones, that huge Motorola & Motorola flip etc) but as batteries & battery production & design, materials got better then devices & talk times got better. Apple can do better!
Mine has been amazing for exercise, going to a waterpark or theme park and not wanting to carry my phone, quick errands, or twice in the last year when I had actually forgot my phone at a friends house, it absolutely has it uses and I’ve never had a problem with LTE
Instead of going into the middle of the ocean and present the Apple Watch as failing since can't make a call where even cell phone won't work go to somewhere that people actually will benefit from cell connectivity on the watch.
The point is the focus of the video was trying to show up Apples ad but in reality who is out surfing and answering phone calls. Majority of users will be on land and in places with good LTE coverage.
Christopher Beck What's the point of reviewing, if you are going to do things that cater to it's strengths? Apple advertised it as such, so why not test it. It failed, get over it.
Christopher Beck If this is your try to backup Apple Watch LTE version on their LTE issue, I don’t think it’s working. Sorry respectively i have to also say that mine does not work on LTE at all since I received mine couple days ago. I tried different location, at home, work, at the parks, ... None of them work when my phone is not connected. At least for them it works twice. Both my phone service techs and apple care tech cannot solve my issue and at last shared to me that this is currently a major issue.
The amount of hate the verge is getting is ridiculous. If you want the watch just buy it. If it works, great. If it doesn’t, then oh well. This is just one review. ONE review lol people get so offended as if they’re disrespecting someone’s religion or faith. I remember the verge used to get hate for saying Apple products were great and were being blamed for favoritism. Now they’re actually being honest and they still get hate? People need to calm down.
You have to have service. It would just be like bringing your phone in the water if you don't have service it is not going to work. The example apple gave she was on a lake, so there was most likely a cell tower nearby
First of all you doing the wrong test and then you are trying to prove the Watch has problem, you are testing the Watch where no cellular signal and expecting Siri to work ? Come on verge. What are your intentions?
Apple has set up all their fans to fall for its apple watch, that just works as an accessory to the iPhone. It also does not work with any other operating system. Fans still fall for it. Hence, Love is blind.
Hey Lauren. Great job. Looking to get a watch for my wife's birthday :) if you see this now in December has there been updates from Apple to address signal, connectivity, battery etc do you know? Thanks!
Yes, on Safari it's less apparent (less noise), but still no detail in the shadows so your black point-setting is too high. I don't see this in other videos on Chrome.
Dominic Findlay in the keynote they actually say she’s in a lake paddle boarding which I would assume would have better service than out being out in the ocean surfing
Yeah I'm still not sold on LTE on a smart watch. Seems gimmicky and an additional battery drainer. If you wanna stream songs via LTE, the battery drain would be immense at high quality, phone calls on a wrist? I'd rather do that on my phone and save 10$ per month
To be honest I think the disconnection from your phone is a nice feature when working out so I'm glad they still offer a non-cellular option. Also considering the Series 2 has a barometer (most likely to work with GPS) Apple should really just make the altimeter also available for Series 2 not just Series 3. It's possible from a hardware perspective. Great review, tumbs up!
She said it had problems in places other than the ocean such as a coffee shop. And another reviewer also stated problems with LTE. But no, you must defend Apple at all costs, don't you?
I'm not sure why the watch would work (LTE) if you didn't have good cell service. With poor cell service, your phone wouldn't even work. Not sure about the point of that comment.
I’m not planning on leaving my phone in only “rare instances”. I preordered this watch because it claims to liberate me from the phone. A cellphone is nothing more than a fancy camera to me. If this thing doesn’t work on LTE, I’m, sending it back. My Apple Watch series 2 has had echo problems it’s entire life. Apple admitted that they were working on a fix, however, I couldn’t return my watch because it was out of the return window. I literally had to switch back to my series 1 Apple Watch in order to make calls. Oh, and that “fix” your waiting for? It might come to the Apple Watch series 4 on iOS 12. Don’t hold your breath.
Uh oh, this is the first time I’ve heard that LTE on the watch ups your bill by $10/mo. That’s a tough sell over the life of the watch, unless you’re a heavy user leaving the phone at home. Personally, I’ll keep my series 2 because why would I leave my phone at home? I walk 5 mi./day with the phone around my ankle and my Apple earbuds, and work the phone from my watch, perfect setup.
This review is so bias... and so many things wrong... My phone doesn't work on the beach due to the signal of the provider, which seems to be the problem you were having. Any phone will "drain" the battery faster if you are in an area of low or no signal, due to the low signal the watch will continue to "try" to gain a signal, this would happen with a phone as well just as if you were roaming which uses more battery. If you are unable to get a LTE signal, what makes you think the Apple software glitch of it joining unauthenticated wireless signals is a problem... When did wireless 5.0 ghz signal become be available in the ocean!! Maybe sharks with wireless routers strapped to them.My guess is the watch is trying to hard to get a signal, continue to connect to a weak signal and that drains the battery. This is why you should turn "Automatically join networks off" I look forward to more reviews from you !! Maybe another review of City activities, getting coffee etc...is in order here. Also only people living near to the coast can surf with an Apple watch, so that seems to be a small population of people.
Meh. Will give this series a pass. I’m still on the 1st ever gen that came out in 2015 and nothing much has changed except for under the hood upgrades and LTE which let’s face it, not many of us see a need for at this point. Plus, that ugly red dot on the digital crown. Wtf was Apple thinking with that? I thought they used to be one of the leaders in producing revolutionary designs but adding an unnecessary red dot just to differentiate it from its predecessors shows how little they went into improving on its design. Hopefully the series 4 would give me more reason to upgrade.
I was talking to an ATT representative, they said you do not have to get another line in order for the LTE to work. It is supposed to piggy back off of your main phone line. Which might explain why apple didn't ask for any network info when I pre-ordered it. Also, maybe next time give the job of reviewing a brand new product to someone who is actually interested in reviewing it. And maybe to someone who understands how software works. Road map wise bringing LTE to watches is a major step towards the next big change to the smart phone industry, turning smart phones into smart wearable phones. This is why I am getting it and this is why I am excited about it.
As far as I know all 1000 victims who bought latest apple watch 3 had issues with LTE - it was not working. $399 for apple watch which lasts 3h at best and not working as it suppose to. For $399 you can buy Android phone which WILL WORK over a day.
I plan on getting Stainless Steel, but they only make that with LTE which I have no use for. Sucks that I will be paying for the LTE version and I don't plan on purchasing the plan with Verizon. Who knows? Maybe in a year I will want it, but I have no use for LTE on the watch. I will ALWAYS have my phone on me. That's just a habit that would be hard to break.
This review isn't really emphasizing what it should be. Clearly the review unit (early model) was not functioning properly, and when they got a new one it worked better. The full review should be dealing with the second watch, yet they talk about the first one and barely brush over the fact that they got a new one that worked properly so...?
