Apple may be a leader in the smartphone industry but wearables is a whole other ballgame. Xiaomi became the largest wearable maker in the world this year, beating the likes of Fitbit and Apple. So it seemed plausible that Apple might refresh its smartwatch lineup to change that.
Enter the Apple Watch Series 3, announced yesterday with the iPhone 8, 8 Plus and iPhone X.
Design Changes
On the outside, not much has changed from the previous iteration of the Apple Watch. It still looks largely similar aside from the red crown on the side and the large heart rate monitor. The red crown itself is exclusive to the LTE version.
The major changes are on the inside, where Apple has improved on several fronts.
LTE Support + Apple Music
First and foremost is LTE support. This means that you can stay connected with your iPhone even when you’re away from it. This makes it a major improvement in making the wearables market truly independent, instead of being chained to your smartphone all the time.
The display acts as the antenna with an electronic SIM embedded inside the watch. That said, LTE version is purely optional, you can get a GPS only variant as well.
It can still work as a fitness tracker, and thanks to LTE without being connected to your phone. The smartwatch is also getting support for Apple Music from October.
Hardware and Storage
There is also a new dual core processor which performs 70% better than the W2 chip in the previous Apple Watch. The chip also improves on power efficiency as well as Bluetooth and wireless connectivity.
Storage is limited to 16 GB on the LTE version and 8 GB on the GPS version.
Water resistance has also been upgraded to a “water-proof” status. You can safely go for a swim in a pool with the Apple Watch on your wrist. Here’s a comparison between the two versions, courtesy of TechCrunch
As for the price, Apple Watch Series 3 with LTE will cost you $399 while the GPS only version will set you back $329.
Via TechCrunch
Aameero K Chochlay :
Can someone please explain how will the “electronic SIM” thing will work in Pakistan, with the available service providers?
E-Sim option was introduced by Samsung and its Gear S2 watch 730 model has it.
Currently no service provider is providing E-Sim service but Telenor and Zong are working on it, since this is going to be replacing normal Sim cards in the next 20 to 25 years.
Its not supported at the moment, that is why they show a list of flags with telco names. I guess for now it will only work with them. Also with a 5 SIM per person limit, you can’t be using SIMs in tablets, laptops or watches.
There is nothing new in this watch. There are still much better options in smart wear already in the market. Sadly, Apple has stopped innovating ever since Steve Jobs was no more.
Is any Cellular company supporting/giving e sim in Pakistan ?