A couple of years in the past, I purchased a Galaxy Watch 5 and were given it necessarily without cost from T-Mobile, with the kicker being that I needed to get it on a two-year contract. That way I used to be caught with an LTE-enabled smartwatch, only as a result of I did not wanna lay down $279 at the spot for a Bluetooth/Wi-Fi fashion. Now, on the other hand a few years later it is been since then, and with the contract up, I’ve in the end canceled that line, necessarily reverting my smartwatch to a Bluetooth/Wi-Fi fashion.
It’s best been a couple of days since I made the trade, nevertheless it does not really feel any other, aside from that now, I’m saving cash whilst nonetheless with the ability to profit from maximum of my smartwatch’s options. Frankly, it made me understand that I do not want a smartwatch with information, and I think like the general public more than likely do not, both.
T-Mobile attempted and didn’t get me to stay the road
When I known as to cancel the road, the T-Mobile consultant understandably attempted her darndest to persuade me to stay it. She instructed me that I’d use my watch while not having my smartphone within sight, nonetheless in a position to make calls and texts, move track whilst on a run, or navigate with Google Maps.
That sounds all just right and dandy, however the factor is, I at all times have my telephone with me. So just about all of those options are nonetheless usable with out LTE, making it a non-issue. I will make calls or ship texts from the watch, play offline track I’ve already downloaded from YouTube Music and Spotify (or transferred from my phone), and even use offline maps in Google Maps, if, for some reason, I don’t have my phone. And I only need to do these things on my watch if I don’t wanna pull my phone out of my pocket, which is where it almost always is.
Granted, I did actually try to take advantage of the LTE connectivity when I first got the Galaxy Watch, going on runs in my neighborhood while leaving my phone at home. But, to be honest, I hate running outside, and I still felt uncomfortable not having my phone with me for even 30 minutes (which probably says a lot about me). And to be honest, going on runs without my phone was really the only use case I’ve been able to come up with for keeping the smartwatch data line.
I also mostly use my smartwatches to track my workouts. In addition to the Pixel Watch 3 LTE, I also use Garmin watches like the Venu 4, which don’t come with LTE connectivity and are more than sufficient to do what I need them to.
I told the T-Mobile representative as much, and she still tried to convince me to keep the line, but ultimately, I could not think of a single reason to keep spending money on it.
LTE has its uses on a smartwatches, if you’re willing to pay for it
I’m not saying LTE on a smartwatch isn’t useful; I’m just saying it’s not useful enough for what I need it for. For example, the Pixel Watch 4 has satellite SOS, which is only available on the LTE model. This lets you send emergency messages when you’re in an area where you don’t have access to a mobile network.
Emergency satellite messaging may be available on Pixel phones, but it’s not ubiquitous across Android phones or even carriers. This would make an LTE Pixel Watch a potentially lifesaving device if you find yourself in a sticky spot.
However, a smartwatch line on major U.S. carriers usually costs around $10 a month, meaning I was paying around $120 a year for multiple years for a feature that I don’t use. It’s not as much as a typical smartphone line, which makes the cost manageable for many people, but I just can’t justify the price anymore.
Even so, my Pixel Watch 3 works just as well as it did before I removed the LTE connection, and I don’t miss it at all.
That said, not everyone feels the same way. Do you find LTE on a smartwatch useful, or do you prefer to just use Bluetooth/Wi-Fi? Let us know in the comments below!
Source: www.androidcentral.com
