AppleWatchSeries3
Latest
Apple Watch Series 3 will track your shredding on the slopes
Fancy yourself a skier or snowboarder? Don't let winter's impending conclusion distract you from news that your Apple Watch Series 3 can now track those snowy workouts and put them toward your daily activity goals. Apps including Snoww, Slopes and Ski Tracks will take advantage of the Watch's built-in GPS and altimeter.
How to buy a smartwatch in 2018
The smartwatch industry's identity crisis may be coming to an end. Familiar tech brands like Motorola, Microsoft and Pebble have retired from making wearables, while others like ASUS are rumored to be giving up on the category, leaving us with a shrinking selection of devices to choose from. But fitness and fashion brands have rushed to fill the vacuum, while more specialized watches are also on the rise. This means shoppers will need to prioritize some features over others. As it turns out, there's not yet a perfect solution.
New in our buyer's guide: Apple, Google and a little Sonos
Separate from our holiday gift guide, it was time for us to update our year-round shortlist of recommendations. Since our last round of additions, three months ago, we've reviewed a boatload of flagship handsets, with the iPhone 8/8 Plus and Pixel 2/Pixel 2 XL all making the list. (It's not that we don't recommend the iPhone X, but we recommend the 8 and particularly the 8 Plus for more people.) While we were at it, we also decided that the Sonos One, Google Home Mini, Apple TV 4K, second-gen Daydream View VR headset and the GoPro Hero6 were also worthy of this list. Find all that and more in the Engadget buyer's guide.
Apple Watch Series 3 can stream up to seven hours of music over LTE
Yesterday, Apple released watchOS 4.1, allowing Apple Watch Series 3 users to stream music from their entire iCloud Music Library or through Apple Music rather than limiting them to tunes from playlists synced from their iPhones. And for Watch owners opting into the models with built-in LTE connectivity, the update now allows them to take advantage of these capabilities without having to tote around their iPhones. Now, as MacRumors reports, Apple has released a breakdown of how the Watch Series 3 battery fares during music streaming.
Apple watchOS 4.1 delivers phone-free music streaming
For many, the big allure of Apple Watch Series 3 has been the promise of phone-free music streaming on cellular data: you can listen to any song you like while you're out for a run, not just whatever's stored on the watch itself. And now you can see whether or not it lives up to the hype. Apple has released watchOS 4.1, which lets you stream either Apple Music or your iCloud Music Library directly from your wristwear. You'll need a Series 3 watch, of course, but you're no longer tethered to your iPhone if you demand fresh tunes at all times.
Apple watchOS update addresses LTE connectivity issues
Two weeks after Apple released watchOS 4.0, the company has pushed out an update that aims to fix a seriously annoying issue. It seems the brand-new Apple Watch Series 3 with the latest watchOS would tend to automatically switch from LTE to WiFi hotspots -- even unusable ones -- in efforts to save battery. The patch aims to prevent that specific model of watch from automatically connecting with those wireless providers.
Apple Watch Series 3 review: A good watch, a so-so phone replacement
With each generation, the Apple Watch's purpose has seemed to shift. The first one demonstrated what Apple thought a wearable should be, and the second tried to be the perfect workout companion. When it came time to build the Series 3, though, Apple took everything it got right with the fitness-friendly Series 2, polished it up, and threw an LTE radio inside. And lo, the $399 Apple Watch Series 3 became the first of a new breed of Apple devices -- it straddles the line between smartwatch and phone, with a dash of iPod thrown in for good measure. For those who'd rather play it safe, Apple also built a $329 Series 3 with just GPS and no cellular connection. In fact, that safe bet will probably pay off for most people -- the cellular Series 3 is a little too inconsistent for my taste.
Apple Watch Series 3 first look: So far, no LTE problems
The Apple Watch Series 3 started shipping today, and our definitive review is still in the works. In the meantime, we wanted to give you a taste of what life is like with the company's first LTE-connected watch, so when we got it in for review, we said eff it: let's use nothing but the Watch all day. I was going to respond to every text, email and Slack message from my wrist, use it for listening to music on the subway and talk into it as much as I would with my iPhone. To be fair, Apple doesn't seem like a huge advocate of this idea -- it treats the Series 3 as an occasional substitute for an iPhone rather than a day-to-day replacement. That said, this is the first Apple Watch with cellular connectivity. How could we not try this?
The Engadget Podcast Ep 43: Hits, misses and leaks
If last week's episode was overwhelmingly about Apple, this week's episode includes some partial respite, in the form of another tech titan: Google. For the first half of this episode, senior editor Chris Velazco and I recap his review of the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, which posted on Tuesday. We also get into the Apple Watch Series 3's LTE connectivity issues, and reminisce about other Apple product launches that haven't gone quite as planned. Then, in the second half of the episode we talk about the implications of Google buying HTC's Pixel team, and finish up by running through everything that's been leaked about Google's upcoming hardware announcement. (And my, there have been a lot of leaks.) Enjoy! Relevant links: iPhone 8 and 8 Plus review Apple Watch 3 struggles to connect to LTE Apple TV 4K hands-on Google is buying HTC's Pixel team for $1.1 billion Google's next Chromebook Pixel is reportedly called... the Pixelbook Google's mini Home speaker and Pixel 2 XL leak ahead of October event Subscribe on Google Play Music Subscribe on iTunes Subscribe on Stitcher Subscribe on Pocket Casts
Apple Watch Series 3 struggles to connect to LTE
For those awaiting their new Apple Watch Series 3, be prepared for some connectivity issues. The Verge's Lauren Goode reports that during her review of the new smartwatch, it frequently struggled to connect to LTE and often linked to an unknown WiFi network instead. While surfing, and away from WiFi signals, Goode says that her watch either had a single bar of service or no service at all. And her connectivity issues spanned across two separate sample units. The Wall Street Journal reported similar issues with LTE, also across multiple watches.
T-Mobile confirms the new Apple Watch will get LTE speeds
The Apple Watch Series 3 comes with built-in LTE, but as MacRumors pointed out, T-Mobile's add-on $10 wearable plan limits devices to 512kb/s connections. Tonight T-Mobile CEO John Legere announced its plan for the Watch will include unlimited 4G LTE, saying that "We always listen & act!" That should help keep things even among the US carriers for anyone picking up a new iPhone and/or wrist-worn accessory. Of course, according to a T-Mobile spokesperson, the most data-intensive app on the Watch is high quality Apple Music streaming, which tops out at about 256kbps.
The Engadget Podcast Ep 42: Everything Apple
Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that Apple held a keynote at its glass-empaneled new "spaceship" campus this week, during which it announced a boatload of stuff. So much stuff, in fact, that my colleague Chris Velazco and I devoted an entire episode of the Engadget Podcast to it. Join us as we talk about the new iPhones (all three of them), plus the Apple TV 4K and LTE-enabled Apple Watch Series 3. Relevant links: Live from Apple's iPhone X event! Our first look at Apple's new 'spaceship' campus iPhone X hands-on The iPhone X vs. the competition iPhone 8 and 8 Plus hands-on Apple TV's 4K movie pricing is exactly what the 4K world needs Apple Watch Series 3 hands-on The iPhone 8 won't get lost in the shadow of the iPhone X When there's the iPhone X, why bother with the iPhone 8? The iPhone X leaves a home-button-shaped hole in my heart Subscribe on Google Play Music Subscribe on iTunes Subscribe on Stitcher Subscribe on Pocket Casts
Pre-order your Apple iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus now
Journalists are torn about whether consumers should get the pricey iPhone 8 or 8 Plus or the pricier, but new and exciting iPhone X. You can now vote with your wallet, as the two new iPhone 8s (but not the iPhone X) have gone on pre-order at Apple's Store, various carriers and retailers like Target and Best Buy in the US. Also on pre-order is the Apple TV 4K and Watch series 3, with all products set to ship on September 22nd. In the UK, pre-orders are also up on Apple's site and with EE and other carriers.
The most important stuff from today's iPhone event
This has been one busy day at Engadget. Today two of us found ourselves at Apple Park, the company's new California headquarters, where it held its first keynote to unveil the iPhone X and a bunch of other stuff. After a two-hour, news-filled liveblog, V headed off to the demo area, where he got hands-on with the iPhone X, iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, Apple Watch Series 3 and Apple TV 4K. Meanwhile, I found a spot in front of one of Apple Park's futuristic glass buildings to break down what the heck just happened. This is our first take, but it won't be our last: Stay tuned to Engadget as we continue posting photos, videos and news analysis. Follow all the latest news from Apple's iPhone event here!
Watch the iPhone 8 event in 13 minutes
As expected, today's event at Apple's new Steve Jobs Theater was jam-packed. Three brand-new iPhone models, a new Apple Watch and a 4K Apple TV were the news of the day, and the whole event was nearly two hours long. Don't have that much time to watch the entire keynote? We've got you covered with this supercut, showing all the highlights of the day. Don't worry: We skipped over that semi-painful chat about Apple's retail stores -- sorry, I mean Town Squares.
Apple Watch Series 3 hands-on: The war for your wrist goes wireless
You didn't think this show was just about iPhones, did you? Apple also pulled back the curtain on its 3rd-generation Apple Watch, which is... well, exactly what we expected. The physical differences between this thing and earlier models aren't much to write home about, aside from the nifty red dot on the digital crown. The good news is that means all the older watch bands will work with the Series 3, and Apple has some nice new ones you'll see in our pictures as well.
Apple Watch Series 3 gains LTE for $399
Just a year after the Apple Watch Series 2 was launched onto an unsuspecting public, Apple has updated its iconic timepiece once again. The Apple Watch Series 3 shares a similar case to its forebear, but most crucially, comes with an optional built-in LTE radio. That means that users can now make calls to their friends without the use of their smartphone, letting you finally live all of those Babylon 5 fantasies.
