Does LTE Really Make the Apple Watch 3 Better?

There are a lot of people out there who have opinions about the new Apple Watch 3.  I’ve heard things form people at my gym who say they don’t understand the Watch.  They can’t understand why I have one, or what I find useful about it.  In fact, I hear this all the time.  Sometimes its in a podcast.  Sometimes its on the radio, but wherever it’s coming from, everyone seems to have an opinion.  And now, the opinions are around the LTE feature.  They ask the question about whether or not it will useful for people.  They wonder what the big deal is about having LTE.

People also balked at the Watch when it came out a few years ago.  Saying it was just a fancier version of a FitBit, and maybe it was at the time.  But now it’s an entire device unto itself.  And if you have the Series 3, it’s now a standalone device.   But let’s talk about the criticisms for the LTE.

Some people are saying that a Watch with LTE is detrimental when playing “sports”.  That may be, but I’m guessing that Tom Brady isn’t using it during his Sunday afternoon games.  He (if he has one) is likely using it to train.  To get a better understanding of his own statistics. For those of us who aren’t in the NFL, we are using it to make ourselves healthier.  Or to achieve a specific goal.  I workout in a boxing club five times a week.  I wear my Watch every time I step into the ring.  No, I’m not sparring, but I am getting in a pretty intense workout.  Without my Apple Watch, I would have no idea how I’m performing.  It helps me understand how many calories I’m burning in an hour. Which tells me how hard I’m working out. I can tell when I’m tired.  I can tell when I’ve got energy.  All of that is tracked through my Watch in one way or another.  So to say it’s detrimental during sports doesn’t make sense to me.  Unless, like I said, you think people are wearing them during professional sports.  (Not talking about the Boston Red Sox).

No, I don’t necessarily answer my phone during my workout.  But the fact that it rings, doesn’t mean that I have to answer it.  The LTE version of the Watch gives you the option to turn off cellular and just use it like a regular watch.  So I don’t necessarily think it’s about missing out on important phone calls.  But rather having the option to stay connected, if and when you want.

Another big criticism is that you don’t need to stream music through your smartwatch.  But why not?  I mean, if that’s what you want to do?  How is this any different than an iPod.  Sure, there is some additional technology that goes into the Watch that wasn’t in the iPod, but same thing, right?  Some people would argue that having the ability to stream anything you want at any moment in time is decision overload.  But I would argue that it’s giving you the choice.

Albeit, Apple will only let you stream Apple Music through the Watch as of right now.  But I don’t think it’s a fair assessment to say that there is too much music to choose from.  And if you do, I think there’s something wrong with you.  I myself like to change things up. I like diversity and options.  Maybe today, I’m feeling sad and sullen.  So maybe I want my music to reflect that.  Maybe I need a pick me up when I’m mid-way through my workout.  But I’m using the same old playlist, and I can’t.  I think that people want and need choice.

I think that the LTE version of the Watch is neat. If you haven’t used an Apple Watch then you probably can’t appreciate the LTE. You will simply think that its a gimmick to get you to spend more money on a Watch.  But that’s not the case.  For all you critics out there, I would suggest that you don’t knock it until you try it.