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i was wondering recently if i could ditch my iPhone for (just) an Apple Watch. i know i can't fully ditch it (an Apple Watch needs an iPhone for management). bu

by dfee 2mo ago

i was wondering recently if i could ditch my iPhone for (just) an Apple Watch. i know i can't fully ditch it (an Apple Watch needs an iPhone for management). but, i'm curious about the concept nonetheless: what would it be like to ditch a smartphone for a smartwatch?

hnlmorg 2mo ago
I have a friend who misplaced his iPhone for a weekend while away in another country and used his Apple watch eSIM for everything. It wasn’t as convenient as having a phone but it was still far far better than being without anything entirely.
- usern20260720 2mo ago
  My eSIM didn’t work abroad innerhalb der EU, where roaming is otherwise seamless and free
shikshake 2mo ago
I tried it a few years ago and it was just annoying enough that I went back to my phone after a couple weeks. If you search online I’m sure you can find write ups from people who tried this out.
Marsymars 2mo ago
Depends what you need to do. I basically only use my phone if I need to do something that can't wait until I'm at a computer. I've got an LTE-enabled Pixel Watch that sometimes I'll wear without my phone. If anyone messages me and I need to talk to them before I get home, I call them from my watch.
semiquaver 2mo ago
An Apple Watch doesn’t need a SIM-enabled iPhone for management. You can just use an old one if you have any laying around, or your current one after you’ve deactivated service on it. Just get a standalone watch plan, something like $80/year from US Mobile or other MVNOs.
- ValentineC 2mo ago
  > You can just use an old one if you have any laying around, or your current one after you’ve deactivated service on it. Just get a standalone watch plan, something like $80/year from US Mobile or other MVNOs. I don't think this is true. It needs to ride alongside a telco eSIM (and only specific ones that support SIM sharing) that's already provisioned on the phone.
  - semiquaver 2mo ago
    Don’t know what to tell you. I am using this as a completely standalone plan: https://www.usmobile.com/apple-watch-cellular-plan https://www.usmobile.com/apple-watch-cellular-plan (see Standalone Plan section)
    - ValentineC 2mo ago
      Ah, it seems like a hack that some telcos are doing to get around the pairing problem. From the page you linked: > Your iPhone and Apple Watch will have different numbers and Apple IDs, but will need to be members of the same iCloud Family. And from this Reddit discussion, it looks like texts won't sync: https://www.reddit.com/r/USMobile/comments/1q8wpie/is_the_standalone_apple_watch_plan_truly/ https://www.reddit.com/r/USMobile/comments/1q8wpie/is_the_st...
      - semiquaver 2mo ago
        I’m not sure what the hack is. The watch is provisioned like a normal eSIM-equipped phone, since that’s what it is. How could SMS messages from different phone numbers sync? That’s the whole point: It is truly standalone. In my case there is no issue whatsoever because the person using the watch has no cell phone (preteen child). For the majority of adults who want the seamless Apple Watch approach where their watch and phone act together contextually, this is not a solution but it works great as a true standalone “phone on your wrist”.

by dfee 2mo ago

hnlmorg 2mo ago

I have a friend who misplaced his iPhone for a weekend while away in another country and used his Apple watch eSIM for everything. It wasn’t as convenient as having a phone but it was still far far better than being without anything entirely.

usern20260720 2mo ago
My eSIM didn’t work abroad innerhalb der EU, where roaming is otherwise seamless and free

shikshake 2mo ago

I tried it a few years ago and it was just annoying enough that I went back to my phone after a couple weeks. If you search online I’m sure you can find write ups from people who tried this out.

Marsymars 2mo ago

Depends what you need to do. I basically only use my phone if I need to do something that can't wait until I'm at a computer. I've got an LTE-enabled Pixel Watch that sometimes I'll wear without my phone. If anyone messages me and I need to talk to them before I get home, I call them from my watch.

semiquaver 2mo ago

An Apple Watch doesn’t need a SIM-enabled iPhone for management. You can just use an old one if you have any laying around, or your current one after you’ve deactivated service on it. Just get a standalone watch plan, something like $80/year from US Mobile or other MVNOs.

ValentineC 2mo ago
> You can just use an old one if you have any laying around, or your current one after you’ve deactivated service on it. Just get a standalone watch plan, something like $80/year from US Mobile or other MVNOs. I don't think this is true. It needs to ride alongside a telco eSIM (and only specific ones that support SIM sharing) that's already provisioned on the phone.
- semiquaver 2mo ago
  Don’t know what to tell you. I am using this as a completely standalone plan: https://www.usmobile.com/apple-watch-cellular-plan https://www.usmobile.com/apple-watch-cellular-plan (see Standalone Plan section)
  - ValentineC 2mo ago
    Ah, it seems like a hack that some telcos are doing to get around the pairing problem. From the page you linked: > Your iPhone and Apple Watch will have different numbers and Apple IDs, but will need to be members of the same iCloud Family. And from this Reddit discussion, it looks like texts won't sync: https://www.reddit.com/r/USMobile/comments/1q8wpie/is_the_standalone_apple_watch_plan_truly/ https://www.reddit.com/r/USMobile/comments/1q8wpie/is_the_st...
    - semiquaver 2mo ago
      I’m not sure what the hack is. The watch is provisioned like a normal eSIM-equipped phone, since that’s what it is. How could SMS messages from different phone numbers sync? That’s the whole point: It is truly standalone. In my case there is no issue whatsoever because the person using the watch has no cell phone (preteen child). For the majority of adults who want the seamless Apple Watch approach where their watch and phone act together contextually, this is not a solution but it works great as a true standalone “phone on your wrist”.