LTE Apple watch support and plan

[Jay_Starks]

Any idea on when the new Lte Apple watch will be supported on the Rogers network? If it is supported what would be the price plan? 

***Added Labels***

[DrWag]

Well said gustav!!

[danheb]

K33N3R you remembered wrong. Back in 2009 Rogers didn’t have any exclusivity with Apple Rogers had the only GSM cellular network in Canada big difference Bell and Telus had CDMA networks!!

Thanks to the 2010 olympics Bell and Telus were on a rush to deploy their new GSM networks to be able to offer a cellular solution to all the tourists that we coming in Canada back in 2010 less than 20% on the planet used CDMA network inclunding China. For the Apple watch series 3 there is no exclusivity only Rogers network that doesn’t support eSim and can’t asign a single phone number on two different devices and that is how the Apple Watch Series 3 is all about.

Apple finally supported the CDMA technology with the iPhone 4S for China.

the only exclusivity deal was in the USA with AT&T old grudge between Apple and Sprint and Verizon for not wnting to get the iPhone from the start.

[pvwatson]

I have bought an Apple Watch with LTE. GUESS I'll have to switch to Bell. Unfortunately.

[honorkeles]

Tech savvy customers are the ones who promote all the new technology comes to the market and other follows because tech savvy customers are talking about new tech wherever they go. It will be really unfortunate for Rogers if these customers start switching to other provider. I hope they will have an announcement about this matter soon.

[zerbug]

Just talked to Bell customer service.

Bell will have apple watch 3 support exclusively for 6 months.

that been said, Telus will be providing this support after 6 months.

Rogers I assume will be after Telus .

I think by next June or July, we can expect Rogers to support apple watch 3.

If that is the case, many people will just wait for apple watch 4.

[Meowmix]

Hello @zerbug

I just called and was told the same thing via Manager ( 2 of them actually). This makes sense as of why Telus has only said they would carry it but never released and date and keep saying ( information coming soon) instead.

So i was correct on Bell having some sort of exclusive deal to get it before anyone else and thus why Rogers hasn't really announced it.

Rogers could have posted up a page saying they will support it like Telus has but remember after so long of saying the same thing, customers would get upset. So they just thought it of saying nothing could be better as once that deal is over, they could announce it or near that deal.

Makes sense but something should be said.

[danheb]

If you go on the Apple website you'll see under the list of provider Telus "coming later this year" from end of September til December it's less than 3 months. It is on Bell advantage to tell you they have a 6 months exclusivity since they want your business now they don't want you to wait but according to tech support from Telus level 3 it's a required update to support eSim and a configuration to support multiple Sim card pointing toward a unique phone number. A cellular provider usually rings only one cellular tower, "the last with which your device has perform the handshake "synchronisation" but with the new Apple watch series 3 it might needs to ring 2 towers if you don't have your cellular or watch with you for each call, sms, emails etc..

[danheb]

Hey Guys,
Stop refering to candian Carriers, refer to the Apple website they are the better place person for reference in this matter. Do you think Apple would mentioned on their website a lie such as this under Telus "coming later this year" if they knew they had an exclusivity agreement with any carriers?

[zerbug]

Telus does not matter here.
If people wants watch phone now, they switch Bell; otherwise, they stay with Rogers.

I wish Apple's website mentioned Rogers somewhere.

[Staveros]

I have to agree! @Meowmix has mentioned this already, but the ideal circumstances would call for communication and transparency, regardless of current circumstances for other carriers. I will also say, I still very much doubt that Bell has exclusivity for this device. If I'm wrong, then as mentioned, I would bet that the issue is the ability to support eSIM. 

I'm on the verge of buying, but because I'm on a corporate contract, I can't change providers. It would be in the hopes that it was coming soon and not next year where I would wait for the next generation to arrive (4?). Its also in Apples best interest to have Rogers on board. For those who won't switch over (there will be many) that might be a lost sale on this iteration. That makes for some tough forecasting for the following iterations provided they continue to support LTE. 

All in all, I'm going to sit tight for now and hope for the best.

[Meowmix]

Hello @Staveros

Agreed. Instead of saying "at the moment we won't be getting it as we are Paying attention to the new iPhones"

They should have said " at this moment we won't be getting the new Apple watch 3 but rest assured that we will be getting it in the near future and it will be supported"

I think if they would have said that or something similar, it would have helped here.

[danheb]

My point of view on this,

Even if Rogers doesn't confirm anything for the time being and tries to stay focus on the upcoming iPhone 8/ plus and iPhone X... it might not work on their advantage.

Why would a customer wanting to get an Apple watch series 3 with LTE upgrade to the newesr iPhone if it wants to jump ship from Rogers?

This status quo is not even good for Rogers who's trying to keep its head in the sand.

The worst thing Rogers can do at this moment is not to make any decision, it leave its customers hanging until they get fed up and make their own decision based on Rogers inertia, I am not sure that this is the situation Rogers should be entertaining right now. Technologies are evolving rapidily and right now Rogers is only showing it can't keep up as the others. 

The only bad decision Is no decision, but please no more of the we'll see later when our portfolio is updated, Rogers is still offering the Huawei GR5, Blackberry Dtek50, LG G4....it's time to get ahead instead of only trying to follow

[lovepup_98]

Competitor leapfrogs Rogers in wireless technology by adding support the new Apple Watch LTE!  What a terrible decision.  Even when wifi calling was announced, it took Rogers a full year to fully implement to extend support to unlocked phones bought from Apple!  Sad.

[Open_Mobile]

Agree with others that the eSIM provisioning is likely why Rogers is holding off - both the Rogers and Fido networks have VoLTE support, so that isn't the hurdle.

Could also be that they're running a little congested at some of their base stations and a little leery about the additional sessions all of these watches are going to eat up.

Could also be they need to do some updates to their switches to support dual IMSI (SIM) per number.

(that last one would strike me as funny...considering MCI had MCI One back in the early 2000's. 🙂

In the case of Telus - could also be that they need to upgrade their networks in SK and MB to support VoLTE (are Bell and Telus not still sharing each others regional networks? - Bell it the east, Telus in the west?)

Any one of those could be Telus' delay as well.

Oh (and, yes, I'm planning on getting one - I'm on Fido), people might want to exercise some patience - the AW3 only has one hour of talk time - you may want others to be the one's finding the pain points before running out and buying one of these. 🙂

[Ziggy-BB]

I don't want to leave Rogers, we have Corporate and Small Business Plans with them but I am desperate for new cellular iWatch! Crazy thinking but could you get data plan from Bell for watch and then maybe forward your Rogers phone to that number if you were not in range of your phone?  Use the watch with wifi when within range of your phone? I am not super techy but just curious if there is some solution to use temporarily until Rogers supports the product.  Thanks!

[Open_Mobile]

All Apple Watches support Wifi calling (since WatchOS 2.0), so if your corporate plan supports wifi calling, you still can do that with the AW3 until Rogers/Fido have support for them (presumably next year).

What you're talking about is lighting up a new iPhone and Watch on Bell and forwarding your Rogers cell number to that Bell number.  Possible, sure, but pretty . expensive paying for two phones.

You just might want to wait and see what the pain points are for this new watch before investing.

[jleung]

If I want to get the Watch now with hope that Rogers will come around to supporting it in the next couple of months, do I just go to Rogers and enable that service when it is available?  I'm not familiar with eSIMs and how they work.

[Open_Mobile]

Rogers doesn't currently support the Apple Watch.  It's looking like it may be next year before they do.

You could get the watch now and gamble on when they'll allow you to activate it....  (me, I'm waiting until they do).

That way you also get to see what others experiences are with the Apple Watch 3 and be able to make a more informed purchase decision.

[Meowmix]

Hello @jleung

At the moment Rogers doesn't support the Apple Watch 3. They did state they will look in their "portfolio" later on but at the moment no.

You could buy it and gable on if they will activate it later on and u can use it but that's your choice of course.

Most likely they will but it will be either by the end of the year or sometime next year. Unfortunately no one knows that answer either.

[burrowes]

That kind of mentality that switching over a watch is some what ill concived, is what will lead to the down fall of Rogers.

Yes , I would switch too, I would switch for less. We live in an instant gratification world, and corporations are starting to get that, we want what we want now.

I am giving rogers till the release of the X, then i will switch if no support for the Appple watch 3 is offered.

[Meowmix]

Hello @burrowes

To be honest I don't see them saying anything until after that launch. If the Bell exclusive is correct even for 3 months, Rogers will most likely say something after that.

It sucks they are saying they won't add it but add the 3 iPhones. Many want the service and watch.

We shall see.