Hi,
My iPhone is currently with Boost prepaid (and will valid until December 2024).
I'm planning to buy an apple watch LTE for my kid (as he wanted to be more 'independent' going to school and I wanted to make sure to be 'future-proof' and easier to manage through Apple).
I noticed betterroaming has an esim plan for apple watch, and the process relatively easy.
I'd like to hear opinion from ozb, has anyone done this before? activating esim for Apple watch in Australia.
Thank you in advance!
Thanks for your reply. Since you mentioned Truphone, I’ve decided to check them out.
Interesting that apple website also talks about them, not even mention Optus or Telstra
The Truphone website seems to redirect to BetterRoaming for me. Must be a rebrand or something.
Ah right you are - that's a shame :)
this is new, gonna follow
Apple is a PITA for LTE. The watch will only work in family mode with this plan, so you miss a lot of features.
https://www.theverge.com/21518711/apple-watch-family-setup-t…
Consider getting an Android watch. You can use any eSIM, so only costs around $10/year, and it puts no limits on the features.
I read the Verge article… apart from some features like fall detection and ecg monitoring below a certain age, what things are you really missing out on ?
The article author was mostly complaining about COVID lockdown restrictions and impacts on usage from what I could see ?
Yes an android watch is much cheaper, but I was under the impression the battery life is generally pretty bad ?
I forget why, but looked at Truphone some years ago, and too many limits.
No apple pay? And of course Apple never allows 3rd party payment apps.
You cannot link it to your phone, which removes a lot of functions. Works for a kid who does not have a phone, I guess.
I have added some credit to my Apple account and can see it (credit) in my Wallet on my Family member watch
@bargaino: yes, you are correct - apple credit works this way (contactless via watch) only in an apple store, i was told by an apple consultant. to check a battery on my watch they needed a phone my "family" watch was paired to. when I was unpairing it from my family organiser's phone, there was an option to keep mobile plan. Surprisingly, after pairing to my phone (without sim!) I have all functionality on my watch, plus mobile data and number from BetterRoaming. Credit cards, etc - all works. And I am using another iphone with a sim, of course. Do not think I might even need it (phone with a sim) really except some authentication apps and mygov.
@domarr20: I tried this, it worked in family sharing mode and then after reseting it (keeping sim) and after pairing it to my iphone it just says that the sim is not in use, I wonder how i can use it
Yep I considered an Apple Watch with Cellular for my grandma. She doesn't use a phone, so it would be useful for fall detection and tracking health, etc.
Turns out Family Setup for Apple Watch is so nerfed that half the health features of the watch are unavailable, but it's the only way they allow you to set up a separate mobile service for the watch. It's so dumb, you're better off just getting them a phone.
A big problem with using any watch for fall detection and emergency calls is that they need to charge it every night.
Google Home mini or equivalent is a cheap way to provide emergency calls. They have very sensitive directional mic's, so 2 or 3 can cover a home. Works in theory, but when the elderly fall, they typically forget about their call buttons.
There's no issue with charging it once a day. The Apple Watches with fast charge basically just need to be put on the charger while you're in the shower and doing your night routine before bed. The point of the fall detection is so family can be notified even if she's out, so ideally it needs to be something that she has with her.
The point of Family Setup on Apple Watch is specifically to enable either older or younger family members to have an Apple Watch without needing a phone, you'd think a primary use case for that would be to monitor their health metrics as well, but nope, health sharing is unavailable in Family Setup lol.
I purchased an apple watch for our kid expecting functionality to just upload an esim, which clearly wasn't the case as we all use prepaid at home. The idea was to not give the kid a phone, thankfully saved by better roaming - took about 5 mins for the sign up and setting up. It was actually pretty easy, I do think their $99 per year plan is quite okay, comes with data, calls and it's own phone number.
Yea, same thing with us!
The whole family is using prepaid and Better Roaming is the only one that can accommodate giving apple watch to the kid (without phone attached to it).
Is this the first non-Truphone MVNO eSIM for Apple Watch in Aus ??
I guess it would depend on who they are using for the network… can’t see any details on their website
Truphone is Vodafone and I read a lot of complaints about watches having poor coverage with their eSIM…