Can a smartwatch replace your mobile phone?

If people around are giving you weird smiles when you’re in a phone call, you’re probably using your smartwatch with eSIM. That's what I experienced the other day when I was forced to make a call in the dressing room of my dance studio and was talking at my watch. This must have looked pretty weird, as everyone looked at me and smiled.

Before this physical SIM card was invented, smartphone features were limited, as it’s this chip that allows access to the internet. eSIM, a built-in card that uses your mobile phone number and the data volume of your SIM card, allows wearables such as the Apple Watch Series 4 to access the internet. This means, you can text and call anyone at any time with your smartwatch – even if your mobile phone isn’t within reach. I just have to test this function. I am an iPhone user, so I’m using an Apple Watch (the minimum requirement is iPhone 6 and iOS 12) for this eSIM experiment. Let's see if I’m going to – or even want to – go without a mobile phone in the future.

Phone calls

The Apple Watch Series 4 includes mobile telephony – this only works with an additional subscription – so you can make and receive calls even if you left your iPhone at home (on purpose). Yes, there are situations in which I prefer to leave my mobile phone at home or just don't have it handy:

• in the gym during a group workout
• when floating down the river in a dinghy
• in the water at the outdoor swimming pool
• when carrying heavy shopping bags
• while skiing

During a telephone conversation with my editorial colleague Raphael Knecht, who’s also using the eSIM function with an Apple Watch, I’m amazed at how clearly I hear his voice. There's hardly any echo. This is made possible by the microphone, which in the fourth generation is now built into the opposite side of the watch.

If you don’t feel comfortable making phone calls in the public via speakers, this watch is easily paired with your Airpods. The sound quality is almost as good – and you don’t have to talk at your watch.

During the test week, I often asked myself whether I really needed a watch to make a phone call. Sure, the feature isn’t a must, but I found it very handy, especially in situations where I had no hands free – when I was carrying heavy shopping bags or walking my dog, for instance. To get back to the story I started off with: Last week, I had a little incident in my apartment, so I was expecting an important call from my landlord. Surely enough, he contacted me during my dance training. As my mobile phone was stowed away in the locker, my smartphone rang. I sneaked out of the dance studio to answer. Without my Apple Watch, I would have missed the call before the long weekend. The looks the other gym-goers gave me were priceless.

Texting

It sounds simple in theory but turns out not to be: writing short messages works fine, but is tedious. That's why I almost only sent Emojis and preset replies. I found the messaging function handy when I was in a situation where I didn't actually have time. A business meeting, for example. With my smartwatch, I could sneak in a quick answer to important questions without anyone noticing.

There are several ways to compose messages: either scribble your own message onto the display and it's converted into text or use the voice message function, which sends a text or a voice message to the recipient depending on the setting. If you're lazy, you can also ask Siri to send someone a message that you dictate to her. But if you're doing so in German, make sure to speak High German. Siri doesn't speak Swiss German (yet).

I use WhatsApp, so I had to download an extra app for the watch.Watch Chat 2 costs three francs. It allows me to send and write WhatsApp messages. Without the app, you can only receive messages on your Apple Watch. The software isn’t super fast but works quite well. Better than nothing. However, the app only works if I have my iPhone with me – which prompts the question whether it’s worth paying for «Watch Chat 2». But it's a good compromise.

Shopping

In my opinion, the payment process has never been so fast. With Apple Pay, all you need to do is hold your Smartwatch to the reader at the checkout to pay with your pre-stored debit or credit card. No PIN code is required. I find the process almost too fast – I'm not a fan of contactless payment. But it does keep you from having to go digging into your pocket for your wallet. In some situations, it came in rather handy that paying was so easy and quick: it let me buy a ticket and get to the right track within two minutes before my train left. This wouldn't have been possible without Apple Pay.

My highlight

I found the smartwatch with mobile function particularly practical in summer to float down the river in an inflatable boat. It allowed me to leave my iPhone and wallet at home and still be there if someone needed to contact me. I took the train for a part of the way, so I have stored my train ticket and my Swisspass in the Wallet app and had it there with me all the time. The same goes for my credit card.
But be careful in the water, as the Apple Watch is only suitable for swimming in shallow waters. You'll need a diving watch if you want to go deeper down. According to the manufacturer, you shouldn't use it for water skiing or other water activities at high speed either.

My lowlight

Although I'm a fan of Apple products, I don't take to Apple Music. For me, Spotify is the holy grail of music streaming. With the app and my Airpods, Spotify works well on my smartwatch, but only as long as I'm carrying my iPhone with me. It's definitely an advantage to be an Apple Music user if you have an Apple Watch, as this allows you to access over 50 million songs and various podcasts right from your wrist.

Verdict

In my opinion, the concept sounds promising, but isn't quite there yet. When I'm on the road, I depend on apps such as Spotify and WhatsApp. Unfortunately, these only work if I carry my iPhone with me. Having said that, as soon as this problem is solved, I will be one of the first people to get an Apple Watch. Making phone calls works a treat and so does texting, even though it takes a bit more time than I'd like it to. The messaging function is especially handy if you want to send a short message during a meeting without anyone noticing. However, make sure not to look at your smartwatch too often, as this might seem like you're not listening. This is especially rude when you're talking to someone in private.