How come my coworkers don’t have cellular set up on their Apple Watches nor are they connected to a WiFi connection, yet, their watches work anywhere in the building and mine doesn’t? Could it be their cellphone provider? Or a setting in my phone?
Apple Watch Series 5, watchOS 6
If you mean your friends have not contracted with their iPhone carrier to activate the cellular features, then they would be using their cellular Apple Watch as if it was a GPS only model.
If they have activated cellular and are paying their iPhone carrier a monthly fee for the service (say something like $10 per month), then they can be on cellular when away from their iPhone.
If both the iPhone and the Apple Watch are on the same WiFi network, it is possible for them to stay in touch via WiFi.
Bluetooth Connection to iPhone
WiFi connection (iPhone may or may not be in the picture)
Cellular Connection
Since you have GPS only model you will not have the cellular icon
Now check your Apple Watch and your Friends when you say they are connected and you are not.
Also a lot would depend on the location of their iPhone and their body when across the store vs your iPhone and body.
If your locker or where every you keep your iPhone has more metal, water (like hot water heater), and other objects between you and your iPhone that do not exist for your friends, that can affect their Bluetooth connections vs yours.
Also older Apple Watches older Bluetooth chips that are less range capable than newer Apple Watch.
Older iPhones have Bluetooth chips that are less range capable than newer iPhones.
If they have newer equipment, they may have better Bluetooth chips that give better range.
When dealing with radio signals there are many MANY factors that affect performance.
If you mean your friends have not contracted with their iPhone carrier to activate the cellular features, then they would be using their cellular Apple Watch as if it was a GPS only model.
If they have activated cellular and are paying their iPhone carrier a monthly fee for the service (say something like $10 per month), then they can be on cellular when away from their iPhone.
If both the iPhone and the Apple Watch are on the same WiFi network, it is possible for them to stay in touch via WiFi.
Bluetooth Connection to iPhone
WiFi connection (iPhone may or may not be in the picture)
Cellular Connection
Since you have GPS only model you will not have the cellular icon
Now check your Apple Watch and your Friends when you say they are connected and you are not.
Also a lot would depend on the location of their iPhone and their body when across the store vs your iPhone and body.
If your locker or where every you keep your iPhone has more metal, water (like hot water heater), and other objects between you and your iPhone that do not exist for your friends, that can affect their Bluetooth connections vs yours.
Also older Apple Watches older Bluetooth chips that are less range capable than newer Apple Watch.
Older iPhones have Bluetooth chips that are less range capable than newer iPhones.
If they have newer equipment, they may have better Bluetooth chips that give better range.
When dealing with radio signals there are many MANY factors that affect performance.
How do you know they aren't connected to the building's wi-fi?
Watches connect to any wi-fi network that your iPhone has connected to, even without the iPhone.
ASC - Late 2012 Mac mini, macOS 10.15.2; Watch, series 5 GPS/cellular, watchOS 6.1.1; iPad Air 2, ipadOS 13.3; iPhone 8+, iOS 13.3; TV 4th Gen, tvOS 12.4.1; HomePods, audioOS 13.3 and Airport Express w/ Airplay 2
Yes it could be their carrier.
For example, in my building Verizon has difficulty connecting to anyone's cellular phone, but T-Mobile users have a very good connection.
It all depends on how close the cellular carrier's nearest cell tower is to your building, and how strong a signal your carrier is sending out from that tower. For example if the carrier has lots of towers near each other, they use less power from each tower so each tower does not overpower the neighboring tower. If the carrier has fewer towers, they tend to use a stronger signal.
Some buildings contract with a carrier to install a repeater in their building. Users of that carrier get a good signal in the building.
Turns out, it is the cellphone provider my coworkers whose watches work anywhere in the store have T-Mobile while me and my friends watches only works in certain spots and we have AT&T.
Because they literally showed me that they weren’t connected to the WiFi the WiFi in our building suuucks and no one ever uses it. I tried connecting my Apple Watch to the buildings WiFi and it said it was connected but when I was away from my phones Bluetooth it wouldn’t even work but still said connected, that’s how bad our WiFi is.
But what I’m not understanding is doesnt the Apple Watch’s Bluetooth only reach up to 100 feet when not connected to WiFi? My coworkers have the one with cellular and I don’t BUT none of them actually have the cellular activated but they’re able to leave the break room and go across the store and it still works. Does the cellular version use your lte as long as your phone is in the building even if you don’t have cellular activated?
Apple Watch connection
