I want to purchase apple watches for a group of children. Some have iPhone but some do not . Is there a watch that doesn't require an iPhone to be useful? If I choose family setup do I still need to pay monthly for a line on the watch ? Is there only certain models that allow this feature ? If I choose to pay for a line does telus in Canada support family setup ?
Apple Watch SE
The Apple Watch MUST have an iPhone 6s or newer associated with it.
This can either be a direct pairing of a GPS only Apple Watch (no extra fees), or a cellular Apple Watch (if activated, has a monthly fee in the U.S. of $10).
OR, the Apple Watch can use the Family Plan, and a Parent's iPhone 6s or newer can be used. In this mode, the Apple Watch must be a cellular model, and it must have a cellular plan that is more expensive than a one-to-one pairing with an iPhone.
Here are the cellular providers that support the Apple Watch, and it does list which providers support Family Sharing.
https://www.apple.com/watch/cellular
You will need to contact the providers to find out just how much each plan will cost.
The Apple Watch MUST have an iPhone 6s or newer associated with it.
This can either be a direct pairing of a GPS only Apple Watch (no extra fees), or a cellular Apple Watch (if activated, has a monthly fee in the U.S. of $10).
OR, the Apple Watch can use the Family Plan, and a Parent's iPhone 6s or newer can be used. In this mode, the Apple Watch must be a cellular model, and it must have a cellular plan that is more expensive than a one-to-one pairing with an iPhone.
Here are the cellular providers that support the Apple Watch, and it does list which providers support Family Sharing.
https://www.apple.com/watch/cellular
You will need to contact the providers to find out just how much each plan will cost.
you have answered many of my questions . do you know if i choose to go with a gps model and the child only borrows an iphone to set up the watch ,will the watch still be useful ? can they still make calls or receive messages?
No. The Apple Watch will then be tied to that iPhone, and will have full access to the owner's emails, messages, phone calls (when in range or via WiFi calling), contacts, etc....
What you suggest is a very bad idea for the security and sanity of the user that allows this to happen.
Family Sharing is the only way to for the child to be isolated from the parent's iPhone.
NOTE: Under Family Sharing, NOT ALL features work, as some of them require a direct one-to-one pairing with an iPhone. And the parent's iPhone has control of the child's Apple Watch.
Tbseb wrote:
also i know for me personally , my kid has an iphone but it is not on a cellular plan , would this work for setup of th watch or does it still need cellular in order to be useful in most ways
In this case, the Apple Watch has to be a GPS only Apple Watch, or if it is a cellular Apple Watch, you will not be able to activate the cellular radio. In a one-to-one pairing, a cellular Apple Watch shares the iPhone's phone number, so if the iPhone does not have a cellular plan that supports the Apple Watch, there is no phone number to share.
But other features will work. Messages when on WiFi, or Bluetooth connected to the iPhone, FaceTime audio, Walkie-Talkie, email, exercise tracking, weather on the Apple Watch, it will tell the time & date, etc...
also i know for me personally , my kid has an iphone but it is not on a cellular plan , would this work for setup of th watch or does it still need cellular in order to be useful in most ways
thank you so much for all your help
Apple watch
