Does the paired iPhone have to be on to use the Watch 3 cellular for phone calls out?

Yes, I am familiar with the reference that you provided me. Thank you. Before opening the Edition Watch 3 box, I wanted to be sure that it will fulfill my needs. I just want to wear the Watch 3 (GPS + LTE Cellular) in order to make and receive calls in and around my S.F. Bay Area home town (and let my son use the iPhone 6) and I had read conflicting answers to this question. I can achieve Sprint cellular almost everywhere around here (or home wifi service), so it should not matter what the iPhone 6 status is. Apple statements say that you can leave your phone at home, but do not say whether the phone has to be powered on or whether the cellular setting has to be activated. The salesman at Best Buy assured me that it will work regardless of the iPhone's status, if I have a Sprint cellular connection. The YouTube videos that I watched are supportive evidence too. Thank you for helping me.

Thank you for responding, Phil. I don't use my phone for work or socializing. My story is that I have grown tired of the inconvenience of wearing a fanny pack to carry around my iPhone 4S for emergency phone calls (for $25/month). I would prefer to wear a watch that is a phone (for $10/month). I don't care whether my son can receive my calls on the iPhone 6 paired with my Edition Watch 3 (GPS + Cellular). And I am not going to change my iPhone service carrier. I will be able to reconnect to the iPhone several times each day at home, which will update my Watch 3 adequately. When my son goes to school, he is required to turn off the ringer on the iPhone. The question is whether or not the paired iPhone needs to be turned on with a charged up battery in order for the Watch 3 to make and receive calls? Does the paired iPhone have to have cellular activated in order for the Watch 3 to make and receive calls? In my situation, my son can take and use the iPhone 6 and I can wear the Watch 3 (or visa versa). In that sense, the units CAN operate as stand-alone phones. Consumers like me should be told whether or not it matters what settings and functionality are on the iPhone because I just want to always be able to make and receive phone calls on my Watch 3 in case of an emergency. Cellular connectivity is not a problem because connectivity is pervasive in the San Francisco East Bay Area. Many people will be interested in whether the Watch 3 can be shared in this way. But Apple just says that you can be "away from" your iPhone. I have heard conflicting and non-responsive answers to this simple, relevant question. A clear answer should be available to shoppers.

The answer is clearly stated. My son already had the iPhone 6 ($40/month) and I will terminate my iPhone 4S ($25/month) and just use the Watch 3 ($10/month) paired with his phone for emergencies. I will leave the Sprint cellular service turned off almost all of the time. Around my home, the WiFi will keep my watch phone operating. When I go windsurfing at the Sacramento River Delta, I can turn the cellular on at my car to check for messages, which will save the battery. Obviously, not everyone wants such a minimal, life-line phone on their wrist, but I do. Anyone who is like me now knows that they can finally have it.