Explain something to me

[DukesNet]

Hiya, just need something explained as thanks to been dyslexic (always helpful), what I was reading on the Apple Support page didn't make sense to me:

So, I'm looking at buying an Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular) and what I can gather from the support document is that as long as when my watch is either connected to my iPhone or my WiFi, Cellular is turned off but if I go for a walk with my Husband and leave my phone at home, Cellular kicks in and then kicks off when I arrive back home and the watch either picks up on the WiFi or my iPhone

Also with replying standard text messages when away from my phone, from what I can understand: The iPhone is used as a bridge, the watch sends a standard text to the iPhone and then the iPhone properly sends it, even though I'm 5mi away from my iPhone?

Sorry if I'm not been clear, I'm just really confused over this and hope someone can help!

Thanks again!

 

[Vermifuge]

You pretty much nailed it. For example, if your phone is off standard text messages will not be sent for the apple watch (though imessages will always work.) The Apple watch will try and use WiFi whenever possible, if its not near your phone.

 

[Newtons Apple]

Yep, that is the way it is supposed to work. Mine did not transition as smoothly at times

 

[iamasmith]

If the phone is switched on then think of the cellular as an alternative to the Wifi for the Watch. The Watch has a relationship to the iPhone over a network and that can be extended by the watch being on a wifi network where it can reach Apple as a location service and the iPhone performing the actual service.
Beyond that the Watch has some autonomous features it can do without being able to reach the iPhone such as being able to take calls on the iPhone number, perform data related things such as maps and streaming music etc.

 

[BarracksSi]

For this part:

Also with replying standard text messages when away from my phone, from what I can understand: The iPhone is used as a bridge, the watch sends a standard text to the iPhone and then the iPhone properly sends it, even though I'm 5mi away from my iPhone?

The way I figure it, the watch and phone are connected over the internet. The watch uses LTE as if it were a data connection, not a phone -- it doesn't have the means to send regular SMS messages to another phone number.

iMessage is computer-to-computer, basically. Sending an iMessage from your laptop is the same as from any other device.

SMS is a cell phone thing that's been around long before 3G wireless data. It needs a cell phone chipset to send and receive messages.

So, the watch sends its iMessage over the internet to your phone. The phone acts as the bridge (as you say), translates the iMessage into SMS, and then sends it over the cellular network.

 

[DukesNet]

Thank you all for your replies, glad to know that I was able to decode what they were trying to say, they need to make there support documents much more clearer!