The Apple Watch Series 3 breaks free from the iPhone with wrist-based phone calls

Like a teenager itching to move out of their family digs, the Apple Watch has been trying to break free from the iPhone for a while. Well, now it has. The Apple Watch Series 3 with cellular has built-in LTE, which means you can stream Apple Music, make phone calls and get map directions. How so? It’ll come with an eSIM, initially only available from EE in the UK, which will share the same phone number as your iPhone. Thanks to a new dual core processor, the Series 3 will apparently be 70% zippier than its predecessor, while a new W2 wireless chip means it apparently keeps its 18 hour battery life. It hasn’t turned into a wrist-based walkie talkie either, with the case the same size as the Series 2. Prepare to start talking to your wrist from September 22, when you’ll be able to snap one up for $399 (for the Series 3 with cellular) or $329/ for the Wi-Fi only Series 3. Uk prices start from £329.

Mark Wilson Features editor

About

Mark's first review for Stuff was the Nokia N-Gage in 2004. Luckily, his career lasted a little longer than the taco phone, and he's been trying to figure out how gadgets fit back into their boxes ever since. While his 'Extreme Mark Wilson' persona was retired following a Microsoft skydiving incident, this means he can often be spotted in the wilds of South West London testing action cams, drones and smartwatches, and occasionally cursing at them.

Areas of expertise

Smart home tech, cameras, wearables and obscure gadgets from the early 2000s.