Apple Watch Ultra 2 days sms text

[Lee975]

Can anybody help because I just can’t get a straight answer from the EE shop on chat or on phone calls? I’m going to purchase an Apple Watch or two and a series 10 for a friend tomorrow. I have friends on Vodafone and O2 and found out on the cellular plans they cannot send or receive SMS Unless the phone was with them. These two phone companies say their data plan for the watch doesn’t include Txt which doesn’t make any sense. What’s the point of buying a watch? Have you got to take your phone with you? Can anybody from EE? Let me know if I get a plan with you For the watch, can I send and receive SMS text when my phone isn’t present? I do not mean iMessage I mean SMS text.

[Lee975]

Can anybody help because I just can’t get a straight answer from the EE shop on chat or on phone calls? I’m going to purchase an Apple Watch or two and a series 10 for a friend tomorrow. I have friends on Vodafone and O2 and found out on the cellular plans they cannot send or receive SMS Unless the phone was with them. These two phone companies say their data plan for the watch doesn’t include Txt which doesn’t make any sense. What’s the point of buying a watch? Have you got to take your phone with you? Can anybody from EE? Let me know if I get a plan with you For the watch, can I send and receive SMS text when my phone isn’t present? I do not mean iMessage I mean SMS text.

[Matt_124]

Hi @Lee975 

I believe you may have asked a similar question on other network providers' fora too (although under a different name but with the same last 3 numbers on your username).

The EE page for the Apple Watch Ultra 2 states this: (image will need to be approved by a moderator first)

It does need to be linked to an EE Pay Monthly Plan and will use the minutes and texts included on this plan. This does not mean the phone has to be physically with you.

The issue with other providers may have been with the watch dropping down to 3G and 2G, causing decreased performance. With EE 4G is typically the base coverage layer with 3G being no longer available and 4G coverage has surpassed 2G in most areas.

If making the purchase online, you will have a 14 day change of mind period to return it from the day you receive the product.

This is a user discussion forum with little EE Employee presence outside of a small moderation and community support team, so is not the correct avenue if you want a response directly from EE.

[Lee975]

Hi, thanks for your reply. No idea what you’re on about. Another forum or other provider that wouldn’t make sense so I’m a bit lost what you mean by that. I actually went into O2 shop today and found out that if you buy a data plan that it’s correct you cannot text on it if you’re away from your phone only when you’re with your phone. As for Vodafone my friends going tomorrow so I’ll find out with that one. I asked with EE because I don’t wanna buy the watches and have the problems I’m hearing from other people. Thanks for your answer. Well appreciated.

[Chris_B]

@Lee975  from EE you can text from the watch and the phone doesn’t need to get with you.    you can also make calls and again the phone doesn’t need to be with you.   You can also send iMessage and RCS messages. 

I should know I’ve got an Apple cellular watch and I do this.     

[Lee975]

Hi

thanks very much for that. I’ve just had my mate pop round and he actually gone with Vodafone and I don’t understand it because according to Apple they’re saying that all the phone company’s do it but it seems that Vodafone and O2 their data plan you can’t send text  if you’re away from your phone only iMessage but if you’re saying hundred percent with EE that I can send and receive text with the data plan that’s fantastic thank you so much I’m unsure what RCS actually is, but thanks again very much appreciated

[Chris_B]

@Lee975  RCS is basically Androids equivalent of iMessage but it’s available to iPhone users to send messages to other RCS users via data.  

Let me test this right now, hold on for a moment 

[Chris_B]

@Lee975  Just sent a text to an Android user from my watch.    I switched off WiFi and Bluetooth on my phone and even put it in to airplane mode to make sure it wasn’t connected to my watch.      I then text and received a text from the person I texted all on my watch.    No phone was involved in this text exchange.    

So that’s a big yes you can send and receive texts on the watch without the phone being with you.  

( this was a text not a RCS message) 

[Lee975]

Thanks for both replies that’s great. I’ll pop down the shop tomorrow and get it sorted. I just can’t understand why O2 and Vodafone are selling data plans but you can’t text if you’re away from the phone. You can only iMessage which doesn’t seem to make sense but thanks for your help very much appreciated. 

[Rach_H]

Hi @Lee975 

Welcome to the Community!

We do have a couple of different options for Apple Watch plans, and we want to find the plan that works best for you. 

Our Personal Paired plan allows you to receive calls and texts when you are using your watch away from your phone, and does need to be set up on the same account the phone you're linking to is on.

Our Family Sharing plan doesn't give you the option to use calls and texts on your watch when it is away from your phone, but can be added to any account.

Rach