Apple Watch 3

The leaks were all true: the Apple Watch 2 has been given an update just a year after launch, but with only a minimal set of changes.

The new device isn't a huge upgrade on the previous iteration by any means, but it does come with some useful updates that make it worth checking out – especially if you like to leave your phone at home for whatever reason when you're heading out the door.

It now adds in LTE connectivity, so you'll be able to stay connected on the move, which will make it a better standalone device if you don't fancy lugging a massive handset with you.

Apple Watch 2 LTE release date and price

The original Apple Watch started at $349/£299/AU$499 when it launched, and the Apple Watch 2 upped the prices to $369/£369/AU$529.

The Series 3 starts at $329 if you're satisfied with not having LTE cellular connectivity -  but that kind of misses the point. If you want to ramp it up to include the headline new feature, that soars right up to $399 - the most expensive Apple Watch yet.

Same design

In terms of design, you're not going to see much of a difference between the Apple Watch, Apple Watch 2 and Apple Watch 3 - they're all sticking with the same square formation (so no appearance of the round model we wondered if we might be getting).

This is good news in one way, as it means the band ecosystem won't have to be rebooted to account for the altered format - there's nothing worse than a fragmented accessories marketplace.

Actually, check that - there's loads worse in life. Maybe we'll call this just a little irritating.

There's another slight design change: the digital crown now has a red dot on the top, marking out that you're using the latest of Apple's timepieces. We saw this on Tim Cook's wrist a couple of years ago, so it's clearly something Apple's been thinking about using for a while.

The screen is the same, the shape the same, the band connector the same - it's impressive that Apple has managed to lump in so much tech without increasing the thickness from the Apple Watch 2, but some design upgrades would have made this feel more than just a slight evolution.

LTE connectivity

The ability to connect your new Apple Watch to the wider connected world without needing to be tethered to your phone is going to be an interesting offering - will enough people take this up?

The way Apple has integrated it into the Watch 2 LTE is neat - there's a toggle in the Control Center to disable data, complications on the watch face will show your signal strength and you'll be able to navigate instantly using the inbuilt GPS.

However, it's going to come at a cost and be a bit confusing depending on your territory - some countries are still getting to grips with offering multiple connections to the same contract, and it's going to cost extra as well.

The LG Watch Sport offered the same thing, and in the US this cost $5 to $10 per month... that's a fairly large extra outlay for a standalone device, so we assume Apple will put this Watch available on contract.

There's another slight upgrade in that there's an altimeter in the mix as well now, which means the Watch 3 can tell when you're heading up and down stairs more effectively - although that's something rivals have had for a while, so this is just tidying up.

Apparently some snowboarding apps will be coming to make use of it soon - with Apple's cachet it will be inte

Will that be enough to make people want to upgrade to the new Watch? Being able to go for a run and be connected and able to navigate without the iPhone is cool (and especially as you can stream Apple Music on the go, which is a really nifty upgrade) but it's an added expense that some may baulk at.

Especially if they're also buying the expensive iPhone X...

Apple Watch 3 vs Apple Watch 2

There's so little between these two watches, that it's hard to see what's really different beyond the cellular connectivity.

The Apple Watch 3 has a red dot on the crown to mark out that it has the extra connectivity, and is a fraction of a millimeter thicker to pack in all the extra tech - again, an impressive move.

Beyond that, it's the same accelerometer, GPS, OLED display mix that we've got on the strong Apple Watch 3 - you really can't tell the difference beyond the dot.

It does have an improved processor and can run that much faster though - and we'd expect battery life to be a little better when we get running (without cellular connectivity though).

Siri can also speak to you on the new Apple Watch, through the same speaker you can make calls on - but we couldn't get that to work in our demo.

Early verdict

The Apple Watch 3 LTE delivers is a really minimal upgrade in that it essentially just adds in connectivity to its latest wearable.

Overall this is an incremental upgrade over the Apple Watch 2, and only really something to check out if you want to have a real standalone device without the heft of a phone wedged to your arm or in your pocket when you're exercising. 

If you're not that bothered about being connected wherever you are - or don't want to pay extra for the capability - you might want to look at with the previous iteration.

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