Can I use an Apple Watch Cellular on sky mobile without my iPhone?

[Fuzzy75]

Myself and my family all have iPhones on sky mobile. I want to get an Apple Watch that I can use with mobile data when I don't have my mobile with me. I can buy an Apple Watch 9 through sky but I'm not convinced that sky support the necessary sim for the watch. Can anyone confirm this? If sky don't support this are there any other options for the watch but keep my sky mobile iPhones? Or do we know when sky will support the Apple Watch cellular functionality?

[63johnw · Accepted solution]

Hi @Fuzzy75  sky dont currently support esims in smart watches. They also only currently sell the GPS version of the Apple Watch, not the cellular one. They have not indicated when this will change. 

[Fuzzy75]

Thanks, that's what I suspected. They sales guy at Sky said that cellular would work on the watch so glad that I checked. I wonder if I can get a cellular Apple Watch from another mobile provider and keep my iPhone with sky. Any advice?

[63johnw]

Hi @Fuzzy75  from Apple. 
 

"Your iPhone and Apple Watch must use the same network provider,* and you must be within your provider’s network when you set up mobile on your watch."

[Fuzzy75]

Thank you again. I'll wait either until sky implements eSIMs or my contracts end. 

[Aga1985]

Any news on sky planning to support iWatch cellular?

[Daniel0210]

@Aga1985 

Not yet.

https://www.sky.com/help/articles/esim-sky-mobile 

[AdrianE]

Seems daft that Sky don't support Apple Watch eSIMs when the O2 network it sits on does - presume it's a contractual issue, rather than an infrastructure limitation?  Am currently looking to move x3 SIM only contracts away from Sky, as one family member already has a Watch that doesn't work, and I'm looking at buying one too.

[Daniel0210]

@AdrianE 

We don't know why it's not supported at the moment. We can only go by what is explained in the link posted above. 

[Aga1985]

yes, indeedy. Looking at watches for my husband and thinking about cellular function as I know he would want to use his watch without having to bring watch everywhere he goes. I might save myself £100 on the watch by not taking that feature as it seems Sky is not in a hurry to get it. It does seem like Sky might loose on it as more and more pp will be using watches especially when they want to do sports and not take the phone with. I was on the phone to Apple today and the person who I spoke to advised that if Sky is not looking to provide that service, if your phone has a function of dual card (which my husband's does) you can get another card from a different provider who supports that feature. But it just doesnt make sense to have another account with different provider just so he can use the watch... and using sky is convenient as TV/Broadband/2 phoes are in one place

[AdrianE]

Our current Sky SIM only deal is £7/month, rising to £8 from next month, for 3GB. We have 3 of them. Vodafone is more - £10 but you get 100GB of data, and £3 off home broadband (which we've moved to them as full fibre was cheaper). So moving one is cost neutral, given Vodafone will inevitably increase their prices in April 

[ollymoran]

sky are doing seperate tarrifs for iwatch.  you dont have to buy their iwatch to use it either.  Ive just signed up for a 250mb data tarrif for my iwatch 8 and took out a new phone and contract also.  was with EE but their prices are through the roof.  have sky Q and got a discount cos I am a 16yr customer

[63johnw]

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@ollymoran wrote:

sky are doing seperate tarrifs for iwatch.  you dont have to buy their iwatch to use it either.  Ive just signed up for a 250mb data tarrif for my iwatch 8 and took out a new phone and contract also.  was with EE but their prices are through the roof.  have sky Q and got a discount cos I am a 16yr customer 

Hi @ollymoran  so can you confirm you have purchased an esim plan for a Apple Watch 8 cellular version ? It's installed and working ? 

[ollymoran]

I have not received yet cos only ordered yesterday but they told me the i

watch tarrifs either 5GB or a 25GB. 
I said do I have to purchase a iwatch off you they said no I can use my iwatch. 

SIM Plan: NEW
Plan: 5GB
Original Cost: £10
Offers: £2 off for 24 months
Discounted Cost: £8.00

SIM Plan: NEW
Plan: 25GB
Original Cost: £16
Offers: £6 off for 24 months
Discounted Cost: £10

[63johnw]

That does sound strange @ollymoran  as skyhelp pages still say they don't support sims in smart watches yet.