Apple Watch Series 5 Cellular coming to South Africa

[Jamie McKane]

Apple Watch Series 5 Cellular coming to South Africa

iStore South Africa has announced that the GPS + Cellular version of the Apple Watch Series 5 will be launched in South Africa.

Apple unveiled its latest smartwatch on 10 September 2019, with both a GPS-only and GPS + Cellular version released.

 

[Asgard85]

And when it breaks out of warranty our local crowd at Core Group will be unable to offer any form of repair and will simply quote you to replace the whole thing.

 

[byrondzn]

What about eSim for phones that support it? Newer iPhone etc. We have been promised this for years and still nothing. Networks just want to lock us into their services/data without options of going with a lower cost data provider

 

[alternate]

Contract and R25 a month. Fek them.
At least its finally happening.

 

[tRoN]

I’ve had the cellular version of the gen 4 which I purchased from Hong Kong.
Will it work here?

 

[Khahn]

I’ve had the cellular version of the gen 4 which I purchased from Hong Kong.
Will it work here?

It should, there are only 2 GSM models - 1 for US regions and the 2nd for the rest of the world including the UK where most of our stock comes from.

Apple Watch - Carriers

Apple Watch with cellular. Go with just your watch — make calls, get messages, stream music. See if Apple Watch works with networks in your country.

www.apple.com

 

[tRoN]

It should, there are only 2 GSM models - 1 for US regions and the 2nd for the rest of the world including the UK where most of our stock comes from.

Apple Watch - Carriers

Apple Watch with cellular. Go with just your watch — make calls, get messages, stream music. See if Apple Watch works with networks in your country.

www.apple.com

Cool

Now to wait till 2024 for telkom mobile to support it

 

[Johnatan56]

I’ve had the cellular version of the gen 4 which I purchased from Hong Kong.
Will it work here?

Pretty much only the Samsung Galaxy Watch (not even sure which model if that matters) is supported by Vodacom and MTN. That's it.
A bit ridiculous, Telkom should be trying to support it as fast as possible as it would be a cornered market.

 

[Asgard85]

it's not Core. Apple's supply chain is like that. go talk to an iStore employee, you'll get a lot of insight into why they do what they do

The point remains - buy the product in SA and you will receive sub-standard or no aftersales service for out of warranty products. My Apple watch screen died a lonely death in a drawer while not being used and they could do nothing. They think it is reasonable to simple quote a replacement as their version of aftersales service.
We can debate the cause all we like but the bottom line is that customers are not advised of this at the time of sale and are left with no options later on. I had the same issue with my Apple TV remote.

 

[cozinsky]

The point remains - buy the product in SA and you will receive sub-standard or no aftersales service for out of warranty products. My Apple watch screen died a lonely death in a drawer while not being used and they could do nothing. They think it is reasonable to simple quote a replacement as their version of aftersales service.
We can debate the cause all we like but the bottom line is that customers are not advised of this at the time of sale and are left with no options later on. I had the same issue with my Apple TV remote.

I am going to take you on on this one, because my experience is different. The Core group replaced my iPhone X screen for free under a program where Apple acknowledged that the iPhone X can get unresponsive. I did not pay a cent. A new display would have cost me R5 500. This was a month ago.

 

[Asgard85]

I am going to take you on on this one, because my experience is different. The Core group replaced my iPhone X screen for free under a program where Apple acknowledged that the iPhone X can get unresponsive. I did not pay a cent. A new display would have cost me R5 500. This was a month ago.

The thread relates specifically to the watch and it is in this frame that I have posted. My watch screen died all by itself with no damage and I was not given an option to repair, only replace. I took it up with Apple support globally and they confirmed that Core Group is not authorized to offer repairs to the watch. I had a similar experience with my Apple TV remote.
I have said nothing about iPhone, iPad, Mac etc as I have no direct experience with those products.

 

[Asgard85]

Oh out of service? You're 100% right in that respect. Right to repair (and compliance with that right) is a big topic in the USA that will trickle down to us, hopefully.

For now though... yikes

We should really learn to ask before we purchase what options will be available to us once the product is out of warranty. They certainly are not in the habit of informing you at the time of purchase. My watch was less than 2 years old when it died. Very poor in my opinion.

 

[3Gee]

eSIM available from 9 April. Vodacom exclusive.

MTN wake up

 

[CraigB@PRW]

eSIM available from 9 April. Vodacom exclusive.

MTN wake up

Where did you get that date? Vodacom Red tell me it’s coming but they don’t know when?

I have a cellular enabled Apple Watch 5 that I bought in Australia in January, & I have been trying to activate it since then, with no success.

MyiStore marketing mail of last Thursday announced Cellular enabled Apple watches are ‘coming soon’, & same mail says eSim available from Vodacom (not coming soon to Vodacom).

When I contacted MyiStore & Vodacom they know nothing, when I mailed Vodacom Red Business all I got was ‘it’s coming soon’.

When I try activate on watch, I get message saying not supported by Vidacom?

Hope you’re right about 9 April,

Now we need to work on our banks to get us Apple Pay so we don’t need to touch potentially contaminated point of sale machines.

 

[jaireland]

Watch out! I've bought a Series 5 Apple watch and Vodacom cant get the supposed eSIM technology to work. I've been knocked from pillar to post for more than a week now...... and they still can't get it working. It seems neither Apple nor Vodacom care a damn.

 

[CraigB@PRW]

Watch out! I've bought a Series 5 Apple watch and Vodacom cant get the supposed eSIM technology to work. I've been knocked from pillar to post for more than a week now...... and they still can't get it working. It seems neither Apple nor Vodacom care a damn.

Hi.
I bought GPS & Cellular enable Series 5 Apple Watches in Australia in January this year for my wife & myself. As an aside I paid less for them than what our local Apple stores were selling the non Cellular versions for at the time.
We are both Vodacom subscribers & I was able to activate them both via the link on the Watch app on our respective iPhones at the beginning of April.
No assistance required from Apple/Core or Vodacom.

For it to work there are three criteria, namely
1. Your number (the one you are trying to activate for the OneNumber facility & your eSim on the watch) needs to be the primary number on the Vodacom account,
2. You cannot have Twincall or any other ESim service activated (data sims not a problem) - if you do, these services need to be cancelled first.
3. Your watch & phone need to be running the latest IOS versions, to ensure the carrier settings are the latest.

Once the above three criteria are met, you are able to activate this service.

I'm not in the IT or Cellular industry, & I could do this on both our phones without any issue.

PS - Pre April I tried to get assistance from Vodacom & Apple & they knew absolutely nothing about how this would work or how to activate this service, so don't expect them to provide you with a solution, you will need to find it yourself.

 

[Muhamed123]

Hi.
I bought GPS & Cellular enable Series 5 Apple Watches in Australia in January this year for my wife & myself. As an aside I paid less for them than what our local Apple stores were selling the non Cellular versions for at the time.
We are both Vodacom subscribers & I was able to activate them both via the link on the Watch app on our respective iPhones at the beginning of April.
No assistance required from Apple/Core or Vodacom.

For it to work there are three criteria, namely
1. Your number (the one you are trying to activate for the OneNumber facility & your eSim on the watch) needs to be the primary number on the Vodacom account,
2. You cannot have Twincall or any other ESim service activated (data sims not a problem) - if you do, these services need to be cancelled first.
3. Your watch & phone need to be running the latest IOS versions, to ensure the carrier settings are the latest.

Once the above three criteria are met, you are able to activate this service.

I'm not in the IT or Cellular industry, & I could do this on both our phones without any issue.

PS - Pre April I tried to get assistance from Vodacom & Apple & they knew absolutely nothing about how this would work or how to activate this service, so don't expect them to provide you with a solution, you will need to find it yourself.

Hi Is it possible to tell me the model no of your watch under setting general on your Watch app
I’ve also purchased a watch from Australia and I can’t seem to get it working every time I try to activate mobile data via the Watch app it keeps on telling me the service Is not available for selected number please contact main account holder, which is strange because I am the main account holder.
Vodacom stores know absolutely nothing they seemed to have absolutely no training prior to the launch And keep referring my query to IT which I get an SMS 2 days later stating that my query has been resolved and istore states that they have no control over the activation of the onenumber service
It’s really frustrating