mobile phone provider to unlock the eSIM (a virtual SIM card inside Apple Watch) so you can use the Apple Watch on the go like a phone. It can take calls, text messages, stream music, and more! In North America, this service costs $10/month because it’s added to your existing smartphone plan.
This book is ideal for whichever model you have, so not to worry. As mentioned before, you do need an iPhone to set up Apple Watch, even if you have the version that doesn’t require one nearby to work. As you see in the next section, Apple also introduced Family Setup to those who own Apple Watch Series 4 (2018) or later. It lets family members who don't have their own iPhone, such as younger kids, still use an Apple Watch to make phone calls, send messages, and share location information. (After you set up a watch for someone in the family, you can use your iPhone to manage some of their watch's capabilities.)
If you do own an older model (Series 1 or Series 2), you need at least an iPhone 5 to use Apple Watch. For those who own a Series 3, Series 4, Series 5, or Series 6 model, you need an iPhone 6 or newer. You also need to download and install the latest iOS operating system from Apple — whether you do it on your iPhone or on iTunes (on a PC or Mac) — and then connect the iPhone to your computer with a USB cable. After you download the latest operating system, an Apple Watch app — a white watch against a black background — appears on your iPhone’s Home screen, as shown in Figure 1-8.
FIGURE 1-8: Whether you own an Apple Watch or not, an Apple Watch app (shown at top right) appears on your iPhone’s Home screen.
In fact, you can now install the latest watchOS update “over the air” (OTA) without using a physical connection at all!
Getting to Know the Apple Watch Home Screen
As shown in Figure 1-9, the main Home screen of Apple Watch is populated by a number of small bubble-like icons. It’s quite neat actually, not to mention functional. Simply tap an icon with your fingertip to open an app, or slide around the Home screen to see other icons pop up and grow larger (you want the app centered on the screen for easy access).
FIGURE 1-9: Press and move your finger around to see all the apps on your Home screen (or twist the Digital Crown button to zoom in and out).
If you’re an iPhone user, the icons should be familiar to you; therefore, you know what built-in and third-party apps launch when you tap a specific icon. Table 1-1 shows some of the built-in apps. See Chapter 3 for more on the native Apple Watch apps.
TABLE 1-1 Built-In Apple Watch Apps
| App | Icon |
|---|---|
| Activity |
|
| Alarm |
|
| App Store |
|
| Apple Store |
|
| Audiobooks |
|
| Blood O2 |
|
| Breathe |
|
| Calculator |
|
| Calendar |
|
| Camera |
|
| Clock |
|
| Compass |
|
| Cycle Tracking |
|
| Find People |
|
| Heart Rate |
|
| My Home |
|
|
|
|
| Maps |
|