Apple’s cellular watch to launch in UAE

Etisalat will offer data plans; no word yet from du

Last updated:
1 MIN READ
Bloomberg
Bloomberg
Bloomberg

SAN JOSE: While it’s not an official WWDC release, people in the UAE will be seeing a new Apple device in stores soon.

The Apple Watch Series 3 with a cellular data connection will arrive in the UAE on June 15, with pre-order starting on June 8. It will have a starting price of Dh1,364. Apple previously announced the new cellular-enabled Watch last September, but sources tell Gulf News that UAE’s telecoms needed to make minor changes to their network to make them compatible with the new device.

Previous versions of the Apple Watch had to be paired with an Apple iPhone over a Bluetooth connection, but the cellular version will allow Watch users to leave their phone at home while the walk, run, swim or bike. Etisalat says the Watch does not have a roaming option for data.

The cellular version will have a sim chip and requires a data plan. Etisalat has begun tweeting about the new Watch, but there has been no release yet from du.

Apple made several announcements at WWDC regarding the Watch, most of which focus on the Watch’s role as a fitness tracking tool, but the company has also given it a direct (watch-to-watch) communication tools, called Walkie-Talkie, which will allow people to talk to each other through the Watch over Wi-Fi or cellular data.

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