on 11-14-2023 08:43 PM
I'm trying to understand Smartwatch Pairing and 3's e-sim service for Apple Watches.
Basically, I have a 3 phone contract. I'm planning on getting an Apple Watch with a data connection (not from 3, but direct from Apple). How do I get an e-sim from 3 to use on the Watch?
From what I read, the Smartwatch Pairing was the solution, where my Watch and Phone share the data. From what I can tell this is an add-on to my phone contract. Is any of this correct? Whenever I try and speak to 3 via online chat they get confused and think I'm trying to buy an Apple Watch on contract. I just can't get a clear answer on any of this, and want to before committing to spending an extra £100 on a Watch with a data connection.
Any clarity from anyone would be really helpful.
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on 11-15-2023 10:00 PM
Basically you can add the smartwatch paring bundle which is around £7 a month and activate it using the mobile data settings on your Apple Watch. This will then share your current mobile plan with the watch.
on 11-15-2023 10:00 PM
Basically you can add the smartwatch paring bundle which is around £7 a month and activate it using the mobile data settings on your Apple Watch. This will then share your current mobile plan with the watch.
on 11-16-2023 11:48 AM
Hey @dartiss,
Happy to help clear this up. Yes the service is technically an eSIM but you pay for this as an add on to your existing contract phone number that you're pairing. 🙂
Sorry if there's been any confusion with speaking to our staff, we can supply a watch as part of a contract, but you can also buy the watch separately.
Here's a link to a page with info on smartwatch pairing. Hope this helps.
Jonathan
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on 11-17-2023 06:58 PM
Thanks. Yes, the online chat was very frustrating, so glad to get this answered.
One follow-up question. That page you linked to. If I scroll down to the question about how much it costs, it sends me to a price guide page. Now, I upgraded my plan December 2021, which is a monthly Advanced plan. If I look under Pay Monthly and Plans for Phones, I look up the guide named "Advanced plans for customers who joined or upgraded on or after 1 October 2021". In that, there's only one section on Smartwatch Pairing, on page 13. It says there are 2 packages - 24 months and 1 month. I assume, because I'm on 24 month contract, that the former is for me. For that it says, that Smartwatch Pairing is free and is part of my package. Have I interpreted that correctly?
11-17-2023 10:32 PM - edited 11-17-2023 10:33 PM
I bought my Apple Watch direct from Apple and was already 6 months plus into my 12 month contract and just added the 1 month smartwatch paring. This has no minimum term and you have to give 30 days notice to remove it. I believe the 24 month one is for customers who buy the watch from 3 directly and pay monthly for it.
on 11-18-2023 10:22 AM
If that is the case then that price guide is, at best, confusing and, at worst, misleading.
on 11-22-2023 05:16 PM
Hey @dartiss,
Sorry if you feel this is misleading at all. The 24M add on has to be added at the point of the sale for your contract or upgrade going through, that's why it's referenced as included in your monthly cost.
If you're adding the pairing plan any time mid contract you get the one month rolling as @MZone mentioned. If you can let me know where you think the wording is confusing things I'll be happy to take a closer look and feed this back though.
Thanks,
Jonathan
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Tuesday - last edited Tuesday
The confusion comes from talking to staff that are trying to also sell you an extra £7 per month bundle, as well as the cellular plan cost on top of that. For example I have a pay monthly contract with Three already. I’m about to purchase the Apple ultra 2. I want to pay for the 24 month cellular plan which works out at only £5 per month when you go for it for 24 months. But after 20 minutes with a Three colleague on the phone, she told me I needed to purchase an additional Sim for a charge of £7 per month on top of all of this which I didn’t need which I could give to a family member or friend??? Confusing is not the word I use words more like scamming and shameful…
I spoke to a colleague after raising an official complaint, he put me on hold after saying he would speak to somebody and came back to me and said that the colleague hadn’t made an error and that I have to pay an extra £7 and was I okay with that advice and could I close the complaint??? I told him no he couldn’t close a complaint as that was not the case and you do not have to pay for an additional Sim card to give to a family or friend to get this deal… I’m still waiting for someone to get back to me to explain why some three colleagues are pushing extra Sim cards which they will get commission on
