Apple Watch To Work Without Bluetooth For Long Range Use
…Bluetooth connectivity typically has a limited rage despite a theoretical maximum connectivity range of 100 feet. Additionally, Bluetooth connectivity can get muddled once you account for obstructions such as walls and the like.
That being the case, it’s worth pointing out that the Apple Watch can function without Bluetooth connectivity at all, provided, of course, that your Apple Watch is on the same Wi-Fi network as your iPhone. While this was long assumed, iDownloadblog relays that Tim Cook confirmed as much during last week’s special media event.
I certainly missed that bit in the Spring Forward keynote, but it’s a welcome and useful bit of clarification, and it should expand the scope of anticipated use cases inside the household. (Inexplicably, as Heisler points out at the source, Wi-Fi pairing is something that Android Wear devices don’t yet do.)
Whether or not this longer tether is a precursor to full-blown Apple Watch/iPad pairing remains to be seen, but that strategy would be useful in promoting the wearable to children (as would a redesigned iPod touch with similar Apple Watch cabilities). Apple Watch seems to be trending along the same curve as pre-release iPad numbers, and while iPad was not initially designed as a kid-friendly powerhouse, it has become something of a mainstay in both nursery and playroom. It only makes sense for Apple to open up its newest ecosystem across as many company products as possible.