New Poster
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4 Messages
Xfinity agents told me Xfinity does not support esim for Apple Watch?????
I just spent 2 days trying to troubleshoot activating my GPS+Cellular Series 8, and am pretty disappointed with the revelation!
I put my chat with an Xfinity agent below if you're interested and for context, but TLDR: Xfinity doesn't support the esim separately on the Apple watches. If you want to use your apple watch you need to be nearby your phone.
I'll sadly be returning my Apple Watch, as one of my main motivations for getting it was its cellular capabilities so I can leave my phone behind on runs/walks/swims/etc.
I don't understand why all the agents I spoke to were not more upfront about this. I also dont understand why Xfinity sells GPS+Cellular watches if they don't support cellular. And I also dont understand why they're charging customers $10/month.. I could just not activate my watch with xfinity and it would make no difference in how I use it...
Xfinity Assistant Chat:
Me:
After pairing and activating my watch (you can see it activated on my xfinity account) I cannot connect the watch to cellular. In the Apple Watch app on my iPhone, under Cellular Plan, I see Xfinity, but there is a note under it that says “Carrier does not currently support Apple Watch”.
I chatted to two agents, one last night, and another this morning, who both said “there is some technical error in activating the eSIM” and raised the issue with the advanced billing team, and promised it would be resolved within 2 hours. It was not resolved either time.
I just got off the phone with another agent, and they are saying that currently xfinity does not support esim for apple watch, meaning that even with a GPS+Cellular enabled apple watch, and even though I'm paying xfinity $10/month for the watch activated line, I can't use my watch without my phone nearby for it to connect to.
Agent:
Yes, you are correct. Please be informed that Xfinity doesn't support the esim separately on the Apple watches. If you want to use your apple watch you need to be nearby your phone.
Please be informed that when you are connected to the cellular your watch should work
Me:
When the phone is nearby, the watch does not need cellular, because it connects via bluetooth to the phone. The GPS+Cellular Watch is capable of connecting to cellular without a phone nearby, but you're saying xfinity does not support this?
Agent:
If you want I can share the steps with you for pairing the cellular watches to the device you can try to pair and unpair the watch as troubleshooting so may it works. What I am saying is that it will not support the separate esim on the watch.
Please be informed that as per the connectivity, there is a defined area within which your watch is connected If you move away from the device there may be an issue with the connectivity.
Me:
Why does xfinity charge $10/month to add an apple watch on the line if it does not support esim? As a customer, why would I bother adding my apple watch as a device on my xfinity account?
Agent:
Please be informed that it is charged so that you can use your watch with the device, Xfinity doesn't support the sepperate esim under the family plan. However, there are many users providing it as Xfinity doesn't have such a deal with Apple to provide the separate esim on the watches.
Me:
The watch connects to the phone via bluetooth, essentially with the phone's personal hotspot, is that correct?
Agent:
yes
Me:
Since xfinity does not support esim, then there's no need for me to activate the watch with xfinity and pay $10/month, right?
Agent:
Yes, that is completely your decision.
Me:
And since xfinity does not support esim, then there's no need for me to have the more expensive GPS+Cellular capable watch, right?
Agent:
Yes, you are correct.
DaveO3
Problem Solver
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755 Messages
1 year ago
XM does support the SIM on Apple Watches. Find the support documents on the Apple website.
Something went wrong and you may have to start over. Were you replacing another watch?
You probably need to call XM and have them remove or cancel the Watch device shown on your account, but first check if you can do this from the Watch App on your iPhone. Once your iPhone and your watch (check settings, cellular on watch)both show that you do not have a cellular plan for you watch, then basically set up as new.
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DaveO3
Problem Solver
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755 Messages
1 year ago
Try searching Google for possible answers. Here is one link I found:
https://www.lifewire.com/fix-apple-watch-cellular-not-working-5194514#:~:text=Check%20to%20see%20if%20Airplane,settings%20are%20up%20to%20date.
Good Luck!
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XfinityLarry
Official Employee
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14 Messages
1 year ago
eSIM is supported on Watch. I think the rep meant to say that Standalone is not supported. There are 2 configurations for Apple Watch: one is Standalone and one is Shared. Xfinity Mobile does not support Standalone where a Watch can connect to the mobile network independently from the host phone. Standalone would show a separate phone number for the Watch. Xfinity Mobile only supports a Shared configuration. With the Shared configuration, text messages won't work if the host phone is off but voice and data will work. Hope this helps.
(edited)
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user_4dd4f6
Visitor
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5 Messages
10 months ago
This is highly deceptive and misleading. Why is this not the first thing out of the reps mount when they are trying to sell you a watch on XM? I would not have purchased my watch had I known this. Very shameful behavior and possibly criminal.
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user_foz2ah
1 Message
9 months ago
Just found out you also can’t buy a watch in standalone mode from another carrier and set it up with an iPhone with xfinity mobile service. Super deceptive and annoying.
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user_polp9t
2 Messages
8 months ago
I'm having the same problem activating my new cellular-enabled Apple Watch Ultra 2 on Xfinity Mobile network.
My prior Apple Watch (Series 6) connected directly to Xfinity's cellular network and worked fine with or without the host iPhone on or off. My spouse's new Apple Watch Series 9 also successfully activated on Xfinity cellular network and can make and receive calls with his host iPhone 14 turned off and with Wifi on the watch turned off (ie, signal is transmitting via cellular to and from the watch).
The control panel screen on his watch shows the cellular antenna icon illuminated and displaying "LTE". When the icon is clicked on, the watch displays Cellula Data On, Plan: Xfinity Mobile, Cell data usage, current period, on and on. My cellular antenna icon is off and when clicked on displays "Plan: No SIM" "Status: No Connection."
I spent many hours on phone with Comcast restarting, resetting, restoring my watch and cycling the phone and the watch app on the phone, deleting the app, etc. They couldn't get it to work, told me to go to a store. Went to a store and they couldn't provision it either, so I called Apple from the store and they pointed out to me what was missing that Xfinity needed to supply. (ICCID, shown as blank in the iPhone watch app; my spouse's watch has the ICCID # filled in). Got back on the line with Xfinity, spent another hour+ and they finally incredulously said that they actually don't support the "standalone" feature. I explained I used to have it, and my spouse currently does have it, but ran out of time with them. Don't know where to go next...
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user_polp9t
2 Messages
8 months ago
Thank you. I finally spoke with an xfinity tech who was able to provide the watch with a new sim and it now shows an ICCID. He had me turn the watch off while he did something on his end to do the provisioning. The watch now works in the standalone mode, ie able to make and receive calls over the cellular network with the host phone turned off and without WiFi service.
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