Apple admits to Apple Watch LTE problems just before it ships

The Verge ^ | September 20, 2017 | by Lauren Goode

[Swordmaker]

The “handoff” isn’t working like it’s supposed to
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

Apple’s new Series 3 smartwatch starts shipping this Friday, and the biggest feature change between last year’s model and this new Watch is that it has built-in cellular capabilities.

Except, that cell service isn’t entirely reliable.

While writing my review of the Apple Watch Series 3 with LTE capabilities, I experienced notable connectivity issues. The new Watch appeared to try to connect to unknown WiFi networks instead of connecting to cellular, when I was out and about without my phone. (The issues are laid out in much more detail in the review.)

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Apple Watch Series 3 with LTE review: missed connections

Within the first couple days of experiencing this, Apple replaced my first review unit with a second one, but that one proved to be problematic, too.

Eventually, the company issued an official statement, acknowledging the issue. “We have discovered that when Apple Watch Series 3 joins unauthenticated Wi-Fi networks without connectivity, it may at times prevent the watch from using cellular,” an Apple spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “We are investigating a fix for a future software release.”

Unfortunately, we still don’t know when that software release is expected, or exactly how it will fix the issue of the Watch connecting to cellular networks when it’s supposed to.

But as far as Apple Watch releases go, this marks the first time that Apple has acknowledged a known problem with the smartwatch just after pre-orders, and right before it officially ships.

[Swordmaker]

The problem seems to be in the Apple Watch 4 software not properly distinguishing a WIFI connection that does not have a connection through to the Internet. The Watch instead of rejecting that connection due to the lack of Internet connectivity, it fails to automatically drop that WIFI signal and move on to another available WIFI signal which does have an Internet connectivity or pickup the LTE connection. it could be something as simple as failing to log the WIFI channel as unsuitable and just repeatedly reconnecting. This is something that can be fixed with an easy software fix.

[EnglishOnly]

Oh MY,..... better go find some illegals to fix it!

[Red Badger]

Well, there goes my Christmas present......................

[Artemis Webb]

It doesn’t matter. The Apple fanatics will buy anything in any condition. Then they’ll look you in the eye and tell you it’s flawless.

[Swordmaker]

Apple acknowledges a connectivity problem with the new LTE AppleWatch 3 before even gets delivered. The first Apple Watch 3 is due to get delivered on Friday, but reviewers have discovered, and Apple has acknowledged, an issue with handing off the phone and data cellular connectivity if there is a WIFI signal present that apparently does not have an Internet connection, such as an internal WIFI in an office space. The Watch latches onto that WIFI and will not switch over to the LTE connection or to another WIFI with Internet to allow phone or data connection until the user moves far enough away from the first connected WIFI. Apple is working on a watchOS update to solve this issue. — PING!

Apple watchOS 4 Oops
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[Swordmaker]

It doesn’t matter. The Apple fanatics will buy anything in any condition. Then they’ll look you in the eye and tell you it’s flawless.

I'm surprised their beta testers did not run into this in the wild. That tells me it was probably a last minute change that somehow get added that didn't quite get cleaned up in the Gold Master. . . Probably a commented command that did not get deleted and re-instated on final after testing in a laboratory setting where there was no handoff taking place.

I expect Apple will send out a fix next week if not sooner. This is the kind of handoff that is handled routinely with the iPhone and LTE iPads multiple times a day, so the code is boilerplate. It just needs to be bolted in place in the watchOS.

[House Atreides]

I ordered one for my wife (late - I didn’t wake up at 3am as I planned) on the first day but expected delivery date isn’t until 10/10 - 10/17. This minor software problem will likely be fixed before we get the watch.

[neverevergiveup]

Unless you need to be for your job, why does anyone want to be ‘connected’ all the time? I guess the world is just passing me by.

[The KG9 Kid]

I discovered this bug months ago with the previous version of iOS when my phone always seemed to want to connect to the WiFi OBD2 scan tool dongle I have connected to my car’s on-board diagnostics port. The dongle communicates via WiFi (not Bluetooth) but doesn’t serve as an internet connected hotspot.

Whenever I’m in my car, the iPhone automatically connects to the WiFi OBD2 scan gizmo and prevents LTE wireless internet from working unless I tell my iPhone to forget the scan tool as a network. I suppose that the iWatch3 is unable to tell itself to forget the non-internet enabled WiFi network?

[montag813]

Apple stock got smacked around today for this seemingly minor issue. I bet Apple has it resolved via update before the watches are even delivered.

[Stentor]

Whenever I’m in my car, the iPhone automatically connects to the WiFi OBD2 scan gizmo and prevents LTE wireless internet from working unless I tell my iPhone to forget the scan tool as a network. I suppose that the iWatch3 is unable to tell itself to forget the non-internet enabled WiFi network?

Was this designed by Goodwill Industries engineers? Sounds like a dumb ass screw up.

[The KG9 Kid]

My guess is that this “slipped by QA” because it is intentional behavior and therefore not regarded as a defect. To test whether a WiFi network is truly active or not, the connecting device is going to have to transmit a packet.

What is the threshold for a “keep alive” polling interval? People in dense public WiFi areas walk through a kaleidoscope of overlapping signals. Is everyone’s WiFi device supposed to send a packet storm of TCP ack/responses in an attempt to connect to a newer stronger signal every 100ms?

I have a notebook with a netstumbler module running sometimes when I’m on the road which collects found networks into a database without discrimination. I see everyone’s devices broadcasting a network, from phones with enabled hotspots to distant laser printers in homes and businesses, RF guns at Petco, and even vehicles themselves are mobile hotspots straight off the showroom floor, like every Chevy Silverado even if the old coot driving it doesn’t even know he’s doing it. A typical cop car might be broadcasting four networks alone including the personal phone on a policeman’s duty belt.

You can’t just have a flurry of zillions of competing connectivity requests from overly talkative devices saying “Yoo-Hoo?!” ten times a second.

[TalonDJ]

Good! Sounds like a software fix. If it was a hardware problem they would be in trouble.

[TalonDJ]

Yeah, it is too bad too. Because it would be nice to leave that dongle connected and monitor things.

[itsahoot]

Unless you need to be for your job, why does anyone want to be ‘connected’ all the time?

A better question is why do you care if they do?

[neverevergiveup]

“A better question is why do you care if they do?”

I wasn’t being critical. It was an honest question. I have to be ‘tethered’ because of what I do for a living, and I guess I just would like to be unreachable and ‘free’ sometimes.

[Uri’el-2012]

The problem seems to be in the Apple Watch 4 software not properly distinguishing a WIFI connection that does not have a connection through to the Internet.

Poorly constructed or No testing.

Code testing has been a discipline
for over a half a century.

Or just poor management.

[Uri’el-2012]

https://apple.slashdot.org/story/17/09/20/182226/turning-off-wi-fi-and-bluetooth-in-ios-11s-control-center-doesnt-actually-turn-off-wi-fi-or-bluetooth

[Uri’el-2012]

https://apple.slashdot.org/story/17/09/19/1641245/apple-file-system-in-macos-high-sierra-wont-work-with-fusion-drives

[TheBattman]

I’m really shocked this wasn’t found sooner. Did Apple not have field testing of this Apple Watch for a significant time - and would appear to be a significant fumble, uncharacteristic for Apple.

I’m glad I’m not in the market for, nor placed a preorder for an LTE Apple Watch - a week out from “shipping” is not a good place to be with a major flaw in the software. If Steve were still running things, there would be proverbial heads rolling...