Apple Watch Cellular for outdoor use with no phone launches in Ireland with Vodafone

The popular smartwatch can now stay connected outside without an iPhone nearby for those on a higher-end Vodafone billpay plan who commit to paying an additional €5 per month

Apple Watch Ultra 2

Adrian Weckler

The Apple Watch Cellular edition, which allows a user to call, stream, text and otherwise stay connected online without having a phone nearby, has launched in Ireland.

It is being offered solely with Vodafone through its OneNumber plan, which costs €5 per month extra on some of the operator’s more expensive 24-month bill pay plans.

It is currently being offered with a three month free trial.

The service works with any Apple Watch Cellular edition from the Series 4 model up, using at least WatchOS 10.5 and with an iPhone that uses at least iOS 17.5. The current Apple Watch is the Series 9.

The Watch Cellular editions cost more to buy than the GPS editions, but are popular in other countries with runners and outdoor activists who want connectivity or music and podcasts on-the-go without having to carry a phone with them.

"As the first operator to launch OneNumber cellular watch connectivity for Apple watch in Ireland, we are delighted to give customers the freedom and security of staying connected wherever they go,” said Amanda Nelson, CEO at Vodafone Ireland.

Vodafone launched the cellular service with Samsung Watches last year.