Note: Author's carrier is TELUS which has yet to provide an ETA on Apple Watch compatibility. A second part to this review, which focuses on the LTE aspect, will follow as soon as the service can be tested.

Apple is good at making you want things you may not need or want in your life. Adding 4G to the Apple Watch might be another instance of this, even if it is technically great

Writer's note : As of October 9, 2017, this review has been updated to include more information about the Watch's connectivity issues, based on follow-up testing that was done after Apple issued a software fix.

Option for LTE; Faster processor; watchOS 4 (not specific to this hardware

Cellular connectivity problems; Apple Music streaming not working yet; Unreliable Siri; Notable battery drain with LTE

All told, the Apple Watch Series 3 feels like two separate devices. When it's used as a traditional smartwatch - by which I mean it's connected to, and in range of a phone - it's the best wearable Apple has ever made.

Improved performance; Great battery life when connected to a phone; Valuable new fitness features; Siri feels more useful

iPhone still needs to be on to receive texts; Lousy battery life on LTE; Call quality can vary; Apple Music streaming not ready yet

Welcome to our Apple Watch Series 3 review, in which we evaluate Apple's new cellular wearable. We check out the watch's design and new features, put it through rigorous performance and battery tests, and rate it for value for money. If you reach a decision after reading this, you can buy

This year's Apple Watch looks just like last year's Apple Watch . The Series 3, which comes in two sizes and starts at $399, has few new features other than Siri's newfound ability to chime in at really awkward times.

An always-on LTE connection totally changes what you can do with a Watch; It's an impressive fitness tracker; Believe it or not, Siri's pretty great

The battery lasts a day in the best case---and often less; The Watch's interface still takes too long to figure out

Since launch, I've always liked the Apple Watch a lot. I'd even go so far as to say I'm a big fan of smartwatches in general, including Google's Android Wear platform - especially since the tech giant's recent 2.0 update "Despite what some may have initially thought, myself included, the cellular...

Cellular connectivity is useful in specific situations; Watch is snappy and fast thanks to S3 processor; watchOS 4 adds great new features

Price is on the high-end of the smartwatch market; Cellular connectivity is only available with Bell; Cellular only does not get all-day battery life

Let's talk about the red dot. The hint of bright color on the Apple Watch Series 3 digital crown serves no function. It's just a bold reminder that this wearable doesn't need your iPhone to do its job, thank you very much.

The Apple Watch Series 3 is the best overall smartwatch you can buy, but battery limitations and add-on fees keep it from being a must-have upgrade.

Cellular connection works well for phone calls, email, Siri and messages; Music now syncs more easily; Improvements in fitness tracking and added watch faces; Adds barometer to GPS and swimproofing; Same overall size as last year's watch

Battery life takes a major hit when making calls or during GPS workouts; 42mm cellular model is expensive, and that's before monthly wireless service and Apple Music fees; Still requires an iPhone to set up and pair with

T he Apple Watch Series 3 ushers in a new era of independence for the world’s most popular smartwatch device as it no longer needs to be tethered to a smartphone via Bluetooth in order to fully function.