If you're still rocking an Apple Watch Series 1 or original model, the Apple Watch Series 3 is worth the upgrade, LTE or not. For Series 2 owners, you're looking at almost the same smartwatch, so an update will depend on how much you value LTE on the wrist.

LTE brings new freedom; Faster performance; Call quality is very good

Additional monthly cost to have LTE; Third-party apps are lacking; The curious case of the red dot

Buy the Apple Watch Series 3, but not to replace your phone (yet)

Makes calls from your wrist; Voice control is excellent; A joy to use; Masses of personalization options; Superb fitness tracking ability

Third-party app support is lacking; Expensive; Speaker is quiet

The Apple Watch Series 3 is the closest attempt we've seen at a truly standalone smartwatch yet, and for that it deserves credit. But at the end of the day, it's still just a neat accessory for your iPhone.

Built-in cellular connectivity; Improved heart rate monitoring; Faster processor; Clear call quality; New band and case options

Expensive; LTE drains battery rapidly

The Apple Watch is a great compliment to my iPhone and is good at tracking my physical activities. I love the fact that I can wear it in the pool or in the shower. I also like how it links all of my vital stats to the Apple Health app. The battery life is phenomenal.

I originally bought this product because my car doesn't have BlueTooth. The watch allows me to hit the green dot and take the call simply be holding the watch to my mouth. However, I do have one complaint; namely, the watch has so many features and accessing them is a matter of hit-or-miss.

When the Apple Watch Series 3 launched it didn't feel ready, but now it's a very different story. The big stand out feature is the 4G connectivity but the competitive price is also a consideration now that Series 4 has emerged. The Apple Watch is still the best smartwatch on the market.

Still a great smartwatch; Ability to leave your iPhone at home; Ease of making calls; Improved fitness features

No international roaming; Series 4's bigger screen sizes make it more compelling

Apple Watch is now in its third iteration, and while it may appear that not much has changed on the surface, there have been some developments under the hood. The big draw for the Series 3 is the option of LTE connectivity.

Snappier performance; Improved exercise tracking; Super-bright and clear display; Decent battery life (when not reliant on LTE; watchOS 4 improvements; Apple Pay is still super useful

LTE has a big impact on battery life; Needs more dedicated watch apps to make use of LTE; Need to wait for Apple Music streaming; Siri doesn't always work; No LTE roaming

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. Apple with likely release an upgrade later this year.

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; A new Watch is expected later this year.

A genuine gadget marvel, but its 4G smarts just need a little longer in the tech oven

Incredibly small for a 4G smartwatch; Still the best fitness tracker around; Voice calls work surprisingly well; Battery life holds up; even when using 4G; Huge array of bands means you can make it your own

Only available on one carrier in the UK; Apple Music streaming not yet available on 4G; Not all apps work on 4G without your phone; You still need an iPhone to use it; Overkill if you mainly want fitness tracking

It's feels strange that Apple didn't, like the iPhone X, announce its cellular Watch Series 3 as a 'coming soon' option. Right now, it can't stream Apple Music, is only available on one UK network, has quite a few apps that lack Watch-only functionality, and is awaiting a software update for a very minor Wi-Fi handoff issue. In a few months, a lot of that should be ironed out and I'm confident that we'll then update this review with an extra star and a number one ranking in our Top 10. Until then, the cheaper Series 3 (GPS) is the sensible choice for anyone craving a smart sportswatch. This doesn't mean you shouldn't buy the Series 3 (GPS + Cellular) now. It's the age old gadget conundrum: do you pay a premium and put up with a few niggles to be among the first to try out a fancy new technology? If you're happy to do that, I'd heartily recommend the cellular version. I was originally sceptical of 4G smartwatches but, for the first time in a decade, it's made me consider popping out or going for bike rides without my smartphone. Why's that a good thing? Because it's a useful buffer against mindless Twitter swiping and is a far more practical 'phone' for trips into the great, soaking British outdoors. The Series 3's 4G connectivity is also the icing on an already excellent smartwatch cake. A smartwatch that lets you eat more cakes, in fact, because it's so good at motivating you to move and exercise. Right now, none of its rivals can match its combination of fitness-focused apps and personalisable design. This could change with the imminent Fitbit Ionic, Garmin Vivoactive 3 and Samsung Gear Sport. But right now, the Series 3 (GPS) and this bold phone-watch are the leading pack.

Incredibly small for a 4G smartwatch; Still the best fitness tracker around; Voice calls work surprisingly well; Battery life holds up, even when using 4G; Huge array of bands means you can make it your own;

Only available on one carrier in the UK; Apple Music streaming not yet available on 4G; Not all apps work on 4G without your phone; You still need an iPhone to use it; Overkill if you mainly want fitness tracking;