New apple Watch Modelsโ Launchโ Without 5G in Several Key Markets
CUPERTINO,CALIFORNIAโค – september 10,2025 โ – Apple’s newly releasedโค Apple Watch Series 11,Apple Watch Ultra 3,and Apple Watch SE 3 boast an upgraded 5G modem andโ antenna architecture,butโ the fasterโข cellular connectivity is not universally available at launch. Customers in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and numerous countries across Europe, South America, Africa, and Asia will initially rely on LTE for cellular connectivity.
The absence of listed 5G support varies by region and appears tied to carrier readiness.While Apple does not manufacture separate Apple โWatch models for different countriesโ – with โขthe โฃexception of China โข- the devicesโข soldโ in โขthese markets likelyโ contain the same 5G-capable โhardware as those available in the United states โคand other โขsupported locations. This suggests the possibilityโฃ of 5G activation via carrier software updates in the future.
Apple showcased a list of launch-supported carriers during yesterday’s product event, including: Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobileโค (US); Orange (Europe/Global); EE,โข three/3 (UK/International); Sunrise (Switzerland); AIS (Thailand); SoftBank, NTTโ Docomo, and au (Japan); SmarTone and CSL (Hong Kong); CTM (Macau); Singtel and โM1 (Singapore); Zain (Middle East/Africa); du (UAE); Boost Mobile, US Cellular, and Metro by T-Mobile (US); China Unicom, China Mobile,โข and China Telecom; andโฃ Jio (India).
Notably absent from this list are majorโข carriers in Canada – Telus, Bell, and Rogers – and Australia – telstra, Vodafone, and Optus.
Consumers canโค verify 5G availability for their โฃspecific โขregion by reviewing the technical specifications listed on Apple’s website โคfor โthe Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watchโ Ultra 3, and Apple Watch SE 3. In areas where 5G is not specified as a feature, the watches will default to LTE โconnectivity. The reason for the staggered rollout is currently unclear, but could be related to regulatory approvals โขor carrier-specific implementation โฃtimelines.