Forum Discussion
How to Activate Samsung watch LTE
I need to activate a Samsung watch LTE
Just got the problem resolved. The message had been that the network
couldn't be set up from this device... So I took it to a T-Mobile store and
had a great manager who figured it out. We needed a device to activate the
cell network. We popped out the sim from my phone, put it in his Samsung
phone, went through the process, got the network activated, put the sim
back in my phone. Just re-paired it and it's all good. It's crappy that
it wouldn't set up. These should come already set for the network so that
they just need to pair it and customize it. But it's working now. Jay at
my local T-Mobile store was awesome and determined to solve this puzzle!
Seems to be doing exactly what we'd expected!
This is the solo correct answer. The rest are valuable information, but the do NOT answer this question.
I have now spent a total of 8 hours on this issue, and it is resolved. It took one T Mobile tech at the store, an online internal T Mobile tech, as part of an escalation, and finally an online technician at Samsung.
So with a total of 24 person-hours, the conclusion is that neither T Mobile nor Samsung was prepared to release this watch. Both companies need to apologize to their customers, AND prepare NEW documentation! This watch is NOT the same as every other Galaxy watch.
I work in IBM Level 3 support, so I have a great deal of experience. Here is the actual issue:
During the watch setup - which is done mostly on a phone (this is bad design), the network section of the setup is where the failure comes: the order of the steps, inside the software is backwards:
1) Find network
2) Download eSIM profile
The eSIM profile is the issue! Without the eSIM profile, the internal eSIM cannot be activated - not by ANY T Mobile tech, nor Samsung. The mistake in the software is tying the eSIM prompt with the network discovery: if the network is not found ON THE PHONE, then the eSIM download is SKIPPED! Unbelievable! No matter what your cell provider, the watch will NEVER work on a cell network without enabling the eSIM. Ridiculous.
So, the "solution" is, you have to BUY a T Mobile phone! Or, as elsewhere in this thread, find someone a T Mobile that will allow you to do the complete installation on THEIR phone - only so you can get past the (cell) network discovery, and thus download the eSIM profile. Then, after the watch is completely set up on the "wrong" phone, you can pair is with any phone, and it work amazing! You will automatically get texts, calls, messages from your phone, when in paired mode, and then from the cell provider (T Mobile) when in standalone. Seamless and no configuration.
Here are additional problems that tech support doesn't know
1) The entire initial setup requires connection to the internet (wi fi). You can't set up the watch without connecting your phone to wi fi, even if you have a T Mobile phone connected to mobile data.
2) There is NO WAY to unpair the "wrong" phone after the "false" setup! There is no unpair menu option! Wow! Instead, you need to go to the watch menu, and select "Connect to other phone". This is nerve wracking, since it then says "Resetting" - you worry that the reset will delete the eSIM activation. After this, the other phone's data is erased (I guess?!?!?)
3) On the watch, prior to eSIM profile download, the watch gives the message "Please insert SIM card." This is TERRIBLE programming! There is no physical way to insert ANYTHING into this watch - the SIM is built in! So, no matter what, that message should NEVER appear on this device. Instead - imagine this! - a message that says "Would you like to download the eSIM profile?"
4) In paired mode, when you make a call from the watch, it actually makes the call from the phone's number, not the watch's. Just fyi
As for the DIGITS account, T Mobile never had any problem with this: my DIGITS accounts was easily activated, I got a phone number for the watch, and could send calls to voicemail.
