Related
I'm debating between the Samsung Gear 2 Neo and the Sony Smartwatch 2. The Sony is only $140 on Amazon right now and it appears to most of the features I would actually use. The one big concern about the Sony is that it doesn't have the IR blaster, so the remote is out (but meh, I've got my S5 set up with my TV, so no big deal). My big concern with the Samsung is that when I get ready to upgrade my phone under T-Mobile's Jump, who knows if I'll get another Samsung (who am I kidding, I'll probably get another Samsung, but just in case I didn't...).
I'm having trouble finding a good comparison of the two that would sway me one way or the other. It would be nice to save the $60 on the Sony, but at the same time I really like the Neo look over the Sony. Any thoughts? I don't care that the Sony lacks voice commands. I'd probably never use it, and obviously I don't care about the camera or else I wouldn't be considering the Neo.
Thanks!
It's too bad you couldn't jump in on the AT&T deal when it was 25% off with two other accessories. Saving $50 would have swayed you instantly. I am 100% glad I purchased this, as it provides exactly all of the functionality I need it to...
Vibrating alarm so I don't wake up my wife on her days off.
Notification and full text of SMS
Notification and full text of work Emails
Notification and full text of Appointments from my work calendar
Notifications are with just enough vibration so those around me don't know it went off
Don't show notifications until I look at the watch
Customizable watch faces depending on my mood for that day
Won't be overly susceptible to dings/scratches - it's got Gorilla Glass 3!
It also adds some things I didn't need, but use nonetheless
Pedometer (wish the pedometer allowed you to enter your stride length instead of estimating off height)
Heart rate monitor (a little wonky sometimes)
Exercise tracking
Tracks my sleep (when I remember to turn it on...or sometimes OFF...lol)
Backup Remote w/ the IR Blaster (need a way to add a Roku so I don't need either remote)
I can answer the phone and talk if I'm busy
I can reply to text messages with canned quick text responses
I can skip tracks and pause Pandora with my phone charging in the other room
If I had to pick a couple negatives...
Battery power is okay. I have to charge it every other day or at least top it off every day.
It would be nice if I felt more comfortable showering with it. Some people say it's possible and they have had no issues. I would rather not at this point.
All I know is I love it and I'll be using it for a while. I also have 3 coworkers who have Pebbles and they've all commented on how great it looks/acts. One of them is waiting for the LG G Watch to drop. I'll probably wait for the second gen of Android Wear before committing.
Best of luck to you in figuring out what it is you want/need. ;-]
EDIT: Just thought of a more significant con...
If you spend time at a desk typing, you may end up scuffing the clasp against the desk. This will cause wear on that clasp as well as metal transfer to the desk itself. It wipes off fairly easily, but the wear is very evident on the watch.
I purchased the Sony SW2 to save money and had regretted it the whole time. Some of what I am about to say can be fixed with some modifications (Sony SW2) and apps but not out of the box. Not being able to raise my arm to active the watch was a negative. Not being able to take a simple phone call was a negative. The positive at the time was being able to change watch bands that is solved with the Gear 2 and Neo being able to change bands. The health monitoring of the Gear is nice as well.
The negative for Gear 2/neo is the limited app market. Since changing to Tizen not a lot of apps out there.
I am 100% happier with the Gear 2 Neo than I was with the Sony. For what that is worth.
admiral70 said:
The negative for Gear 2/neo is the limited app market. Since changing to Tizen not a lot of apps out there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1!!!
I also looked at the Sony before buying the Gear 2 (AT&T deal)...
What I did not like about the Sony is that besides watch functionality it only seems to be able to push notifications. If indeed true, the Gear 2 has much more potential to be used offline (running apps locally on the watch), once they are available of course...
The screen looks better on the Gear, but I like the Sony to be reflective (always on). Not sure if it suffers from the same issues as Pebble, such as the fact that with polarizing glasses you cannot see anything on it....
Also, I think the Gear 2 looks better overall, but that is just my personal opinion of course....
Sent from my GT-N5110 using xda premium
I'm also debating between two of them right now. Seems like if I choose to save some money I should buy SW2, but I can also buy a used Neo so.
Because I was collecting information only about sony's watch, I'd like to ask a couple of questions to the Neo's owners.
1. Can I make (root,rom, hack,etc) the Gear 2 Neo to work with sony xperia z1c? And will all the functionality remain(for example, if sw2 is connected to a phone rather than sony, you cannot answer calls) if connected to sony instead of samsung. This is the main question.
2. Is the screen always on, like on sony sw2, so I can check the time.
3. Can it control the music being played on a phone, or is there an app for that.
4. Can it answer phone calls
5. How long does the battery last
I'm even thinking not to buy any smartwatches at all, because all of them seem imperfect. What I really would like is SW2's functionality in a better screen from samsung. On the other hand, I don't want to spend money on useless(for me) features like IR blaster or pedometer, or even heart rate sensor. I just need a smartwatch to control music on the phone, check notifications, and to answer calls with a headphones on. and maybe an alarm, if its really so useful. Maybe those are not the watches i'm looking for, so sorry for the off-topic.
Thank you in advance.
necr0manser said:
1. Can I make (root,rom, hack,etc) the Gear 2 Neo to work with sony xperia z1c? And will all the functionality remain(for example, if sw2 is connected to a phone rather than sony, you cannot answer calls) if connected to sony instead of samsung. This is the main question
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have no experience on anything other than a Galaxy phone with this watch, but I do know there are some threads out there about getting the Gear 2 working on other phones. You may have to do some investigation.
necr0manser said:
2. Is the screen always on, like on sony sw2, so I can check the time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, but you can set it to turn on when you look at the phone (as well as determine whether you want it to display the clock or the last screen you had up)
necr0manser said:
3. Can it control the music being played on a phone, or is there an app for that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a music player app for playing files on the watch itself. There is also a Media Controller app to control media players on your phone. Both of these are on the device out of the box.[/quote]
necr0manser said:
4. Can it answer phone calls
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. it actually works really well. The person I tested it with said they couldn't tell it was anything other than a phone.
necr0manser said:
5. How long does the battery last
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This answer really depends on settings and what you have sent in terms of notifications. I get about 2½ days out of mine, but I typically charge it in the evenings when I'm on the PC and again in the mornings while I shower.
As a Gear owner, I've enjoyed the device from day 1, but I can't help but feel like it's reached the end of it's lifespan.
I always thought the lack of apps for the original android version was lame, so when I heard of Tizen support I thought, great! But despite Tizen being a better OS for this particular watch (IMO), Samsung aren't doing it justice. I'm particularly annoyed for 3 reasons:
1. On the android it had a Runtastic app, which I used daily. On the upgrade to Tizen, Kies warned of apps that wouldn't crossover and Runtastic wasn't one of them. But they lied, no Runtastic app for Tizen
2. Apps are slowly coming out for the Gear 2, such as a PayPal but not for the Gear 1. Why?! They aren't that drastically different devices...grr.
3. Now with Android Wearables such as the Gear Live, the number of apps is already far superior to the number of apps over the lifespan of my gear. Evernote is back, Runstastic, not to mention QR codes, maps, Duolingo etc. Reasonably well known names, not just some cack apps for golf that rarely work anyway.
Seriously annoyed. If any of these Google Wearable devices had a camera, I'd be seriously tempted to swap.
Thoughts
PS I'm not trolling my own device, I'm just frustrated!
jonboyuk said:
As a Gear owner, I've enjoyed the device from day 1, but I can't help but feel like it's reached the end of it's lifespan.
I always thought the lack of apps for the original android version was lame, so when I heard of Tizen support I thought, great! But despite Tizen being a better OS for this particular watch (IMO), Samsung aren't doing it justice. I'm particularly annoyed for 3 reasons:
1. On the android it had a Runtastic app, which I used daily. On the upgrade to Tizen, Kies warned of apps that wouldn't crossover and Runtastic wasn't one of them. But they lied, no Runtastic app for Tizen
2. Apps are slowly coming out for the Gear 2, such as a PayPal but not for the Gear 1. Why?! They aren't that drastically different devices...grr.
3. Now with Android Wearables such as the Gear Live, the number of apps is already far superior to the number of apps over the lifespan of my gear. Evernote is back, Runstastic, not to mention QR codes, maps, Duolingo etc. Reasonably well known names, not just some cack apps for golf that rarely work anyway.
Seriously annoyed. If any of these Google Wearable devices had a camera, I'd be seriously tempted to swap.
Thoughts
PS I'm not trolling my own device, I'm just frustrated!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really. Price point is such that you can have a few different devices. I have a Gear and a Toq and will get the G Watch.
Mostly wear the Toq but occasionally wear the Gear.
That said, I never really used any apps on either watch so it doesn't bother me that there aren't many.
mhoepfin said:
Not really. Price point is such that you can have a few different devices. I have a Gear and a Toq and will get the G Watch.
Mostly wear the Toq but occasionally wear the Gear.
That said, I never really used any apps on either watch so it doesn't bother me that there aren't many.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm I think the price point thing is entirely subjective given that I'm a student and can't afford multiple watches.
Seriously, compared to just normal watches, these things are a steal
I don't think there is much that can be improved on the gear
It was a first gen device so it's not going to have a huge following
I'm happy with the apps, ofcourse would've liked more. But I can do pretty much everything I want
I'm with you on the app support. Mapmyride is not available on Tizen for me.
I get the feeling we won't see many more apps for Tizen either.
You can't really compare the price of the gear, or any smart watch, to normal high quality watches. If you buy a good watch it will still be useful 10 or 20 years later and may even appreciate in value. A smart watch will probably be a paper weight in 2 years as technology moves on.
For those of you missing runtastic and map my ride the Strava app seems to cover most of their features nicely. I'm using it every day while I cycle. Might be worth checking out.
Sent from my SPH-L900 using XDA Free mobile app
wiccan-two said:
For those of you missing runtastic and map my ride the Strava app seems to cover most of their features nicely. I'm using it every day while I cycle. Might be worth checking out.
Sent from my SPH-L900 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cheers lad. Sadly I'm half way through a runtastic fitness plan, so I can't just switch
Original Gear Desirable
jonboyuk said:
Cheers lad. Sadly I'm half way through a runtastic fitness plan, so I can't just switch
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me, the original Gear is desirable so I don't feel shafted by Samsung. It's the only one that runs Android so plenty of applications are and will be available. I find battery life acceptable and the Gear offers some hardware features such as a camera and speaker that some of the newer watches do not. If I ever want to put Tizen on it, I can. However, if I were an owner of one of the recent Tizen watches I might feel shafted since it is yet to be shown that Tizen will get adequate support.
I recently received a Gear 2 for my Bday
I was excited and couldn't wait to play with it to see what it would do
Well I've had it going on 2 months now, to my displeasure the Gear 2 is useless IMO
1st the heart rate monitor doesn't monitor, you have to start it and 9xs out of 10 you have to restart it and it's mostly wrong, I've started 5xs conservatively and got a range from 65-95, WORTHLESS
2nd The pedometer, we'll it's never right, I can have the gear 2 sitting on coffee table and pick it up and it say I've walked 700 FT, WORTHLESS
3rd Apps, There are very very few apps that are worth downloading, unless you want a different watch face everyday, there are tons of watch faces and most of them are unattractive, plus I've purchased a few apps at the beginning and mostly none worked as advertised or they were very buggy, WORTHLESS
4th If I'm not mistaken Gear 2 came out in 2014 and here it is Nov 2014 and the Gear 2 is out of date, this thing was purchased for $299, luckily it was a gift, MAD
in my opinion Samsung screwed the consumer, Yes the phones are very good but on this watch thing it's an other issue, and a bad one
The reason I left the IPhone behind was because they are proprietary and now Samsung is doing the same thing
I'll be leaving Samsung behind also when contract is up
Thanks for the VENTING
Lonestarman said:
I recently received a Gear 2 for my Bday
I was excited and couldn't wait to play with it to see what it would do
Well I've had it going on 2 months now, to my displeasure the Gear 2 is useless IMO
1st the heart rate monitor doesn't monitor, you have to start it and 9xs out of 10 you have to restart it and it's mostly wrong, I've started 5xs conservatively and got a range from 65-95, WORTHLESS
2nd The pedometer, we'll it's never right, I can have the gear 2 sitting on coffee table and pick it up and it say I've walked 700 FT, WORTHLESS
3rd Apps, There are very very few apps that are worth downloading, unless you want a different watch face everyday, there are tons of watch faces and most of them are unattractive, plus I've purchased a few apps at the beginning and mostly none worked as advertised or they were very buggy, WORTHLESS
4th If I'm not mistaken Gear 2 came out in 2014 and here it is Nov 2014 and the Gear 2 is out of date, this thing was purchased for $299, luckily it was a gift, MAD
in my opinion Samsung screwed the consumer, Yes the phones are very good but on this watch thing it's an other issue, and a bad one
The reason I left the IPhone behind was because they are proprietary and now Samsung is doing the same thing
I'll be leaving Samsung behind also when contract is up
Thanks for the VENTING
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I own the original galaxy gear and while I was running with andriod for the longest time, I decided to give tizen a try and it made the watch better imo. However, pedometer and all of its original apps worked flawlessly with both OS's, the only gripe I have with it is that I can't swap bracelets like the gear 2. What apps are you using for it? I'm using News replubic, fleksy messenger, calculator, instant settings, travel translator and a whole bunch of watch faces; all working well. Ive been hesitant to try any of the other apps as I feel they are unnecessary, for example all the FB, twitter and location apps. One more thing I'd like to share is that different apps are available for different model phones, don't know why samsung does this; I've been able to get most apps by modifying the build prop on S3 to make seem like it is a S5. The pedometer works with a movement motions sensor on the watch, not GPS, this is why the watch picks up a step you move the watch up and down or back and forth.
I use News Republic, calendar, and a different media controller other than stock
I am disappointed really due to the lack of quality apps and the watch is out dated so quickly, less than months old and it's outdated, uurrrr
I wish there was away to make it into an Android Wear
More apps, would be better all around
It just makes me mad the watch is outdated and the lack quality apps all $299
I work had for my money and sacrifice to get items
I've learned a valuable lesson
Lonestarman said:
I use News Republic, calendar, and a different media controller other than stock
I am disappointed really due to the lack of quality apps and the watch is out dated so quickly, less than months old and it's outdated, uurrrr
I wish there was away to make it into an Android Wear
More apps, would be better all around
It just makes me mad the watch is outdated and the lack quality apps all $299
I work had for my money and sacrifice to get items
I've learned a valuable lesson
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you. I love my Samsung phones, but I have had the Gear 1 since inception and the apps have not been good and very far and few in between. I feel as if the gear 1 users were just abandoned by Samsung. In fact the original gear wasn't even out a few months when they brought out gear 2. This is my last try at being an early adopter to any electronics.
One more thing. The only app that most gear 1 users really enjoyed was Watch Styler for making new watch faces and that was even taken away.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Free mobile app
Yeah the best thing to do about this new gimmick watch thing is to sit back and wait till everyone not just Samsung gets it right
I'm still mad at Samsung for putting out gear 2 and then months later they put out another, and then quit supporting it, it's just wrong, They should of done it right the 1st time
Even though I like there phones I'm done with them, they are screwing the consumer by putting out these watches that are obsolete in 3 months
I just hope someone that's smart enough can transform my gear 2 to something more usable
I'll be waiting
The watch let's us reply to text using s voice, emojies, text templates and of you are using fleksy it even let's you reply by using the fleksy app from your watch. You can place and answer calls using s voice and have a conversation thru the watch of you are driving, etc. You can read articles with the news republic app, take pictures with it (not pro quality but the cam is great), it let's you control the media you are playing on your phone and it plays music you've stored on your watch to use thru bt headphones while jogging/exercising, it let's read alerts from different apps and while you cannot reply to most, you at least can see who is trying to get a hold of you and if it's important to reply right away, you can use s voice to do quick searches (even though is not as accurate as ok Google) but it works fine, you can use a calculator on it, control different settings on your phone from the watch, select different fonts and background wallpapers, you can also take voice notes and memos and sync them to your phone for storage. This is a companion device, that's all. I find it very functional, what else would you like it to do?
I don't think you understand what I'm saying
Samsung has abandon the gear 2 and any gear before and the gear 2 is not even a year old, no developer will make any new apps that's worth anything
Yes it's a companion device, so what new app has come along lately that's worth anything as a companion to your phone ? , none!!!!
Do you really read News Republic from your gear 2 , Do you really use Flexky to text from your gear 2
If you do the are a small majority
So you listen to your music on gear 2 hell I can do the same with my phone with all my music not just limited
These are the apps I use on my gear 2
I heart radio has a companion app for gear 2 if you download and use I heart radio, its not in the gear manager
Calendar app that shows holidays and one or 2 watch face that show you a glimpse of the weather
I have tried to find apps that look worth using but come to find out the apps are so buggy or they just don't work as advertised
The gear manager sucks, come on be honest
All I'm saying is Samsung abandoned the gear 2 and now has the Gear S, Android wear that they concentrating on
Have you seen any support from Samsung for the gear 2, no just here on XDA
would you buy a phone that would be obsolete in 2 months of getting it with zero support no updates, you can not get any apps for the gear 2 except from gear manager all other watches you can get apps from the play store that are worth something out of a 1000 apps on gear manager out, which is very little, except maybe 5 that at with anything
This is just about to be 2015,show me some innovation
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Free mobile app
Yeah I get what you mean, but I dont think the watches are obsolete just yet. I do agree that there isnt anything new for our watches cause all development as moved to newer watches. However, the gear S as doesnt attract me, specially its battery! come on now, such a large watch couldve had a bigger than 300mah battery, thats a big no no for me not to jump on it. Android wear is as good as our gear watches at the moment, im gonna wait for the new generation of watches that will come just like im waiting on the new generation of cell phones that will come, so that I dont regret buying something now that most devices are in transition to become better.
So tell me in 2 or 3 more generations of watches what you think you'll be able to do
I don't want to look like **** Track or Maxwell Smart, I hope you know who they are, Im telling my age now
I guess I expect to much from companies
I honestly believe they rely on there engineers heavily and don't listen to the average Joe on the street, (the consumer) I'm not bad mouthing engineers, I've worked around them for over 30 years now and if it wasn't for them we wouldn't have the advancements we now but I also know they can be the most stubborn and arrogant people I have been around
I actually believe this watch gimmick as I call it will be a bust
The screen is just to small to do anything with
Does anyone remember the old calculator watches back in the 70s and 80s,do you see thoughs anymore?
a watch is a watch, it gives you the time the date and maybe a timer or an alarm, that's it
Do you really want to look like an FBI agent talking to your wrist
OK I'm thru with my venting and rant
Thanks for letting me do that
See ya
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Free mobile app
Honestly I feel watches are gonna move in the direction of the new Gear S watch, towards being devices independent from a cell phone. The question is why? simply because there is some demand for it and because there a lot invested on it. Also, they are thinking about watches just like they think about cell phones, new version every 6 to 12 months, its all about marketing and extreme consumerism.; so all we have to do is not fall for every device and research about specs and actual usability. For example, the new Gear S is a nice device but samsung messed up when they put such a small battery (300 mah just like out Gear). We just have to shop smart, personally I love watches which is why I have a "smart watch"
I love gadgets, but I'm getting old and probably set in my ways
In my life right now it's about being practical
I hope that your right, because before I pass away I want to see technology grow beyond my wildness dreams
Shot I remember when microwaves were 1st sold and we've grown every sense
I actually love new technology and gadgets, but I'm sorry to say the watch thing is going to go south, maybe not in next 3-4 years but it will be gone
I hope I'm wrong and your right
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Free mobile app
I think smart watches do have a role to play, but they're not going that way. Yes, the screens are too small to surf the web or type emails etc. But what they're the right size for is to get strapped on my wrist where I can glance at them to see if it's worth pulling my phone out of my pocket right then and there (when I'm on my bike, or driving, or doing things). They're also great for taking a QUICK phone call when my hands are full or I'm busy, long enough to say "hold on a sec" or "I'll call you right back".
So much missing the point.
All I'm trying to say is are these watches worth the 199-299 price tag just so me and you can glance down to see who's calling us just because we are to lazy to pull our phones out of our back pocket
One more time as I've mentioned in the above threads
I have a gear 2 which was released this year 2014 which I wear every day and it's already obsolete, Samsung hasn't done one thing to the watch since release and there not going too, they have moved on to the Gear S and/or Android wear, the developers have stopped making apps for it and the apps that are out there are very buggy, they aren't worth using, so by the end of the year my gear 2 will be an expensive watch that will be doing the same thing an 35 dollar Timex will do, which is give me the time, the date, a stopwatch, etc
Maybe other smart watch makers will be OK and make some decent smart watches for the consumer but Samsung has pissed me off by taking mine and your money for a watch they knew they were going to stop supporting after a few months on the market and that's just wrong, period
There's nothing you can say to defend that unless you know a major change coming
I hope the smart watch trend works out, I love gadgets, I love technology but I will not spend my hard earned money on something that's doomed by the manufacturer from the beginning which right now is Samsung
In the business world if you want to keep your customers coming back you must treat your customers right
Yes I'm mad at Samsung for deserting me and others, they've showed no loyalty
So when it all said and done, I'm going to desert Samsung and show no loyalty to them
I'm hoping that there will be a developer out there that will be able root this gear 2 and make it useable in the future as an android device not a dedicated Tizen /Samsung device
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Free mobile app
Lonestarman said:
All I'm trying to say is are these watches worth the 199-299 price tag just so me and you can glance down to see who's calling us just because we are to lazy to pull our phones out of our back pocket
One more time as I've mentioned in the above threads
I have a gear 2 which was released this year 2014 which I wear every day and it's already obsolete, Samsung hasn't done one thing to the watch since release and there not going too, they have moved on to the Gear S and/or Android wear, the developers have stopped making apps for it and the apps that are out there are very buggy, they aren't worth using, so by the end of the year my gear 2 will be an expensive watch that will be doing the same thing an 35 dollar Timex will do, which is give me the time, the date, a stopwatch, etc
Maybe other smart watch makers will be OK and make some decent smart watches for the consumer but Samsung has pissed me off by taking mine and your money for a watch they knew they were going to stop supporting after a few months on the market and that's just wrong, period
There's nothing you can say to defend that unless you know a major change coming
I hope the smart watch trend works out, I love gadgets, I love technology but I will not spend my hard earned money on something that's doomed by the manufacturer from the beginning which right now is Samsung
In the business world if you want to keep your customers coming back you must treat your customers right
Yes I'm mad at Samsung for deserting me and others, they've showed no loyalty
So when it all said and done, I'm going to desert Samsung and show no loyalty to them
I'm hoping that there will be a developer out there that will be able root this gear 2 and make it useable in the future as an android device not a dedicated Tizen /Samsung device
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same with the Gear 1 that I bought... l have been a dedicated Samsung customer on phones for years and I am beginning to rethink that..
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Free mobile app
I realized I was sloppy and vague in my earlier post, so to fix that: "so much missing the point" was meant to apply to Samsung & smartwatch makers in general, and not Lonestarman and Rsmin, with whom I substantially agree. I just wish the focus could be on doing the simple things (email, messaging, notifications, maps) *well*; after that, anything else is gravy. At least for how I roll.
I can't begin to tell you how peeved I am that Sammy's latest few Manager updates broke rich notifications.
Ha! You guys are insane! I love my Gear watch. I have the original gear watch and I found it useful in more ways than one. Take my post light heatedly guys, I know each situation is different for everyone.
For those of you with gripes about the apps and functionality, you need to seriously sit back and re-think what it is you thought this watch could do. Being able to see messages because you are too lazy to pull it out of your pocket is ludicrous. I drive a lot for work, not only that, when I am in the office I am often in different team members cubes assisting with something. I don't have to pull my phone out of my pocket and fumble around with the side key then swipe up and enter messages to see who just messaged. It's there at a quick glance. I don't have to unplug my phone each time I walk away from my desk so I don't miss a call.
If I am at a team members desk and my phone is ringing (usually on silent) I know about it. I have missed many, many important calls before simply because I forgot my phone was on silent or I was away from my desk. With this watch, I am alerted no matter what. You're telling me that alone isn't worth the price tag?
What about when you are driving and your wife asks you to bring something home for dinner. All the food places are miles from your home. You get home, only to realize you missed the call, and have to go back out. This has happened to me also.
These situations may be specific to me, but reading all these negative posts leads me to believe you all thought your watches would become your wives. Cooking dinner for you, rubbing your feet, telling you how great you look in those new skinny jeans of yours. It's not a "fleshgear" gents. And the pedometer and heart rate sensor? Of course it's not going to work! LOLOL. It's a stupid gimmick Samsung keeps throwing in all their ****, everyone knows this, and you should have too.
I have found usefulness in quickly telling someone the weather in the coffee room while my phones at my desk. I used the calculator daily. I use the vrecord app to take pictures of me and my family on Halloween from my phone that was set 10 feet away. I use the media control to control the music on my phone connected to a blue tooth speaker while my phone is in the other room charging. I use svoice to send texts and make calls right from the watch. I find it most useful at home, when I move about the house and the phone is charging in the cradle.
This is an accurate portrayal of all the things this watch can do, and I have a first gen. Please don't write something nasty back, I won't bother answering you. These are my 2pennies and information for anyone who might be thinking about grabbing a first gen gear on A4C.com for $84 and free shipping.
Best of luck to you all,
-Dave
---------- Post added at 01:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:52 PM ----------
Oh, and I do agree Gear Manager sucks. Samsung is the WORST about updates.
I've actually owned both of these watches so I think I can draw a good comparison:
First of all, the approach of these two watches is completely different. The LG G Watch R assumes you will always have your smartphone with you. It is basically for notifications and quick responses. It assumes you will use your smartphone for anything more involved. It is an accessory in the purest sense of the word. It helps you keep your phone in your pocket but it doesn't try to replace your phone. With Google Now it has excellent voice recognition and navigation. Fast, light and easy.
The Gear S is very powerful and yet on many levels redundant. It does much of what your phone does. But there is a problem, it does it in such a small format wouldn't you be better off just using your phone? Yes it handles texts better than the LG G R, but why? Your phone does it even better and you aren't typing on a tiny keyboard. But can't you just use the Gear S as a phone replacement and leave your phone at home? Good concept except no camera and the battery life with a 300 ma battery is horrible under heavy use (I blew through a full charge in 2 hours). It's also huge and face it, pretty nerdy. And sadly, S-Voice just sucks.
So while room for lots of improvement exists with Android Wear, I think it gets it on what a smartwatch should be - not a smart phone on your wrist but a smart accessory that extends your smart phone to your wrist.
Exactly. The Gear S is not worth imho. Why would you want to have a phone on your wrist? And imho it's fugly (as are all other galaxy gear watches).
DarknessWarrior said:
Exactly. The Gear S is not worth imho. Why would you want to have a phone on your wrist? And imho it's fugly (as are all other galaxy gear watches).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only reason the Gear S makes sense is if you plan on leaving your smart phone at home, but WHY would anyone do that? You have no camera, you are trying to type on a 2 inch screen, the battery is tiny and doesn't last - and oh yeah, its ugly as you said. It's funny. In this day and age of bigger and bigger screens, Gear S is trying to get us to go back to 2 inches.
That's not to say the Gear S doesn't have good ideas. I would enjoy being able to see lists of my notifications on Android Wear even after I have dismissed them for one. Also the multiple homescreens with widgets is a good idea Android Wear could use.
Last thought, would be nice to be able to talk into the watch when responding to a quick call if you aren't wearing a headset. Gear S does that well.
We really need Gear S and LG G R to have a baby with the best parts of each.
mitchellvii said:
The only reason the Gear S makes sense is if you plan on leaving your smart phone at home, but WHY would anyone do that? You have no camera, you are trying to type on a 2 inch screen, the battery is tiny and doesn't last - and oh yeah, its ugly as you said.
That's not to say the Gear S doesn't have good ideas. I would enjoy being able to see lists of my notifications on Android Wear even after I have dismissed them for one. Also the multiple homescreens with widgets is a good idea Android Wear could use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah, Tizen-based Gear watches have good ideas, but first the platform itself is new and is probably heading the same route as Bada did, I don't really see it taking off. And then the Gear S itself is trying to be something most people don't want, noone wants a phone in the wrist, its an hassle to use it, calling, sending texts and so on, then you'll have to have multiple SIM cards... and finally it looks super nerdy calling people from your wrist lol
I mean, there's phones which do a phone's job well done, why would you buy something that makes your life harder? lol IMHO smartwatches are just supposed to be so you don't waste so much time grabbing your phone from your pocket just to see that the notification you just got was some spam email or a facebook farmville invite.
DarknessWarrior said:
yeah, Tizen-based Gear watches have good ideas, but first the platform itself is new and is probably heading the same route as Bada did, I don't really see it taking off. And then the Gear S itself is trying to be something most people don't want, noone wants a phone in the wrist, its an hassle to use it, calling, sending texts and so on, then you'll have to have multiple SIM cards... and finally it looks super nerdy calling people from your wrist lol
I mean, there's phones which do a phone's job well done, why would you buy something that makes your life harder? lol IMHO smartwatches are just supposed to be so you don't waste so much time grabbing your phone from your pocket just to see that the notification you just got was some spam email or a facebook farmville invite.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right. Smartwatches are meant to be the 7-11 convenience store of the gadget world. Fast, light, easy.
Anyone using smartwatch? Share Experiences and thoughts here.
I am thinking of buying G Watch Urbane
http://i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/481/790/669.jpg
Go for it. You will be a BOSS. Seriously, it will change your life.
Have been think about getting one for a while, but they are pretty expensive in Australia and I would personally wait a little bit longer for the technology to mature.
Sent from my SM-N920C using Tapatalk
I use a asus zenwatch.
It is very usefull for some things.
When you get messages/calls at work you can have a quick look if its important.
Maps navigation (walk) you dont need to look at your Smartphone anymore.
Music skip Songs
OK Google feature: Send whatsapp to... (When driving), reminder, translator....
I have a G Watch.
Having a smart watch is pretty usefull when you recieve messages or calls, u can look at the watch and see or respond without turning on your phone.
Also u have maps and other apps that are pretty usefull..... If u are a runner is great!
At the end is a watch with smart capabilities... Time and date plus the basics of the phone...
metteduch said:
Anyone using smartwatch? Share Experiences and thoughts here.
I am thinking of buying G Watch Urbane
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am using Pebble Steel, which is based on the original Pebble watch. The value and functionality is fantastic. First of all, it looks good and performs extremely well as a watch. I picked it for just $100 around holidays, and at that price it's worth the money even if it did not have any "smart"watch functionality. Some good points about it:
1. Great as a watch. The time always stays in sync with network time. There are about a gazillion good looking watch faces you can download.
2. Delivers notifications from the phone (calls, messages, etc)
3. Weather and battery charge display on many popular watch faces.
4. Will last 7-10 days on one battery charge
5. waterproof
6. Android compatible (of course)
7. Cheap
8. Many many free apps.
Poor points:
1 bit "color" display is very readable and saves you battery, but some people want a color display.
I think the activity/fitness tracking features are a bit gimmicky.
The newer versions of Pebble are worth checking out.
Don't know why are all smartwatches are so expensive???
EvilKing009 said:
Don't know why are all smartwatches are so expensive???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you can find pebbles on swappa for typically less than $100, plus the pebble classic dropped to $100 MSRP
pebbles are awesome, I rock the steel and it's great, the battery life is ridiculous and it does notifications really well (music control is nice too)
they don't bite off more than they can chew like some other smartwatches
I highly recommend an asus zenwatch 2, it only costs $130 on (or at) bestbuy and has specs similar to "flagship" smartwatches. The only thing it doesnt have is a heart rate monitor. It also is one of the only smartwatches with a speaker, whenever google adds functionality for a speaker on android wear.
I wish those watches weren't so expensive
yes I do ,moto 360
I have an ASUS Zenwatch 2 and can highly recommend it!
It is available on Amazon and at Best Buy, etc. for $129 with the brown band (which actually isn't terrible), but I also picked up a steel 22mm milanese band for $11 and it looks great!
I'm using an Asus Zenwatch. It's very useful for eg answering whatsapp.
I have a Samsung Gear LIVE, pretty useful for the notification (but I use some filter)
I have the LG G Watch the original I snagged it for $100. Best thing I've done. It's mostly to learn to leave my phone alone in my pocket. I can't talk through the watch which is really fine with me, you can use a Bluetooth headset for music and phone calls so no biggie. I have two phones so I also have a second watch the LG G Watch R for my LG G3. Just remember that you can't pair more than one phone to the watch.
Quick text and email replies, start apps while driving eg: navigate to x location, start music, call B contact. That's what the watch does best. No heart rate monitor, not an accurate pedometer it will get better!
Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk
I had a zenwatch. Worked fine with my G2. But after a few days i sold it. In a few years i'll get interested again. For now i don't find it useful.
Using Pebble Time. You can find discussions about pebble vs. other (android wear) watches on reddit.
Extremely happy with my watch. It's not pricey as other watches, 150$ and you get one week battery life.
I'm using the LG Urbane. It's nice but the phone's battery sure has taken a hit (even though I use it less).
LG Watch R and yes, love it