Related
I just picked up a Gear a few hours ago, and all I can say is WOW. After reading all the negative
reviews, I was expecting a quick look and then a return to the store, but after playing with this watch
for the last few hours, I have come away VERY impressed. This is the 4th smart watch I've owned,
and it's head and shoulders above the ones I used previously (MetaWatch, Wimm Labs, and Sony 2nd Gen).
Those watches all had their plusses and minuses, but this watch it a much more complete package. And it
should be, since it's not cheap. But still a lot cheaper than the Tag and Omega that I have
First off, the look is great. I got the jet black version, and it has a very understated tech look. It fits great on my wrist,
and is very light.
Second, everything I have tried so far works, and works the way I would expect it to. Calling, charging, s-voice, and all
the apps I have tried. The camera is great, and works well with the wine label app. The display is gorgeous, much
better than the displays on the previous smart watches I've tried.
My long term concerns will be battery life and sustained connectivity, which were 2 of the biggest issues I had with
other smart watches. If it can pass those tests, then it's a keeper.
I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I wonder if a lot of the reviewers that just destroyed this watch don't have a little heartburn
that Apple wasn't first to market. This watch will get very good very fast if they add apps quickly to the market.
I'll finish by saying that if you're on the fence on this watch, pick it up. If you temper your expectations (don't expect a DSLR
on your wrist, understand that 3rd party apps may be limited initially and sometimes buggy), you'll be very happy with it...
glad to hear your enjoying yours.
yes it does come off as weird why these tech sites are very eager to proclaim it as failure or DOA. we shall see though who is right but based on the reviews here its not as piss poor as they make it out to be.
theverge even called it samsung's worst product
j4falcons said:
I just picked up a Gear a few hours ago, and all I can say is WOW. After reading all the negative
reviews, I was expecting a quick look and then a return to the store, but after playing with this watch
for the last few hours, I have come away VERY impressed. This is the 4th smart watch I've owned,
and it's head and shoulders above the ones I used previously (MetaWatch, Wimm Labs, and Sony 2nd Gen).
Those watches all had their plusses and minuses, but this watch it a much more complete package. And it
should be, since it's not cheap. But still a lot cheaper than the Tag and Omega that I have
First off, the look is great. I got the jet black version, and it has a very understated tech look. It fits great on my wrist,
and is very light.
Second, everything I have tried so far works, and works the way I would expect it to. Calling, charging, s-voice, and all
the apps I have tried. The camera is great, and works well with the wine label app. The display is gorgeous, much
better than the displays on the previous smart watches I've tried.
My long term concerns will be battery life and sustained connectivity, which were 2 of the biggest issues I had with
other smart watches. If it can pass those tests, then it's a keeper.
I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I wonder if a lot of the reviewers that just destroyed this watch don't have a little heartburn
that Apple wasn't first to market. This watch will get very good very fast if they add apps quickly to the market.
I'll finish by saying that if you're on the fence on this watch, pick it up. If you temper your expectations (don't expect a DSLR
on your wrist, understand that 3rd party apps may be limited initially and sometimes buggy), you'll be very happy with it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I completely agree, I got my watch on Saturday and I have to say that I'm impressed and that's amazing considering I pair it with GS3 and some features still don't work! It was quite amusing today in the office with people couldn't actually believe it was real lots of iphone owners asking would it work with their phone ! I'm not sure why all those negative reviws, not sure what people expected, but if you take it for what it is - it's an amazing piece of technology! By the way, I charged it last night and got home tonight and it was on 70% battery - that's much better than what I hoped for!
I also think the watch is much better than how major tech reviewers are rating it in their reviews.
Pros:
1. Good looking design with some choice material- Sapphire glass, brushed stainless steel and high quality band
2. Very nice display
3. Smooth and lag-free operation
4. Nice and tight integration with smartphone
5. More than acceptable phone and camera capability
6. Limited to Note 3 for the moment ( this pro is applicable to me as a Note 3 user for a while~ )
7. Great to have the event and message reminder via a gentle vibration on the wrist!
8. Built-in pedometer and health apps
Neutral:
1. Battery performance- acceptable for a day's operation but could use a bit of margin.
2. Wrist band- acceptable but would be nice to have the flexibility to change the color
Cons:
1. Insufficient notification support for Gmail and Facebook apps (SW)
2. No calculator! (SW)
3. No compass (SW, HW?)
4. No on-screen keyboard (They could've put together a creative keyboard layout to fit the wonderful screen for sure ) (SW)
5. High price
6. Limited choice of phone models (only if Samsung wants this product to succeed on its own merit, that is. With Samsung selling twice as many smartphones as Apple now, I don't see any reason why they need to make the watches compatible to other brand phones necessarily, as it can be yet another reason to buy a Samsung phone for those on the fence.) SW
So, really, other than the relatively high price, I don't see critical shortcomings of this watch that can't be fixed by software updates and apps support down the road. The knock-on feature of G2 would be nice to have on this watch to wake it up and shut it down as necessary, in addition to the motion sensor-based wake on feature that it already has.
they should hurry with the updates, I can see this gaining more traction with more phones
Lets not forget what the critics said about the original Note 1. The press hammered that mobile yet it went on to give birth to a whole new generation,, the 'phablet'. Many brands have tried to copy the idea but non have come even close to selling the amount Samsung has and the note is now in its third year and on the third iteration having sold millions.
Smart watches in general have not yet been taken to by the market. This is in reality the first truly smart watch. Other brands will now rapidly try to play catch up as they have with the Note 1
In terms of Android devices Samsung appear to date to be the innovators in terms of technology.
Regards
Only issues are small software related ones. I am getting great battery life. Give it a little time for some developers to fill the gaps on the notification side.
Heck, the pebble is only really useful with 3rd party apps like Pebblify, so I don't know why people are so hard on the Gear.
I agree, it is a great product and a keeper here. (Had a Sony 1st gen. before.)
Battery life is better than expected. Keeps running for 2 days easily (brightness 2 / sound off).
Screen is excellent, performance sufficient.
More apps wanted now.
One of very few better-written reviews of the Gear:
http://www.zdnet.com/galaxy-gear-re...companion-watch-for-note-3-owners-7000021316/
Please use this thread to discuss devices other than and any comparisons with other devices on or about Gear Live in this thread and any other off-topic issues that are not needing a new thread.
Post with respect, this is a helpful community, hope we all learn from this stuff in here.
What made everyone choose this over the LG G watch?
i went for gear live because it has amoled display and the silver thing on the two side makes the watch look a bit premium
Sent from my SM-N9005 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
big_b0sss said:
i went for gear live because it has amoled display and the silver thing on the two side makes the watch look a bit premium
Sent from my SM-N9005 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't forget it's also $30 less as by the end of the year we ALL know we will be owning superior devices anyways.
enko420 said:
Don't forget it's also $30 less as by the end of the year we ALL know we will be owning superior devices anyways.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i actually paid £10 more as its priced higher than lg g watch in uk
I absolutely cannot believe they did not include a speaker! I just returned the gear neo 2 because it was running Tizen and not Google wear. making phone calls on it without pulling my phone out of my pocket was the absolute greatest feature.I ordered the gear live because it was running Google wear, thinking of the future. Now I find out it does not have a speaker so I can not make phone calls from the watch. I'm going to return the gear live and go back to the gear neo 2. Wrong decision Samsung.
chumboy said:
I absolutely cannot believe they did not include a speaker! I just returned the gear neo 2 because it was running Tizen and not Google wear. making phone calls on it without pulling my phone out of my pocket was the absolute greatest feature.I ordered the gear live because it was running Google wear, thinking of the future. Now I find out it does not have a speaker so I can not make phone calls from the watch. I'm going to return the gear live and go back to the gear neo 2. Wrong decision Samsung.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I honestly don't care for making phone calls on my Gear 2 Neo. If you aren't in a quiet room its near impossible to hear what they are saying.
enko420 said:
I honestly don't care for making phone calls on my Gear 2 Neo. If you aren't in a quiet room its near impossible to hear what they are saying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To each their own.
But it's fascinating to know you don't like it.
I had the Gear 2 Neo for about a week and had good results when not standing in Time Square.
Gear Live 2!
I would like the ability to turn off the motion sensor, sense everytime I move my wrist a certain way my watch just turns on.I look at my watch ocassionally and notice that the screen is on I have indavertenly been touching the screen selecting things. I prefer to touch the screen to turn it on. I have already turned off the screen always on option, but would like to turn off motion as well. Would extend the battery life alot further.
chumboy said:
To each their own.
But it's fascinating to know you don't like it.
I had the Gear 2 Neo for about a week and had good results when not standing in Time Square.
Gear Live 2!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i'm 100% in the not taking phone calls on a watch camp for the same reason i don't use speakerphone when not in a car.
but i would have liked a speaker simply for alarms and stopwatch/timer funcionality. nothing crazy, just a simple beep/chirp would have been enough
adiliyo said:
i'm 100% in the not taking phone calls on a watch camp for the same reason i don't use speakerphone when not in a car.
but i would have liked a speaker simply for alarms and stopwatch/timer funcionality. nothing crazy, just a simple beep/chirp would have been enough
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See, we can find common ground here! A speaker would make us both happy.
Surprised that Sammy decided to remove a hardware feature rather than adding them (to a point).
Their research must have shown that the cost/benefit was upside-down.
So it goes.
They should have stuck with Gear 2 features and gwear os. I'm sure it will be ported.... I love my Neo 2
Sent from my GT-I9500 using Tapatalk
I have a feeling that Samsung was forced to make the watch according to Google specifications. (No Speaker, No WiFi, Single Button for turning the device on) There is also a WiFi antenna in the Gear Live that is not being used according to iFixIt.
StevenMattera said:
I have a feeling that Samsung was forced to make the watch according to Google specifications. (No Speaker, No WiFi, Single Button for turning the device on) There is also a WiFi antenna in the Gear Live that is not being used according to iFixIt.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
antenna but they couldn't confirm if there is a wifi controller on the mobo, could just be the cheapest way to order that part for assembly.
i agree that samsung was probably told to stick to the reference design which i'm fine with, but it's curious that google decided not to include a basic speaker for alarm use in the reference design for android wear.
i am however much happier (so far) with the watch than i expected to be. if moto prices the 360 out of what i'm willing to pay, i'm actually satisfied enough to hang on to the gear live until i can get the moto for a reasonable price (i won't pay more than $250 for the 360)
---------- Post added at 12:33 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:32 AM ----------
hashcheck said:
They should have stuck with Gear 2 features and gwear os. I'm sure it will be ported.... I love my Neo 2
Sent from my GT-I9500 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i like the general design of the gear 2, but i am so glad that android made wear, i see adoption for this from a developer standpoint to be much much better than any proprietary garbage os that samsung puts out. and personally, i dislike samsung devices (read: touchwiz) and plan to stay away from them for the foreseeable future.
adiliyo said:
i like the general design of the gear 2, but i am so glad that android made wear, i see adoption for this from a developer standpoint to be much much better than any proprietary garbage os that samsung puts out. and personally, i dislike samsung devices (read: touchwiz) and plan to stay away from them for the foreseeable future.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know, I've been reading about the gear watches and android wear all day and I still just don't see it. Anything that's on there I would normally pull up my phone for, and the small watch screen version and limited functionality (no speaker, small screen, etc)... I think if I get any notification I'll end up pulling out the phone and responding there anyway... Is this stuff just a lazy persons solution to a problem that doesn't exist?? If wear devices were more like little phones with built in wifi, IR (I think some gear watches had this?!), etc at least you could use it to control your movie watching experiences...
I'm probably just getting old and wanting stuff to stay how I'm used to it
peaklabs.net said:
I don't know, I've been reading about the gear watches and android wear all day and I still just don't see it. Anything that's on there I would normally pull up my phone for,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that IS the point, so you don't have to pull your phone 100 times a minute for every notification, it is trying to "change" the way we use the phone and not trying to replace it. For all that "extras" (Wifi, Speaker, etc, etc) you have the phone.
I love it, I hardly touch my phone now, the battery life on my phone had gotten so much better and I am more interactive responding to all SMSs and facebook/Whasapp messages than before. :laugh:
peaklabs.net said:
I don't know, I've been reading about the gear watches and android wear all day and I still just don't see it. Anything that's on there I would normally pull up my phone for, and the small watch screen version and limited functionality (no speaker, small screen, etc)... I think if I get any notification I'll end up pulling out the phone and responding there anyway... Is this stuff just a lazy persons solution to a problem that doesn't exist?? If wear devices were more like little phones with built in wifi, IR (I think some gear watches had this?!), etc at least you could use it to control your movie watching experiences...
I'm probably just getting old and wanting stuff to stay how I'm used to it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maturola said:
I think that IS the point, so you don't have to pull your phone 100 times a minute for every notification, it is trying to "change" the way we use the phone and not trying to replace it. For all that "extras" (Wifi, Speaker, etc, etc) you have the phone.
I love it, I hardly touch my phone now, the battery life on my phone had gotten so much better and I am more interactive responding to all SMSs and facebook/Whasapp messages than before. :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the watch essentially becomes a (more useful) implementation of notification triage, i can see what's important and respond to many things without taking out my phone.
it comes down to the user and their daily flow of usage. the big difference with this vs a very limited and closed off system (like samsung's system, or sony's for that matter) is that it leverages two things.
1. android itself as the platform (no seperate market, no need for seperate apps and figuring out how to make sure the apps work with the phone versions)
2. google now, which i think in the long run is going to be the real centerpiece of the platform. as it gets smarter you really will need to use your phone less for basic things since it will offer up the information you need when you need it with even less interaction necessary from the user.
the biggest deal breaker for the samsung system (for me) is the need for a crappy galaxy smartphone. i can't stand touchwiz and the lag samsung's software developers can't seem to get rid of in the many iterations they've had of their software.
i also enjoy the freedom of leaving my phone at my desk, or at home on the charging pad and just checking things on my watch as i go about my day.
i think i like android wear more as i don't want a tiny phone on my wrist to look awkwardly at and speak to people on. i want a companion device that lets me get on with my day and look at my phone less. it's a change in mindset and workflow that pulls you out of your phone and lets you get back into the world.
Yeah ... I'm constantly having to refer to my phone, more with this than I had to with my Galaxy Gear ... After two weeks with it, I feel like I'm done and ready to go back to the Galaxy Gear for good.
But I don't want to give up on it for some reason. I think because what it does do it look better than my Galaxy Gear, in terms of UI. And the always on is very nice.
I dunno ... Maybe I should have just gotten a Gear 2.
sbrownla said:
Yeah ... I'm constantly having to refer to my phone, more with this than I had to with my Galaxy Gear ... After two weeks with it, I feel like I'm done and ready to go back to the Galaxy Gear for good.
But I don't want to give up on it for some reason. I think because what it does do it look better than my Galaxy Gear, in terms of UI. And the always on is very nice.
I dunno ... Maybe I should have just gotten a Gear 2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I said in my previous post...I went from the Gear 2 Neo to the Live.
Found out it didn't have a speaker after I ordered it.
Tried it out for 3 days and (same as you) had to refer to my phone more.
Called Google to send it back and the Rep said "yea, surprisingly we're having allot of returns b/c of no speaker and many going back to Gear or Gear 2."
They sent me an email for to fill out stating why I'm returning. She said they're interested in feedback for the next model they release. I hope they listen.
I went back to my Gear 2 Neo and am patiently waiting for the next model (with speaker I hope).
They had the same with the Gear 1, made some changes and launched the Gear 2.
Don't waste your money on something you won't use and be happy with.
Wait for the Gear Live 2.
I think I'm going to suck it up though. When the next one comes out I'll gift it or sell it for $100 or so to subsidize the new one.
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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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..
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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.
Hi all. I'm coming back to android after many years away, well not entirely true as my BlackBerry Passport phone uses android runtime and comes pre loaded with amazon store which allows me to download straight to my BlackBerry about 85% of the apps out there.
Having said that, I'm still new to native android and was wondering if I were to buy a new gadget to go with my S6E, would a watch be a good one? If so, which watch to get please?
Thanks in advance.
Sent from my Passport using Tapatalk
uktivo said:
Hi all. I'm coming back to android after many years away, well not entirely true as my BlackBerry Passport phone uses android runtime and comes pre loaded with amazon store which allows me to download straight to my BlackBerry about 85% of the apps out there.
Having said that, I'm still new to native android and was wondering if I were to buy a new gadget to go with my S6E, would a watch be a good one? If so, which watch to get please?
Thanks in advance.
Sent from my Passport using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android Wear is significantly better than Samsung's Tizen based wearables. I would suggest the LG GWR, best looking, fully round watch with the best specifications.
uktivo said:
Hi all. I'm coming back to android after many years away, well not entirely true as my BlackBerry Passport phone uses android runtime and comes pre loaded with amazon store which allows me to download straight to my BlackBerry about 85% of the apps out there.
Having said that, I'm still new to native android and was wondering if I were to buy a new gadget to go with my S6E, would a watch be a good one? If so, which watch to get please?
Thanks in advance.
Sent from my Passport using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The curved Gear Fit is a good match from a design perspective and has a 2-3 day battery life
I currently use a Moto 360 with my s6 edge. Gets about 18 hours battery life, has wireless charging (no annoying clip/case chargers), and has great sunlight visibility. A lot of people do not like the "flat tire" look caused by the black bar at the bottom of the display but i don't even notice it anymore
appledroid said:
Android Wear is significantly better than Samsung's Tizen based wearables. I would suggest the LG GWR, best looking, fully round watch with the best specifications.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How exactly is Android wear "significantly" better? I'm really curious to know.
I am loving the Moto 360 and LG Gwatch R- they are both awesome in their own right
I own a g watch r. I had the newest tizen based watched and took it back the same day for the g watch. The Samsung watch was like a smartphone on my wrist. It was just too much more than I needed. I went to Android Wear because it's more of an extension of android, and not a replacement. I went with the g watch over the 360 just due to personal preference. Both great devices, I just prefer the specs and the look for the R.
Only my opinion though. Check them all out in a store to get a feel for them.
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LG has better hardware and people who seem to like it mainly because the Moto 360's flat tire angers them disproportionately. The Moto 360 has worse hardware, but it's the classiest of the Android Wear watches on the market today. Other watch options by different companies are varying degrees of nobody cares. Kinda.
I have both Moto 360 and Asus Zen watch. On balance I like the Asus watch better because it has an "always on" display. But I switch between the two often.
I love my LG G Watch R
I have the Moto 360. I love it for the ease of use, amazing battery life, and the round shape. I just recently added the pebble silver band to it, and it is a great accessory to my s6 edge.
I sold pebble, and moto 360 and bought GARMIN FENIX 3, battery life 2 weeks, and also smart watch, really great.
Thanks all for the recommendations
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I had a Moto 360 and liked it a lot. I ended up buying a Samsung Galaxy Gear S though. It's Tizen based so it's a bit different than Android Wear but I LOVE it. Really happy with my purchase. It's more than an extension of Android the way Android Wear watches are. If you don't "need" all that though, I think Android Wear is just fine.
Gorgeous Moto 360 and Pebble Steel. I'm going for Pebble Steel though. Still saving up for it.
I checked online for some recommendations as well. Best Smart Watches
Moto 360
I started out with Pebble from the initial launch, but could never get over the fact that the low resolution display had jagged edges that could be seen from space (well, OK, I exaggerate a tad), and the feeling like the case was designed and manufactured by Fisher Price. Even the colors, which looked great on the web site and kickstarter videos arrived looking a bit more like lego plastics. Still, it did a pretty good job of presenting the notifications. I used the Pebble for a few months before the Samsung watches came out (and then I didn't get the original Gear until it had been out for a couple of months). The Pebble Steel does improve the looks of the watch by a wide margin, but the display did not look any/much better.
I then tried Galaxy Gear (original), Gear Live, and Gear 2 (full size one with camera). The Gear Live went back within a week as Android Wear offered so little functionality compared to the original Gear. I thought the Gear 2 looked a lot better than the original Gear despite being so similar in design, but the few changes made a nice difference and it felt better on my wrist. I used the Gear and Gear 2 each for several months.
When the ZenWatch came out, though, I was really impressed by how it looked on the wrist. The Moto 360 never really spoke to me from a style perspective and the complications of a round display just seemed to me that they would eventually limit what I could accomplish with it compared to the rest of the mobile/personal world that was centered around developers thinking about square presentation spaces. I love the ZenWatch looks and how it fits my wrist (and the bands are a fairly standard size and attachment compared to the Gear watches so you get a limitless selection for bands). I do miss a bit of the customization of the Gear capabilities at times, but Android Wear does win on the day to day stuff of notifications, ease of dealing with notifications, ease of dictating/sending text messages, and integration with navigation. I'll take those over the added functionality of the Gear in the long run, but I do wish Android Wear had a better focus on apps rather than just "notifications on steroids" (when I try to run a non-notification app I get frustrated with the process compared to just swiping across a number of app screens on the Gear devices). If Android Wear would even just offer a way to look back at old notifications it would make a huge difference - the Gear watches would both notify you of current notifications and they also had a screen to go to to see past notifications and even read full emails if you wanted. The Android Wear "cards" do let you click through to read more of the message when you get the notification, but once you dismiss the notice you can never get back to it on the watch.
I don't think Gear had navigation integration when I was using those watches (they may have gotten it since then), but the Android Wear does do an excellent job of keeping upcoming navigation steps at a glance on my wrist.
It will be interesting to see how the Apple Watch motivates Samsung and Google to improve either system.
In the meantime, I've been meaning to try the Gear 2 out again and see what enhancements they've added and how well it works with my S6 Edge...
Gear S...