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My 0,02$ about Gear

My first smartwatch ever was the original Sony Smartwatch 1. First of it's kind widely available, it was a pretty good product (if you compare the features to it's price). I bought Galaxy Gear few weeks ago shortly after startup for it's original price of 300 euros. I had it for few days and decided to return it, as this is a beta product with no support at all (at that time). So I returned the Gear and got Smartwatch 2 from Sony.. and that watch is really cool. It's waterproof to some point, it's very VERY light, super comfortable and you can even change the wrist stripe if you don't like the original one. It costs 150 EUR for silicon version, and 200 EUR for metal version here in Netherlands. So it's up to 50% cheaper than the Gear. Out of the box, you only have to install few applications to get messages, and notification to work. Installation is super easy and it works with nearly all devices running android 4.0 or higher. It's a nice device, but lack any kind of customization - and so far there haven't been any tools to change anything in the watch at all. Lately I got a chance to get a Gear for less than 200 EUR so I decided to give it another try, and here it is..
1. After using Smartwatch 2 for a while Gear feels more solid, but it's way more bulky. It doesn't rest nicely on my wrist, and I'm not a huge guy. I could survive uncomfortable top, but the metal bottom (where speaker and mic are located) is catastrophic. I can't stand having the watch on my wrist if I'm working on my desk, as it's touching the desk all the time and leaves scratches. Very annoying.
2. Installation. I had to change my custom ROM to original TouchWiz on my S3 to get Gear to work. Maybe it can work on custom - but there would be more troubles with it than stock so.. To get the full functionality, and don't run into endless troubles, you have to be stock, where SW2 works on custom roms without a single issue.
3. Out of the box experience.. it's a tragedy. The 'main menu' is really slow to operate, and even switching between apps can take few precious seconds. Notifications do not work properly. I have to use 3rd party app to get more notifications. No SMS forwarding to your watch. No replying to messages. No Gmail support. No keyboard. Simply nothing! Out of the box this is just a bluetooth headset with a clock. I don't know anyone who is really using S Voice on a daily basis. Samsung promised us making calls straight from our wrists, and Samsung did deliver that but..
4. Speaker quality - if you are using more than 50% of volume level, you can clearly hear a lot of buzzing. Sound is far from being clear. Not a huge issue though, it's a watch after all.
5. Hardware. Builtin camera that takes decent pictures and videos (as for a watch). Big plus! Loudspeaker so you don't have to hold your wrist to your ear - nice, although sometimes I would prefer to be the only one who can hear the other side (and look like an idiot, I don't care). AMOLED display with 320x320 resolution. Looks really sharp and vivid. Love it! Smartwatch is running a real Android 4.2.2, and that's great. You can root it, sideload apps and so.. but...
6. Usability - but it's pretty useless. There is no bluetooth tethering so you can't use any internet on your wrist (smartwatch 2 has a working internet browser!). You can install app like Tablet Talk to have messaging ability but it's really cumbersome, doesn't display your contact list, only the numbers are visible and generally, you can clearly see that it just wasn't designed for a wrist. I guess runninng Tablet Talk on Gear AND phone uses more battery which results in shorter battery life...
7. Typing. I can easily imagine typing short sentences/messages using Swype-like keyboard, or T9 styled. Display is big enough to send few words within seconds. Unfortunately that is not possible at the moment.
8. Future? There is definitely a future in smartwatches. This device is great, but Samsung tottaly ****ed up the software side. Nothing is working as it should, and if it does - it's cumbersome, and far from being user friendly. You can't get apps from Play Store, you have to use Samsung App Store which is really poor. There are very few apps that are actually somewhat usefull, but they do suck. I tried app like speedometer, that takes ages to start and catch a signal, and if it finally does - it's really ugly. SW2 to compare was displaying current GPS speed within seconds. When I was done with it, all I had to is just go back to home screen, or turn on the clock face, then GPS was stopped. On Gear? You have to open notifications, click on Speedometer, and FORCE STOP it in order to be closed. WHAAAAT?
I love the idea, I like the features (AMOLED, speaker, mic, touchscreen) but there way more wrong things with it than positive.. Media Controller doesn't always work properly, so you can't really shuffle songs etc. There is no SDK available to the publicity, so there won't be any dedicated apps from community anytime soon. Samsung didn't say anything that they will release it anyway so... if you buy the Gear, don't buy it cause it's gonna be "great in the future once XDA devs hack it". It didn't happen, noone knows if it's going to happen and what will come out of it...
I would really suggest waiting for next generation. But if you have spare cash, and can get the Gear cheaper than original price - go for it...

I don't think you would any of these problems if you use a samsung supported phone (N3, or S4 with latest update.)

skyline23 said:
I don't think you would any of these problems if you use a samsung supported phone (N3, or S4 with latest update.)
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I'm using official Android 4.3 firmware provided by Samsung. S3 is officially supported.

hurdlejade said:
I'm using official Android 4.3 firmware provided by Samsung. S3 is officially supported.
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To each his own. I'm sure the camera, mic and speaker and ability to use S Voice to respond to messages all work wonderfully on the SW2.

mhoepfin said:
To each his own. I'm sure the camera, mic and speaker and ability to use S Voice to respond to messages all work wonderfully on the SW2.
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out of the box, SW2 beats Gear in every aspect, if you forget the camera/mic/speaker. S Voice? i guess it's only widely used in USA. i see a lot of people on the internet asking how to actually turn this thing off. it's one of the first things i did when i installed official 4.3 rom.
this is not a hate post. i just tried both products, they are both far from being perfect, and although gear seems to be superior, it lacks the software. and we shouldn't wait months for basic functionality that hardware is fully capable of.

It's all personal choice. I have both Sony s2 and the gear and in my opinion the gear is far better.
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ardsar said:
It's all personal choice. I have both Sony s2 and the gear and in my opinion the gear is far better.
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may i know why is it better? besides the camera/speaker/mic/svoice thingy.

It's my opinion and personal taste. .. It looks more like a watch rather than a big Square thing on your wrist. The Sony is only a second screen and is like a dumb terminal in that it can't run anything ( the Internet app you mention runs on the phone and relays the image to the watch) and you can't ignore the fact that it has a camera speaker Mike and svoice.
It's best to drop this thread like I said it's all personal opinion.
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ardsar said:
It's my opinion and personal taste. .. It looks more like a watch rather than a big Square thing on your wrist. The Sony is only a second screen and is like a dumb terminal in that it can't run anything ( the Internet app you mention runs on the phone and relays the image to the watch) and you can't ignore the fact that it has a camera speaker Mike and svoice.
It's best to drop this thread like I said it's all personal opinion.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
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i just wanted to find out why you prefer gear over SW2, that's it.
i do realise that the internet browser on SW2 works more or less on screenshots.. but it works! and there is no possibility to do so on Gear, although it's capable of real rendering.

Owning 2 Galaxy Gear I guess you can tell I like it. With more and more things being added to the ability of the Gear such as ATN and launchers, etc it is growing leaps and bound sans Samsung. There are 2 versions of Sony out there and this has been out weeks. I say write this after February when it has been thru a few updates. I don't need my watch to do everything the phones does or i wouldn't have bought a 5.7 inch phone. The great things is competition is great and I'm sure Apple is gearing up for theirs and then someone will come and beat theirs and so on and so on. Consumerism at it's best.

Oh yeah, it's not consumer ready at all. But for the hacker/maker crowd out there, it's by far and away the best.
Phone calls.. you can make phone calls from your wrist!!! Come ON that's so cool. You can hack out the click sounds and take super secret spy photos from your wrist....
I have a freakin' game boy emulator .. I can play pokemon on my watch!
HELLO this is like the dream
YES .. the speaker scratching is a problem on my mac book pro, I have to pull up my long sleeve shirt over the bottom to keep it from scraping across the laptop which annoys me as well.
Not sure how they're going to fix that.

There are already enough of these threads here...
The watch des exactly what it says. It is a companion to phone, not a replacement (Why does a watch actually need software?)
it also has mic/speaker/cam which all work surprising well. Didn't take long to adjust to bulky speaker when resting palm on flat surface (mind I wear it a little loose)
There are several default notifications that are sent that everyone has - sms, email, etc. Granted they could do with more detail (html emails, all text in notification), however that will have to come when apps start supporting it - 4.3 helps a lot here
it is waterproof enough - that whole thing seems to be a scare campaign. All the watches available can survive water, just not to the extent of swimming/diving
Gear looks the best out of the watches available and once you use it for a few weeks, then the chance of wanting to return is much lower. I'd say my Pebble does more currently (especially tasker integration!), however, I've not touched it since getting gear a month ago
It only supports 4.3 and Touchwiz, but if you look at the percentage of s3, note2, s4, note3, and future phones, there is no need to support others. Will people complain when apple come out with a watch and it only supports two devices like pretty much everything else they do? (latest and previous model)
Samsung really need to get a move on with releasing sdk though
Plus it is first gen, so it can't have everything. Just be thankful you aren't with Apple and have to wait years for stuff everyone already has
Still going to try out Neptune Pine when it is released, but it is a replacement not companion

blazespinnaker said:
Oh yeah, it's not consumer ready at all. But for the hacker/maker crowd out there, it's by far and away the best.
Phone calls.. you can make phone calls from your wrist!!! Come ON that's so cool. You can hack out the click sounds and take super secret spy photos from your wrist....
I have a freakin' game boy emulator .. I can play pokemon on my watch!
HELLO this is like the dream
YES .. the speaker scratching is a problem on my mac book pro, I have to pull up my long sleeve shirt over the bottom to keep it from scraping across the laptop which annoys me as well.
Not sure how they're going to fix that.
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Click to collapse
I'm enjoying my Gear paired with Note 3. Still completely stock, and I can see how some might think the price is steep for what it currently does. But again, I am ok with what I paid for it, knowing what it does so far and knowing what lays in store for it in the future.
I need to read up on rooting and side loading. How effective is a gameboy emulator on the small screen? Seems like there wouldn't be enough room

Awesome
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hurdlejade said:
I would really suggest waiting for next generation. But if you have spare cash, and can get the Gear cheaper than original price - go for it...
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Snipped For Space!
At 73, I cannot play the waiting game. With smartwatches, women, and fastazz motorcycles..
I want and need it NOW!!
About you comments, they seemed to be like the case of one man's terrorist is another man's freedom-fighter..
BTW, can you answer and call from the SW2?? :fingers-crossed:

I also have a Sony Smartwatch 2. It's a great watch and the SDK support is superb. I recently bought the Gear and my first impression was
1. Wow, smaller than I thought. Because of the design less bulkier than the SW2. Way more stylish (up to a point even my gf thought that i didn't look like a total nerd)
2. Much better resolution and much clearer display
3. Touch response is so much better than the SW2
4. Awful charging method..
5. Miss the always on mode that the Sony has. The magical movement thing to wake up the Gear does work in say 75% of the time for me. The other 25% makes it a bad experience as a watch. Maybe I still have to get the hang of it and learn to make the movement work.. or maybe I have to adapt myself. Have the watch for 2 days now, I'm still learning and not ready to give an overall conclusion.
6 Apps.... yep the Sony has a lot more apps and yes there's a browser out there. But it also has a lot of weird amateuristic apps in the Play store (not made by Sony). I somehow am appreciating Samsung's approach now after a couple of days of using the Gear. They've teamed up with some good third party developers (a few not so good also) and seem to be very careful about what they release on the market right now. Seems like a good thing to me. I bet you can trash a potential goood product that still has to prove itself as a thing that could work by opening it for badly written and designed apps. Good thing to go easy on this. Nevertheless as a developer I love to jump on the bandwagon... But I understand that somehow one needs to direct the experience of a new product. Too many apps that do just half of what you can do can ruin the experience totally. (That said, they might have released the watch too early. On the other side, by releasing it early they now can work on a lot of feedback. It's a decision they've made and it is a decision that comes with a trade off (bad reviews), but in the end it might be the best decision. Nobody knows and nobody will know)

mike208 said:
I'm enjoying my Gear paired with Note 3. Still completely stock, and I can see how some might think the price is steep for what it currently does. But again, I am ok with what I paid for it, knowing what it does so far and knowing what lays in store for it in the future.
I need to read up on rooting and side loading. How effective is a gameboy emulator on the small screen? Seems like there wouldn't be enough room
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Are you kidding me! It's AWESOME ... well I have long thin fingers though. I use gameboid.
They could probably optimize the control setup on gameboid for the watch a bit more.
Sideloading is easy to do, don't need to root. I highly recommend it.
1. Wow, smaller than I thought. Because of the design less bulkier than the SW2. Way more stylish (up to a point even my gf thought that i didn't look like a total nerd)
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Agreed. People have commented that the watch looks great. Sony with it's geeky logo and buttons... come ON.
That being said, there are pros/cons to them all. I'd *love* the battery life of the pebble on the Gear, but I can't go without having Android on my watch. That's just a non starter (for me), but I'm a developer so my opinion is entirely unreflective of the market at large .. but I love it, so who cares.
The one huge problem with the gear, in my opinion, is the lack of compatibility. That's what is really pissing 99% of the world out there that doesn't have a Note 3, frankly. This bundling nonsense is so deeply arrogant. It's monopolistic and completely unnecessary.
It's what makes you root against a company and pray they fail as an enterprise. It's the same sort of arrogance that makes me despise Apple and why I take every opportunity I can to root against them even though my career is tied up with their technology.

I agree with you on the speaker buckle being annoying, but otherwise, it's not THAT bad.

Would you still get the Gear?

as the title says, would you buy again a gear today? or in the end it was an awful choice?

It would be an awful choice if I couldn't use Null ROM. But then on the other hand, all other smart watches currently released have way too limited functionality for what I would like SW to do.
So, stock Gear? Give me my money back.
Null ROM? I keep my gear.

Jerry69 said:
as the title says, would you buy again a gear today? or in the end it was an awful choice?
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Click to collapse
GEAR = Worst + Expensive + To be not called a Gadget....

Yes. Although I did return my Galaxy Gear after Christmas to wait for the Gear 2. I'll be buying the Gear 2 over the Galaxy Gear. I think the watch is handy, especially when the Note 3 is in my pocket. I'm not looking for a toy or something to replace my Note 3, so I am satisfied with stock.

I would think this question would be better asked in the Gear General section but,
Yes, stock it is expensive crap. Null makes it amazing!
The bottom line is buy old Galaxy Gear for cheap or buy new Gear 2.... and that really depends on your $$$ and if Tizen is as unrestrictive as they are claiming it will be. So either way your good but rooting it is a must, and getting Null on it is key.

I sure would get it again!

I love my gear with null rom as it sits today. If I were in the market to buy a smart watch I would just wait til the NeptunePine is released.
Sent from my SM-N900P using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

hurdlejade said:
It would be an awful choice if I couldn't use Null ROM. But then on the other hand, all other smart watches currently released have way too limited functionality for what I would like SW to do.
So, stock Gear? Give me my money back.
Null ROM? I keep my gear.
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Click to collapse
I agree! If the gg 2 is at the right price I may purchase, but the asking price for the gg was too much. I luckily picked mine up for half the price from a mate that got it free with his note 3.
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AndiF85 said:
I agree! If the gg 2 is at the right price I may purchase, but the asking price for the gg was too much. I luckily picked mine up for half the price from a mate that got it free with his note 3.
Sent from my GT-N7105T using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
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This.

I own the Sony smartwatch 2. It is quite good with the stock. I just purchased the gear 1 at a bargain price in France to test it (60€!) And will root and install null ROM as a start.
From the Galaxy

I would buy it again. Cause it's even cheaper ^^ i have the hope that it will be possible to bring Samsungs Ultrapowersaving mode onto the gear. This is the only concearn i have about it...Batterydrain. Currently it runs on 2 cores 400mHz-1100mHz...still laggy sometimes...which annoyes cause of the clock syncing...
But i like this little thing...
GG2 is a no go with Tizen as long as i am not sure about the possibilities...

No.
In the previous year I had the Sony Smartwatch. After 2 weeks of continuous use, and serious effort to make the best of it, I stopped using it. I was disappointed mostly with the dim display which made it hard to use outside.
Last fall I got the Galaxy Gear, just weeks after it was available. Again, I made a concerted effort to use it and make the most of its functionality. But after a few weeks, again I stopped using it. My disappointment was:
MAJOR FAILINGS
- Bluetooth connection often fails when running outside (wanting to track performance on Runtastic app).
- Buggy (notification of missed calls)
POOR DESIGN
- Not adequately weather proof.
- Short battery life.
- Noisy when taking camera photo.
POOR FUTURE
- Very few third party apps. Evidence of now future apps being developed.
- Don't like that third party apps often use lots of resources on Note-3 phone.
I won't upgrade to the Galaxy Gear 2 either - since I have lots confidence in this type of device (smart watch).

Skeleton said:
POOR DESIGN
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Curios to me that so many people does not like the design i like it. But Gear 2 is better. Except for the removed lock key and the removed screws...
Skeleton said:
- Noisy when taking camera photo.
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Nope not with Null rom. Photo taking is quiet.
Blame the government fot the sound.
Skeleton said:
POOR FUTURE
- Very few third party apps. Evidence of now future apps being developed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But other smartwatches use android. Devs developing apps for them? or not? In future Smartwatches will a normal thing. if the android smartwatch itself grows. The Galaxy Gear with android grows too...
Skeleton said:
I won't upgrade to the Galaxy Gear 2 either - since I have lots confidence in this type of device (smart watch).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope Tizen fails and they will bring back an Android Gear with the Note 4...Tizen makes this a nogo for me. Because of the compatibility to android...for the moment...

Bell Canada drops price of Galaxy Gear Smartwatch to $99 (Clearance)
'Nuff said!
Be Well,
DrNicket

Taizen will and feel like Touchwiz. This way the regular consumer will not notice the engine underneath. The same will likely happen to phones down the road as samsung wants to have control of their own ecosystem. Soon many more apps will appear on the samsung app store that mimics thier android counterpart and the majority of users will not notice they are using tizen, nor will they care as long as they have the 'samsung experience'
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I think the Gear is great fun. It's not meant to be a fancy mini phone which I think too many people think it is/should be.
However, I just put Null on last night and either Iäm really missing something or I just don't get it. But. I prefer stock. It's fussy, trying to be a tiny phone which is pointless and it destroys battery. Stock up to 4 day usually 3 days and recharge at 20% or so, Null, less than 1 day, barely touched the watch, 20% after 18 hours. Rubbish! Only thing it has gained for me is the ability to see Facebook messenger (technically, as message received today didn't show) although you can't reply which kinda makes it pointless, and also Gmail, but again can't reply so kinda pointless. Unless reading around, I find something that everyone else is getting excited about Null, iäm flashing stick back. I way prefer the simple look of it too.
So for me, stock GG is great, but buy of eBay or something cause 300 is way too much

Clarky78 said:
I think the Gear is great fun. It's not meant to be a fancy mini phone which I think too many people think it is/should be.
However, I just put Null on last night and either Iäm really missing something or I just don't get it. But. I prefer stock. It's fussy, trying to be a tiny phone which is pointless and it destroys battery. Stock up to 4 day usually 3 days and recharge at 20% or so, Null, less than 1 day, barely touched the watch, 20% after 18 hours. Rubbish! Only thing it has gained for me is the ability to see Facebook messenger (technically, as message received today didn't show) although you can't reply which kinda makes it pointless, and also Gmail, but again can't reply so kinda pointless. Unless reading around, I find something that everyone else is getting excited about Null, iäm flashing stick back. I way prefer the simple look of it too.
So for me, stock GG is great, but buy of eBay or something cause 300 is way too much
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you are missing the whole point of null ROM...do a little of homework
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Just picked up a GG for £125 in o2, so far quite impressed, not blown away, but by the time I can upgrade (Galaxy note 4,5?), hopefully the third iteration will be kicking about, it's brilliant as a media remote (as beats don't allow for volume up /down etc. ) feedly is fun to.
All in all, yes I think I would by another iteration of the GG.
Sent from my SM-N9005 using xda app-developers app

Gear 2 Neo or Sony Smartwatch 2?

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....
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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.

Venting about gear 2

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
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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
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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.

LG G Watch R vs Gear S...

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).
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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.
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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.
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Right. Smartwatches are meant to be the 7-11 convenience store of the gadget world. Fast, light, easy.