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/
I recently received a Gear 2 for my Bday
I was excited and couldn't wait to play with it to see what it would do
Well I've had it going on 2 months now, to my displeasure the Gear 2 is useless IMO
1st the heart rate monitor doesn't monitor, you have to start it and 9xs out of 10 you have to restart it and it's mostly wrong, I've started 5xs conservatively and got a range from 65-95, WORTHLESS
2nd The pedometer, we'll it's never right, I can have the gear 2 sitting on coffee table and pick it up and it say I've walked 700 FT, WORTHLESS
3rd Apps, There are very very few apps that are worth downloading, unless you want a different watch face everyday, there are tons of watch faces and most of them are unattractive, plus I've purchased a few apps at the beginning and mostly none worked as advertised or they were very buggy, WORTHLESS
4th If I'm not mistaken Gear 2 came out in 2014 and here it is Nov 2014 and the Gear 2 is out of date, this thing was purchased for $299, luckily it was a gift, MAD
in my opinion Samsung screwed the consumer, Yes the phones are very good but on this watch thing it's an other issue, and a bad one
The reason I left the IPhone behind was because they are proprietary and now Samsung is doing the same thing
I'll be leaving Samsung behind also when contract is up
Thanks for the VENTING
Lonestarman said:
I recently received a Gear 2 for my Bday
I was excited and couldn't wait to play with it to see what it would do
Well I've had it going on 2 months now, to my displeasure the Gear 2 is useless IMO
1st the heart rate monitor doesn't monitor, you have to start it and 9xs out of 10 you have to restart it and it's mostly wrong, I've started 5xs conservatively and got a range from 65-95, WORTHLESS
2nd The pedometer, we'll it's never right, I can have the gear 2 sitting on coffee table and pick it up and it say I've walked 700 FT, WORTHLESS
3rd Apps, There are very very few apps that are worth downloading, unless you want a different watch face everyday, there are tons of watch faces and most of them are unattractive, plus I've purchased a few apps at the beginning and mostly none worked as advertised or they were very buggy, WORTHLESS
4th If I'm not mistaken Gear 2 came out in 2014 and here it is Nov 2014 and the Gear 2 is out of date, this thing was purchased for $299, luckily it was a gift, MAD
in my opinion Samsung screwed the consumer, Yes the phones are very good but on this watch thing it's an other issue, and a bad one
The reason I left the IPhone behind was because they are proprietary and now Samsung is doing the same thing
I'll be leaving Samsung behind also when contract is up
Thanks for the VENTING
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I own the original galaxy gear and while I was running with andriod for the longest time, I decided to give tizen a try and it made the watch better imo. However, pedometer and all of its original apps worked flawlessly with both OS's, the only gripe I have with it is that I can't swap bracelets like the gear 2. What apps are you using for it? I'm using News replubic, fleksy messenger, calculator, instant settings, travel translator and a whole bunch of watch faces; all working well. Ive been hesitant to try any of the other apps as I feel they are unnecessary, for example all the FB, twitter and location apps. One more thing I'd like to share is that different apps are available for different model phones, don't know why samsung does this; I've been able to get most apps by modifying the build prop on S3 to make seem like it is a S5. The pedometer works with a movement motions sensor on the watch, not GPS, this is why the watch picks up a step you move the watch up and down or back and forth.
I use News Republic, calendar, and a different media controller other than stock
I am disappointed really due to the lack of quality apps and the watch is out dated so quickly, less than months old and it's outdated, uurrrr
I wish there was away to make it into an Android Wear
More apps, would be better all around
It just makes me mad the watch is outdated and the lack quality apps all $299
I work had for my money and sacrifice to get items
I've learned a valuable lesson
Lonestarman said:
I use News Republic, calendar, and a different media controller other than stock
I am disappointed really due to the lack of quality apps and the watch is out dated so quickly, less than months old and it's outdated, uurrrr
I wish there was away to make it into an Android Wear
More apps, would be better all around
It just makes me mad the watch is outdated and the lack quality apps all $299
I work had for my money and sacrifice to get items
I've learned a valuable lesson
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you. I love my Samsung phones, but I have had the Gear 1 since inception and the apps have not been good and very far and few in between. I feel as if the gear 1 users were just abandoned by Samsung. In fact the original gear wasn't even out a few months when they brought out gear 2. This is my last try at being an early adopter to any electronics.
One more thing. The only app that most gear 1 users really enjoyed was Watch Styler for making new watch faces and that was even taken away.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Free mobile app
Yeah the best thing to do about this new gimmick watch thing is to sit back and wait till everyone not just Samsung gets it right
I'm still mad at Samsung for putting out gear 2 and then months later they put out another, and then quit supporting it, it's just wrong, They should of done it right the 1st time
Even though I like there phones I'm done with them, they are screwing the consumer by putting out these watches that are obsolete in 3 months
I just hope someone that's smart enough can transform my gear 2 to something more usable
I'll be waiting
The watch let's us reply to text using s voice, emojies, text templates and of you are using fleksy it even let's you reply by using the fleksy app from your watch. You can place and answer calls using s voice and have a conversation thru the watch of you are driving, etc. You can read articles with the news republic app, take pictures with it (not pro quality but the cam is great), it let's you control the media you are playing on your phone and it plays music you've stored on your watch to use thru bt headphones while jogging/exercising, it let's read alerts from different apps and while you cannot reply to most, you at least can see who is trying to get a hold of you and if it's important to reply right away, you can use s voice to do quick searches (even though is not as accurate as ok Google) but it works fine, you can use a calculator on it, control different settings on your phone from the watch, select different fonts and background wallpapers, you can also take voice notes and memos and sync them to your phone for storage. This is a companion device, that's all. I find it very functional, what else would you like it to do?
I don't think you understand what I'm saying
Samsung has abandon the gear 2 and any gear before and the gear 2 is not even a year old, no developer will make any new apps that's worth anything
Yes it's a companion device, so what new app has come along lately that's worth anything as a companion to your phone ? , none!!!!
Do you really read News Republic from your gear 2 , Do you really use Flexky to text from your gear 2
If you do the are a small majority
So you listen to your music on gear 2 hell I can do the same with my phone with all my music not just limited
These are the apps I use on my gear 2
I heart radio has a companion app for gear 2 if you download and use I heart radio, its not in the gear manager
Calendar app that shows holidays and one or 2 watch face that show you a glimpse of the weather
I have tried to find apps that look worth using but come to find out the apps are so buggy or they just don't work as advertised
The gear manager sucks, come on be honest
All I'm saying is Samsung abandoned the gear 2 and now has the Gear S, Android wear that they concentrating on
Have you seen any support from Samsung for the gear 2, no just here on XDA
would you buy a phone that would be obsolete in 2 months of getting it with zero support no updates, you can not get any apps for the gear 2 except from gear manager all other watches you can get apps from the play store that are worth something out of a 1000 apps on gear manager out, which is very little, except maybe 5 that at with anything
This is just about to be 2015,show me some innovation
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Free mobile app
Yeah I get what you mean, but I dont think the watches are obsolete just yet. I do agree that there isnt anything new for our watches cause all development as moved to newer watches. However, the gear S as doesnt attract me, specially its battery! come on now, such a large watch couldve had a bigger than 300mah battery, thats a big no no for me not to jump on it. Android wear is as good as our gear watches at the moment, im gonna wait for the new generation of watches that will come just like im waiting on the new generation of cell phones that will come, so that I dont regret buying something now that most devices are in transition to become better.
So tell me in 2 or 3 more generations of watches what you think you'll be able to do
I don't want to look like **** Track or Maxwell Smart, I hope you know who they are, Im telling my age now
I guess I expect to much from companies
I honestly believe they rely on there engineers heavily and don't listen to the average Joe on the street, (the consumer) I'm not bad mouthing engineers, I've worked around them for over 30 years now and if it wasn't for them we wouldn't have the advancements we now but I also know they can be the most stubborn and arrogant people I have been around
I actually believe this watch gimmick as I call it will be a bust
The screen is just to small to do anything with
Does anyone remember the old calculator watches back in the 70s and 80s,do you see thoughs anymore?
a watch is a watch, it gives you the time the date and maybe a timer or an alarm, that's it
Do you really want to look like an FBI agent talking to your wrist
OK I'm thru with my venting and rant
Thanks for letting me do that
See ya
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Free mobile app
Honestly I feel watches are gonna move in the direction of the new Gear S watch, towards being devices independent from a cell phone. The question is why? simply because there is some demand for it and because there a lot invested on it. Also, they are thinking about watches just like they think about cell phones, new version every 6 to 12 months, its all about marketing and extreme consumerism.; so all we have to do is not fall for every device and research about specs and actual usability. For example, the new Gear S is a nice device but samsung messed up when they put such a small battery (300 mah just like out Gear). We just have to shop smart, personally I love watches which is why I have a "smart watch"
I love gadgets, but I'm getting old and probably set in my ways
In my life right now it's about being practical
I hope that your right, because before I pass away I want to see technology grow beyond my wildness dreams
Shot I remember when microwaves were 1st sold and we've grown every sense
I actually love new technology and gadgets, but I'm sorry to say the watch thing is going to go south, maybe not in next 3-4 years but it will be gone
I hope I'm wrong and your right
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Free mobile app
I think smart watches do have a role to play, but they're not going that way. Yes, the screens are too small to surf the web or type emails etc. But what they're the right size for is to get strapped on my wrist where I can glance at them to see if it's worth pulling my phone out of my pocket right then and there (when I'm on my bike, or driving, or doing things). They're also great for taking a QUICK phone call when my hands are full or I'm busy, long enough to say "hold on a sec" or "I'll call you right back".
So much missing the point.
All I'm trying to say is are these watches worth the 199-299 price tag just so me and you can glance down to see who's calling us just because we are to lazy to pull our phones out of our back pocket
One more time as I've mentioned in the above threads
I have a gear 2 which was released this year 2014 which I wear every day and it's already obsolete, Samsung hasn't done one thing to the watch since release and there not going too, they have moved on to the Gear S and/or Android wear, the developers have stopped making apps for it and the apps that are out there are very buggy, they aren't worth using, so by the end of the year my gear 2 will be an expensive watch that will be doing the same thing an 35 dollar Timex will do, which is give me the time, the date, a stopwatch, etc
Maybe other smart watch makers will be OK and make some decent smart watches for the consumer but Samsung has pissed me off by taking mine and your money for a watch they knew they were going to stop supporting after a few months on the market and that's just wrong, period
There's nothing you can say to defend that unless you know a major change coming
I hope the smart watch trend works out, I love gadgets, I love technology but I will not spend my hard earned money on something that's doomed by the manufacturer from the beginning which right now is Samsung
In the business world if you want to keep your customers coming back you must treat your customers right
Yes I'm mad at Samsung for deserting me and others, they've showed no loyalty
So when it all said and done, I'm going to desert Samsung and show no loyalty to them
I'm hoping that there will be a developer out there that will be able root this gear 2 and make it useable in the future as an android device not a dedicated Tizen /Samsung device
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Free mobile app
Lonestarman said:
All I'm trying to say is are these watches worth the 199-299 price tag just so me and you can glance down to see who's calling us just because we are to lazy to pull our phones out of our back pocket
One more time as I've mentioned in the above threads
I have a gear 2 which was released this year 2014 which I wear every day and it's already obsolete, Samsung hasn't done one thing to the watch since release and there not going too, they have moved on to the Gear S and/or Android wear, the developers have stopped making apps for it and the apps that are out there are very buggy, they aren't worth using, so by the end of the year my gear 2 will be an expensive watch that will be doing the same thing an 35 dollar Timex will do, which is give me the time, the date, a stopwatch, etc
Maybe other smart watch makers will be OK and make some decent smart watches for the consumer but Samsung has pissed me off by taking mine and your money for a watch they knew they were going to stop supporting after a few months on the market and that's just wrong, period
There's nothing you can say to defend that unless you know a major change coming
I hope the smart watch trend works out, I love gadgets, I love technology but I will not spend my hard earned money on something that's doomed by the manufacturer from the beginning which right now is Samsung
In the business world if you want to keep your customers coming back you must treat your customers right
Yes I'm mad at Samsung for deserting me and others, they've showed no loyalty
So when it all said and done, I'm going to desert Samsung and show no loyalty to them
I'm hoping that there will be a developer out there that will be able root this gear 2 and make it useable in the future as an android device not a dedicated Tizen /Samsung device
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same with the Gear 1 that I bought... l have been a dedicated Samsung customer on phones for years and I am beginning to rethink that..
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Free mobile app
I realized I was sloppy and vague in my earlier post, so to fix that: "so much missing the point" was meant to apply to Samsung & smartwatch makers in general, and not Lonestarman and Rsmin, with whom I substantially agree. I just wish the focus could be on doing the simple things (email, messaging, notifications, maps) *well*; after that, anything else is gravy. At least for how I roll.
I can't begin to tell you how peeved I am that Sammy's latest few Manager updates broke rich notifications.
Ha! You guys are insane! I love my Gear watch. I have the original gear watch and I found it useful in more ways than one. Take my post light heatedly guys, I know each situation is different for everyone.
For those of you with gripes about the apps and functionality, you need to seriously sit back and re-think what it is you thought this watch could do. Being able to see messages because you are too lazy to pull it out of your pocket is ludicrous. I drive a lot for work, not only that, when I am in the office I am often in different team members cubes assisting with something. I don't have to pull my phone out of my pocket and fumble around with the side key then swipe up and enter messages to see who just messaged. It's there at a quick glance. I don't have to unplug my phone each time I walk away from my desk so I don't miss a call.
If I am at a team members desk and my phone is ringing (usually on silent) I know about it. I have missed many, many important calls before simply because I forgot my phone was on silent or I was away from my desk. With this watch, I am alerted no matter what. You're telling me that alone isn't worth the price tag?
What about when you are driving and your wife asks you to bring something home for dinner. All the food places are miles from your home. You get home, only to realize you missed the call, and have to go back out. This has happened to me also.
These situations may be specific to me, but reading all these negative posts leads me to believe you all thought your watches would become your wives. Cooking dinner for you, rubbing your feet, telling you how great you look in those new skinny jeans of yours. It's not a "fleshgear" gents. And the pedometer and heart rate sensor? Of course it's not going to work! LOLOL. It's a stupid gimmick Samsung keeps throwing in all their ****, everyone knows this, and you should have too.
I have found usefulness in quickly telling someone the weather in the coffee room while my phones at my desk. I used the calculator daily. I use the vrecord app to take pictures of me and my family on Halloween from my phone that was set 10 feet away. I use the media control to control the music on my phone connected to a blue tooth speaker while my phone is in the other room charging. I use svoice to send texts and make calls right from the watch. I find it most useful at home, when I move about the house and the phone is charging in the cradle.
This is an accurate portrayal of all the things this watch can do, and I have a first gen. Please don't write something nasty back, I won't bother answering you. These are my 2pennies and information for anyone who might be thinking about grabbing a first gen gear on A4C.com for $84 and free shipping.
Best of luck to you all,
-Dave
---------- Post added at 01:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:52 PM ----------
Oh, and I do agree Gear Manager sucks. Samsung is the WORST about updates.
Well ,
It seems after this so-called Gear VR "Innovator Edition" which has yet to launch somewhere.
Samsung is already planning to have another GEAR VR model .
Will it be another model for the next Galaxy S6 or any another Samsung Phone or will it be an improved model with microsd card slot?Positional Tracking?Improved ergonomics?Hdmi input?
The later is definitely missing on this first Gear VR.
With a price of 200$ i ll certainly hope they will not release a new version every 3 or 6 months
but keep working on First Gear VR and provide decent streaming capabilites.
I agree... if this was a $49 or $99 headset that allowed the use of the phones we already (might) own, then that is one thing. But at $200, knowing the Note 5 may go 4K display and 6", not going to plunk down 2 bills now and 2 bills later, at that point Oculus Rift is the better call.
Who knows, maybe Google cardboard is the way to go, buy a new phone, get some new cardboard, lol Gear VR seems useful at a much lower price if they do not intend for compatibility with newer phones year after year
joexda75 said:
Well ,
It seems after this so-called Gear VR "Innovator Edition" which has yet to launch somewhere.
Samsung is already planning to have another GEAR VR model .
Will it be another model for the next Galaxy S6 or any another Samsung Phone or will it be an improved model with microsd card slot?Positional Tracking?Improved ergonomics?Hdmi input?
The later is definitely missing on this first Gear VR.
With a price of 200$ i ll certainly hope they will not release a new version every 3 or 6 months
but keep working on First Gear VR and provide decent streaming capabilites.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is already positional tracking for the Gear VR/Note 4 with the STEM pack and STEM controller.. And why would the Gear VR itself need a micro SD slot when the phones comes with one. It takes you 10 seconds to get the Note 4 out, another 5 seconds to remove the back, another 10 seconds to insert it and put the cover back on and another 10 seconds to put the Note back into the Gear VR. That's like 40 seconds to change an SD card which you probably won't do every day, is not bad.
I think that the Gear VR will improve every 6 months with the release of the Galaxy S and Note line. WIth the S6 there could be inside out positional tracking, with the Note 5 there can be 4K screen, with the S7 there can be Eye tracking and so on. All Gear VR versions will have access to the already available games but the newer devices might have extra options like higher res or extra positional tracking.
If the Gear VR casing can also be used with the later phones i'm not sure tho. I can imagine that there will be a new Gear VR consumer version comming along the S6. Unless the S6 comes with the Google Glass competitor Gear Blink and the Note 5 comes with the consumer Gear VR.
Yeah you would be right for the STEM controller but it seems a little cumbersome to use ...also i won't be surprised it it would cost twice the price of the Gear VR.
The term "Innovator Edition" baffles me...i hope it wil be for the best...but the gear vr from what i have seen so far looks much more like a CV1 than the Dev Kit 2 from Oculus .
As for the lack of microsd card, it is yes quite dispensable but i have a bunch of sd card so it would have been a little more convenient for me not have to remove the phone to swap cards!
Finally for the oculus cinema mode ...i am almost certain there won't be any audio support for AC-3 codecs...
An add-on purchase or third party support codec would be really neat! so we do not have to reencode videos.
I have just updated MX Player and they have removed it
joexda75 said:
Yeah you would be right for the STEM controller but it seems a little cumbersome to use ...also i won't be surprised it it would cost twice the price of the Gear VR.
The term "Innovator Edition" baffles me...i hope it wil be for the best...but the gear vr from what i have seen so far looks much more like a CV1 than the Dev Kit 2 from Oculus .
As for the lack of microsd card, it is yes quite dispensable but i have a bunch of sd card so it would have been a little more convenient for me not have to remove the phone to swap cards!
Finally for the oculus cinema mode ...i am almost certain there won't be any audio support for AC-3 codecs...
An add-on purchase or third party support codec would be really neat! so we do not have to reencode videos.
I have just updated MX Player and they have removed it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The STEM controller you dont need to use or buy one, only if you want an additional hand/Sword, ect in your VR environment. The STEM pack is important tho, which will be attached to the Gear VR itself and does the positional tracking of your head. But i agree the STEM products seem to cost a bit of money.
STEM pack 100$ + STEM Base 100$ (generally needed) = 200$ + shipping
http://store.sixense.com/collections/all
Yeh it's a pitty that AC-3 codec gets removed probably because of high licensing costs. The BS Player should still support it tho and i also hope that there will be a solution for VR cinema, if the oculus cinema won't support it, maybe another VR cinema of another developer (maybe the BS VR player ;D) will.
Powerslash said:
The STEM controller you dont need to use or buy one, only if you want an additional hand/Sword, ect in your VR environment. The STEM pack is important tho, which will be attached to the Gear VR itself and does the positional tracking of your head. But i agree the STEM products seem to cost a bit of money.
STEM pack 100$ + STEM Base 100$ (generally needed) = 200$ + shipping
http://store.sixense.com/collections/all
will.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the link...I understand it attaches to Gear VR for positional viewing...
Well it 's cool to see third party taking care of this problem and i Just hope someone makes a kinect version for this
check this
NASA Robot Arm Control with Kinect
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqNC72fgetc
Hi anyone,
Since Pebble kickstarter has been cancelled and I've received my refund.
I'm looking for a replacement for my pebble (first model) that starts to become old.
Unfortunately, I can't find a satisfying one. I need :
- Always on customizable screen
- One week autonomy
- Customizable notification
- Tasker integration
- Music control
- Third party apps
- No need of an activity tracker
- Water-resistant
I'm afraid that this is a dead-end for me.
Have you some suggestions ?
May be I can hope to see fitbit announcing pebble like smart watch...
I've actually found this link on the subject :
http://www.starkinsider.com/2016/12/pebble-dead-5-alternative-smartwatches.html
Vector Watch ...
Just got mine a week ago I can say it's a good replacement for FitBit. Not too many apps yet but they are working on getting that going. It's a nice concept, for me so far is the perfect Smart Watch that looks like a Watch.
It has:
-Always on customizable screen
- one MONTH autonomy
- Music control
- Third party apps (coming soon ... )
- No need of an activity tracker (has it but not the best)
- Water-resistant (50 m)
Missing from your list but most certainly will be available once they open the APPs dev portal.
- Customizable notification
- Tasker integration
mateiux said:
Vector Watch ...
Just got mine a week ago I can say it's a good replacement for FitBit. Not too many apps yet but they are working on getting that going. It's a nice concept, for me so far is the perfect Smart Watch that looks like a Watch.
It has:
-Always on customizable screen
- one MONTH autonomy
- Music control
- Third party apps (coming soon ... )
- No need of an activity tracker (has it but not the best)
- Water-resistant (50 m)
Missing from your list but most certainly will be available once they open the APPs dev portal.
- Customizable notification
- Tasker integration
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice indeed !
The software part seems to need some improvements but the basics are here.
OK sadly my Vector watch is on route to Amazon as a return ... really extremely sad ... this is the second watch brand with long battery life that FitBit killed...
mateiux said:
OK sadly my Vector watch is on route to Amazon as a return ... really extremely sad ... this is the second watch brand with long battery life that FitBit killed...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well not quite the same as pebble was. The support is alive as well as the warranty. The only thing they killed is the development. I keep mine cause I bought it with 2 years accidental cover from John Lewis. If any of the functionality would stop working I will return it to John Lewis.
There is no good alternative on the market.
After being very disappointed by how Pebble went down (I still think it is/was the best smartwatch out there), without new hardware, support, and so on, I kind of didn´t like wearing the watch any more. I have a Pebble time steel which got replaced due to the battery dying (it got really hot while dying and support for replacement or actually getting a statement about safety testing, like how hot this watch can get when the battery goes faulty, was really bad).
I wore the replacement for about 3 months and then stumbled over a forum post at Pebble where someone wore his watch during sleep and he got burned by also a dying battery so that he had a watch size big blister on his arm. So my estimate that the watch must be somewhere around 50 to 65 degree C was fairly accurate. I work in product development, and surface temperatures of appliances is a big issue, so you get a feeling for this after a couple of years.
Since then, I wore my old Pebble steel, but due to the screen tearing issue it had before, it has an edge where background light shines through really a lot (most likely to my fixing the tearing).
So all in all, I don´t like wearing my pebble any more. I have a similar mindset on what I expect from my smartwatch, so I finally settled for the 2 year old Sony smartwatch 3. They are fairly cheap currently. From a spec comparison, it seems similar to even some of the watches that were released late last year (depending on how high your budget is). I like that it has a transflective display and battery seems to last around 2-3 days with charging taking about an hour. I think I can live with that. And due to the regular micro usb charging, it won´t be an issue recharging the watch no matter where I am (car, office, at home, even at my parents house).
I definitively won´t go with any start up product again. Their products can be great, but a startup cannot take a big blow. Look at what Samsung can take with its note 7.
Maybe I should mention that I owned a Moto360 (first gen) at some point just for the fun of it and trying as it was on sale. I didn´t find android wear all that bad, but the watch dying on me before my day is over is a no go.
But these are just my 2 cents.
Agreed. I think pebble was a practical smart watch. As I use to call it a watch that's smart. Love it kinda still do but I really felt if pebble did a kick start movement to save the company they may have been successful.
Now the pebble backers are simply stuck with their item and now simply waiting for it to be outdated. I guess I'll just keep wearing out until battery issues.
I just don't know if I'd invest in another kick starter again.
Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk
duky_duke said:
I've actually found this link on the subject :
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thank you
Nice!
All,
I bought the Gear S3 Frontier at launch and I am still wearing it every day. Now I am trying to find reasons why I should upgrade this watch to a Watch 3, as the S3 is already some years old. Except for blood saturation measurement, I did not really see big upgrades or new features that justify the expenses. Also the lack of new great apps (except for watch faces) and support for Samsung Pay in The Netherlands are holding me back for this upgrade. Am I missing some great reasons to get the Watch 3, except for some change of aestethics?
I have SM-R760...
GW3 has new Tizen 5.5...
Pro GW3
8 GB eMMC
Blood Pressure and ECG possible... if not in official way then via Sideload...
Contra
New and expensive...
Blood Oxygen seems again not in all countries...
And for sure... NO changes to Samsung Pay...
My opinion.
I would wait if somebody from Netherlands confirm all things you wish will work...
Best Regards
I second what adfree said.
Do some reading
https://www.sammobile.com/opinion/reasons-to-avoid-buying-galaxy-watch-3/amp/
gschot said:
All,
I bought the Gear S3 Frontier at launch and I am still wearing it every day. Now I am trying to find reasons why I should upgrade this watch to a Watch 3, as the S3 is already some years old. Except for blood saturation measurement, I did not really see big upgrades or new features that justify the expenses. Also the lack of new great apps (except for watch faces) and support for Samsung Pay in The Netherlands are holding me back for this upgrade. Am I missing some great reasons to get the Watch 3, except for some change of aestethics?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have an SM-770 (S3) and I just upgraded; I should receive my GW3 later today. Reasons I upgraded:
Leaner profile
IP68 rating
ECG (sensor approved in US, but app may be delayed)
Blood Oxygen sensor (Firmware update just released in US)
Blood pressure
Samsung gave me $100 trade in for my S3, about the same as what I thought I could get selling it.
My biggest disappointment will be no MST.
I decided to upgrade my Frontier to the 41mm as well. I like the smaller watch rather than the larger S3. I found myself using the S2 classic titanium more than the S3 just due to the size. Since I am getting the Note 20 Ultra, I love the fact that I can charge the new watch by putting it on the back of the Note. One less accessory to carry when I start travelling again.
I'd add a caveat about the ECG and BPM....They are on-demand features currently (I doubt that changes). If you don't need constant monitoring, there are other consumer devices you can get ranging from about $80-$200 that have BPM (with a cuff) and ECG nodes. Also, you need a quality BPM monitor with a cuff to calibrate the watch monthly, anyway.
Unless you're a competitive athlete, VO2 max is kind of a gimmick.
SPo2 might be worthwhile if you suffer from asthma in any way. It's also helpful for identifying potential sleep apnea. But, again, you can get a few good consumer monitors to do that in the $120-$180 range.
I understand the sleep tracking is much improved. But, frankly, there are a few Android apps and a few smart rings that are far superior.
Smartwatches not only need to be functional, but as an accessory you wear they need to look good too. Whilst I liked the frontier, the Galaxy Watch I bought to replace it looked so much better. The Watch 3 takes that a step further and looks fantastic. Plus the battery in your Frontier is getting on a bit now, it's going to degrade and underperform. So I would say upgrading for better functions and a better overall look, it's definitely worth it.
.
I really like the 1.4" display on the 45mm. My old watch was 1.2", and it makes a big difference if you're a low-brow abuser of classic luxury knock-off watchfaces like me.
I received the 41mm Silver today and am returning it immediately. Compared to the S2 Classic Platinum or the S3 Classic, it feels too thick for the diameter. The black bezel seems cheesy to me and I just can't see using the Watch 3. I'll stay with the S2 and S3.
Again, I love the bigger 1.4" display. The rotating bezel is not something I would miss, and aesthetically I'd agree this could have been done better. The larger crystal and smaller bezel is a more modern look you can find on luxury watches, a matter of preference IMO.
advocate2 said:
I received the 41mm Silver today and am returning it immediately. Compared to the S2 Classic Platinum or the S3 Classic, it feels too thick for the diameter. The black bezel seems cheesy to me and I just can't see using the Watch 3. I'll stay with the S2 and S3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure what you mean by 'cheesy'. Perhaps elaborate a bit.
I ordered the 45mm silver one, arriving today. I am upgrading from the Galaxy Watch (1st gen) which is also silver, both look premium to me.
Maybe it's because you ordered the smaller version and it somehow just doesn't look right? I will give my verdict later today.
.
I received my 45mm black GW3 yesterday and it is replacing my S3 Frontier. I took it for multiple tracked bike rides and have constant HR monitoing turned on. I will be keeping it, however the Pulse O2 feature is quite finicky to get consistient results. and you dont seem to get access to Vo2 max data for cycling.
Looks wise on a medium man-sized wrist I think it looks smaller than my Frontier.
$100 trade-in is why I made the switch. My Gear S3 was having issues so before it failed I decided to take advantage of the trade-in offer. I am very happy with Watch 3. It's much faster and a charge lasts twice as long. If your S3 is working fine and doesn't seem sluggish to you, might be best to wait for the price of the Watch 3 to come down. But if you think you may need a new watch fairly soon, the Watch 3 is the best new watch available so trade in while you can.
I stopped by Best Buy yesterday with my S3 Classic on my wrist. Looking at the watches side by side, I didn't see much reason to upgrade unless my S3 stops holding a charge. At this point I am still getting two days use on the S3.
upgrading for better functions, latest software & hardware, warranty, etc. should be a nice ride...
.
EDIT: Right after I ordered I saw that Sammy today announced the titanium version coming out on October 2. I'm gonna wait for that one and cancelled the order mentioned below.
Call me a sucker for a deal, but when I checked into my Samsung account today to see the shipping date on my Tab S7 Plus, I noticed a header giving up to 30% off certain accessories. Between the Military discount and the offered discount on the large silver version, I picked up the Watch3 for $358 pre-tax. Total discount of 17% for the silver so I'm in. Sammy didn't offer a trade in for my S3 Classic so I'll probably put in it on the Bay.
^good deal: what size? LTE?
galaxys said:
^good deal: what size? LTE?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This was for the bluetooth large in silver. The offer was still on this morning, but I'm gonna wait for the Titanium.