WiFi Hotspot - LG Watch Urbane

I'm interested in the Urbane 2 if it can be used as a wifi hotspot but I can't find any references about it anywhere.
I have two sim cards, one that I use as my main phone number and the other one with unlimited data for wireless connectivity when needed. I carry two devices now and it would be more convenient to me if one of them was the watch.
Thanks for any help.

Watches usually had small battery. I don't think it'll last long as hotspot.

I don't need it to last long. Only for a few minutes at a time and 8-10 hours per day.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

Anyone knows if it is actually supported or not? Someone who owns the Urbane 2?
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

XL3N7 said:
Anyone knows if it is actually supported or not? Someone who owns the Urbane 2?
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nothing on the watch itself. If you can find an app for wear or that has wear support then I don't see why not. The main bug bear with this watch is the lack of cellular supporting apps, hopefully a change that will come through with AW 2.0.

alltaken123 said:
Nothing on the watch itself. If you can find an app for wear or that has wear support then I don't see why not. The main bug bear with this watch is the lack of cellular supporting apps, hopefully a change that will come through with AW 2.0.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, thanks. Hopefully AW 2.0 will address the issue.

Hi with the LG Watch Sport out, the LG Urbane 2 is dropping price, now around $170-$190 region for mint/new.
I was wondering if anyone knows, tried succeeded/failed on using the watch as a Wifi or BT hotspot, so say I had the watch, say a tablet, and a USB battery to keep the watch running longer, with the phone acting as hotspot for the tablet to get to the internet via the watch?

Does anybody have any information on the matter?
My cellular contract gives 5GB free and I too cannot
use my LG Urbane 2 as a Hot Spot.
Yiannis

I'm interested in this as well (Urbane 2 LTE here) as with Sprint, I can't talk and data at the same time - like it's friggin' 2008 or something. So in those situations when I'm in a conference call on the road and I want to pull up some message, it'd be nice to pop on the watch's hotspot, phone connects to it while in the call, and voila, data & call. Might burn through my ~35% end-of-day battery reserve, but worth it.
Unfortunately I don't think it's possible for an app to be able to provide this functionality... it might be hidden in the Android Wear OS, though (most of it coming from Android itself), but just needs a trigger. My watch's carrier (Ting) supports hotspot functionality on everything, so it'd be supported by the carrier and everything, if it could just be activated...

I want to lose the smartphone - or at least move it to my wrist. Like many others, I have a Laptop PC, a tablet, a smartphone and bluetooth headsets. O, yes, and a heart pulse monitor chest strap (It is NOT a bra!). An Eco-system of things that, need to be programmed, configured, charged, connected and synched.
I would love to replace that with a combined PC tablet and a capable Smartwatch (and the headsets, of course).
Today, there is no-one to provide me with the components I need. The latest Smartwatches seem to be only lacking a little programming (HotSpot and fitness apps that synch across platforms) and battery capacity. Nearly there!

MikeSH said:
I want to lose the smartphone - or at least move it to my wrist. Like many others, I have a Laptop PC, a tablet, a smartphone and bluetooth headsets. O, yes, and a heart pulse monitor chest strap (It is NOT a bra!). An Eco-system of things that, need to be programmed, configured, charged, connected and synched.
I would love to replace that with a combined PC tablet and a capable Smartwatch (and the headsets, of course).
Today, there is no-one to provide me with the components I need. The latest Smartwatches seem to be only lacking a little programming (HotSpot and fitness apps that synch across platforms) and battery capacity. Nearly there!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Once I got an LTE capable tablet, paying the extra but the cellular networks are financially penalizing tablets, for no valid reason other than greed. So that means I got phone SIMs, in fact two phone SIMS, an ATT and a T-Mobile. I currently have both in a dual-SIM phone. I also have a Truphone incoming-free and expensive data so if I do want to spend a brief time without a phone I just enable the watch SIM and get hit with say 15c of cost. That is tolerable.
The smartwatches are suffering from small battery so you cannot really make them replace the phone.

Whoops! Delete!

Great post. . . . .

Related

Off-topic, other device, comparisons to other devices, and upgrading discussion

Please use this thread to discuss devices other than and any comparisons with other devices on or about Gear Live in this thread and any other off-topic issues that are not needing a new thread.
Post with respect, this is a helpful community, hope we all learn from this stuff in here.
What made everyone choose this over the LG G watch?
i went for gear live because it has amoled display and the silver thing on the two side makes the watch look a bit premium
Sent from my SM-N9005 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
big_b0sss said:
i went for gear live because it has amoled display and the silver thing on the two side makes the watch look a bit premium
Sent from my SM-N9005 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't forget it's also $30 less as by the end of the year we ALL know we will be owning superior devices anyways.
enko420 said:
Don't forget it's also $30 less as by the end of the year we ALL know we will be owning superior devices anyways.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i actually paid £10 more as its priced higher than lg g watch in uk
I absolutely cannot believe they did not include a speaker! I just returned the gear neo 2 because it was running Tizen and not Google wear. making phone calls on it without pulling my phone out of my pocket was the absolute greatest feature.I ordered the gear live because it was running Google wear, thinking of the future. Now I find out it does not have a speaker so I can not make phone calls from the watch. I'm going to return the gear live and go back to the gear neo 2. Wrong decision Samsung.
chumboy said:
I absolutely cannot believe they did not include a speaker! I just returned the gear neo 2 because it was running Tizen and not Google wear. making phone calls on it without pulling my phone out of my pocket was the absolute greatest feature.I ordered the gear live because it was running Google wear, thinking of the future. Now I find out it does not have a speaker so I can not make phone calls from the watch. I'm going to return the gear live and go back to the gear neo 2. Wrong decision Samsung.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I honestly don't care for making phone calls on my Gear 2 Neo. If you aren't in a quiet room its near impossible to hear what they are saying.
enko420 said:
I honestly don't care for making phone calls on my Gear 2 Neo. If you aren't in a quiet room its near impossible to hear what they are saying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To each their own.
But it's fascinating to know you don't like it.
I had the Gear 2 Neo for about a week and had good results when not standing in Time Square.
Gear Live 2!
I would like the ability to turn off the motion sensor, sense everytime I move my wrist a certain way my watch just turns on.I look at my watch ocassionally and notice that the screen is on I have indavertenly been touching the screen selecting things. I prefer to touch the screen to turn it on. I have already turned off the screen always on option, but would like to turn off motion as well. Would extend the battery life alot further.
chumboy said:
To each their own.
But it's fascinating to know you don't like it.
I had the Gear 2 Neo for about a week and had good results when not standing in Time Square.
Gear Live 2!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i'm 100% in the not taking phone calls on a watch camp for the same reason i don't use speakerphone when not in a car.
but i would have liked a speaker simply for alarms and stopwatch/timer funcionality. nothing crazy, just a simple beep/chirp would have been enough
adiliyo said:
i'm 100% in the not taking phone calls on a watch camp for the same reason i don't use speakerphone when not in a car.
but i would have liked a speaker simply for alarms and stopwatch/timer funcionality. nothing crazy, just a simple beep/chirp would have been enough
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See, we can find common ground here! A speaker would make us both happy.
Surprised that Sammy decided to remove a hardware feature rather than adding them (to a point).
Their research must have shown that the cost/benefit was upside-down.
So it goes.
They should have stuck with Gear 2 features and gwear os. I'm sure it will be ported.... I love my Neo 2
Sent from my GT-I9500 using Tapatalk
I have a feeling that Samsung was forced to make the watch according to Google specifications. (No Speaker, No WiFi, Single Button for turning the device on) There is also a WiFi antenna in the Gear Live that is not being used according to iFixIt.
StevenMattera said:
I have a feeling that Samsung was forced to make the watch according to Google specifications. (No Speaker, No WiFi, Single Button for turning the device on) There is also a WiFi antenna in the Gear Live that is not being used according to iFixIt.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
antenna but they couldn't confirm if there is a wifi controller on the mobo, could just be the cheapest way to order that part for assembly.
i agree that samsung was probably told to stick to the reference design which i'm fine with, but it's curious that google decided not to include a basic speaker for alarm use in the reference design for android wear.
i am however much happier (so far) with the watch than i expected to be. if moto prices the 360 out of what i'm willing to pay, i'm actually satisfied enough to hang on to the gear live until i can get the moto for a reasonable price (i won't pay more than $250 for the 360)
---------- Post added at 12:33 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:32 AM ----------
hashcheck said:
They should have stuck with Gear 2 features and gwear os. I'm sure it will be ported.... I love my Neo 2
Sent from my GT-I9500 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i like the general design of the gear 2, but i am so glad that android made wear, i see adoption for this from a developer standpoint to be much much better than any proprietary garbage os that samsung puts out. and personally, i dislike samsung devices (read: touchwiz) and plan to stay away from them for the foreseeable future.
adiliyo said:
i like the general design of the gear 2, but i am so glad that android made wear, i see adoption for this from a developer standpoint to be much much better than any proprietary garbage os that samsung puts out. and personally, i dislike samsung devices (read: touchwiz) and plan to stay away from them for the foreseeable future.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know, I've been reading about the gear watches and android wear all day and I still just don't see it. Anything that's on there I would normally pull up my phone for, and the small watch screen version and limited functionality (no speaker, small screen, etc)... I think if I get any notification I'll end up pulling out the phone and responding there anyway... Is this stuff just a lazy persons solution to a problem that doesn't exist?? If wear devices were more like little phones with built in wifi, IR (I think some gear watches had this?!), etc at least you could use it to control your movie watching experiences...
I'm probably just getting old and wanting stuff to stay how I'm used to it
peaklabs.net said:
I don't know, I've been reading about the gear watches and android wear all day and I still just don't see it. Anything that's on there I would normally pull up my phone for,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that IS the point, so you don't have to pull your phone 100 times a minute for every notification, it is trying to "change" the way we use the phone and not trying to replace it. For all that "extras" (Wifi, Speaker, etc, etc) you have the phone.
I love it, I hardly touch my phone now, the battery life on my phone had gotten so much better and I am more interactive responding to all SMSs and facebook/Whasapp messages than before. :laugh:
peaklabs.net said:
I don't know, I've been reading about the gear watches and android wear all day and I still just don't see it. Anything that's on there I would normally pull up my phone for, and the small watch screen version and limited functionality (no speaker, small screen, etc)... I think if I get any notification I'll end up pulling out the phone and responding there anyway... Is this stuff just a lazy persons solution to a problem that doesn't exist?? If wear devices were more like little phones with built in wifi, IR (I think some gear watches had this?!), etc at least you could use it to control your movie watching experiences...
I'm probably just getting old and wanting stuff to stay how I'm used to it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maturola said:
I think that IS the point, so you don't have to pull your phone 100 times a minute for every notification, it is trying to "change" the way we use the phone and not trying to replace it. For all that "extras" (Wifi, Speaker, etc, etc) you have the phone.
I love it, I hardly touch my phone now, the battery life on my phone had gotten so much better and I am more interactive responding to all SMSs and facebook/Whasapp messages than before. :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the watch essentially becomes a (more useful) implementation of notification triage, i can see what's important and respond to many things without taking out my phone.
it comes down to the user and their daily flow of usage. the big difference with this vs a very limited and closed off system (like samsung's system, or sony's for that matter) is that it leverages two things.
1. android itself as the platform (no seperate market, no need for seperate apps and figuring out how to make sure the apps work with the phone versions)
2. google now, which i think in the long run is going to be the real centerpiece of the platform. as it gets smarter you really will need to use your phone less for basic things since it will offer up the information you need when you need it with even less interaction necessary from the user.
the biggest deal breaker for the samsung system (for me) is the need for a crappy galaxy smartphone. i can't stand touchwiz and the lag samsung's software developers can't seem to get rid of in the many iterations they've had of their software.
i also enjoy the freedom of leaving my phone at my desk, or at home on the charging pad and just checking things on my watch as i go about my day.
i think i like android wear more as i don't want a tiny phone on my wrist to look awkwardly at and speak to people on. i want a companion device that lets me get on with my day and look at my phone less. it's a change in mindset and workflow that pulls you out of your phone and lets you get back into the world.
Yeah ... I'm constantly having to refer to my phone, more with this than I had to with my Galaxy Gear ... After two weeks with it, I feel like I'm done and ready to go back to the Galaxy Gear for good.
But I don't want to give up on it for some reason. I think because what it does do it look better than my Galaxy Gear, in terms of UI. And the always on is very nice.
I dunno ... Maybe I should have just gotten a Gear 2.
sbrownla said:
Yeah ... I'm constantly having to refer to my phone, more with this than I had to with my Galaxy Gear ... After two weeks with it, I feel like I'm done and ready to go back to the Galaxy Gear for good.
But I don't want to give up on it for some reason. I think because what it does do it look better than my Galaxy Gear, in terms of UI. And the always on is very nice.
I dunno ... Maybe I should have just gotten a Gear 2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I said in my previous post...I went from the Gear 2 Neo to the Live.
Found out it didn't have a speaker after I ordered it.
Tried it out for 3 days and (same as you) had to refer to my phone more.
Called Google to send it back and the Rep said "yea, surprisingly we're having allot of returns b/c of no speaker and many going back to Gear or Gear 2."
They sent me an email for to fill out stating why I'm returning. She said they're interested in feedback for the next model they release. I hope they listen.
I went back to my Gear 2 Neo and am patiently waiting for the next model (with speaker I hope).
They had the same with the Gear 1, made some changes and launched the Gear 2.
Don't waste your money on something you won't use and be happy with.
Wait for the Gear Live 2.
I think I'm going to suck it up though. When the next one comes out I'll gift it or sell it for $100 or so to subsidize the new one.

Advice on buying a wearable

Hey folks
Im wanting to buy an activity wearable to work alongside my M8. Iwant to use it for Powerwalking, Jogging and sleep. It would be nice to have a watch on it , but not a deal breaker as step and fitness accuracy is more important than a smart watch.
As the M8 is now bundled with fitbit software, then I have considered a fitbit band, but with so many wearables and reviews for any Android, its hard to pick a band. I dont want to spend more than £100.
I was just wanting to know of anyones experience of using any Android wearable (not just fitbit), Is it accurate for exersize stats, would you recommend it.
Many Thanks
NightOrchid said:
Hey folks
Im wanting to buy an activity wearable to work alongside my M8. Iwant to use it for Powerwalking, Jogging and sleep. It would be nice to have a watch on it so i could log a few extra steps here and there , but not a deal breaker as step and fitness accuracy is more important than a flashy smart watch.
As HTC are now using fitbit software, then a fitbit band would match the m8 well, but with so many wearables for any Android around and so many updates patches and fixes as well, its hard to pick a band. I dont want to spend more than £100.
Also, it would be nice if I didnt need to carry the M8 with me, but the band could store the data and dump it to the M8/PC when im home, but again not a deal breaker
Any advice please
Many Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Garmin Vivosmart works fairly well. It had some hiccups when it first came out (mainly with keeping a solid connection with phone) but it works pretty well for me after a couple firmware updates. It may be a bit more than £100 but not a whole lot unless you get the version that comes with a heart rate strap. Besides the typical Fitbit type tracking (steps, sleep) it also will notify (vibrate) you on any phone notification. You can specify what app notifications you want pushed to the Vivosmart. You can read the notification (email, facebook, twitter, sms, incomming phone call, etc) but can't dismiss on the band.
That said the newest Fitbit with heart rate functionality built in has caught my attention. I'd probably look at it pretty closely if I didn't just get the Vivosmart a couple months ago.
Edit: and it's waterproof up to 50 meters. I never take it off other than to charge every 4-5 days.
henderjr said:
Garmin Vivosmart works fairly well. It had some hiccups when it first came out (mainly with keeping a solid connection with phone) but it works pretty well for me after a couple firmware updates. It may be a bit more than £100 but not a whole lot unless you get the version that comes with a heart rate strap. Besides the typical Fitbit type tracking (steps, sleep) it also will notify (vibrate) you on any phone notification. You can specify what app notifications you want pushed to the Vivosmart. You can read the notification (email, facebook, twitter, sms, incomming phone call, etc) but can't dismiss on the band.
That said the newest Fitbit with heart rate functionality built in has caught my attention. I'd probably look at it pretty closely if I didn't just get the Vivosmart a couple months ago.
Edit: and it's waterproof up to 50 meters. I never take it off other than to charge every 4-5 days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ive edited my OP to make it a bit clearer..........
Thanks for the quick reply. Ive actually found the Gramin on Amazon for £120, which ide consider, but the January sales are happening in 6 weeks so I may hang on till then. When you mention the "new" fitbit.. is that the Surge or the Charge HR.?.
NightOrchid said:
Ive edited my OP to make it a bit clearer..........
Thanks for the quick reply. Ive actually found the Gramin on Amazon for £120, which ide consider, but the January sales are happening in 6 weeks so I may hang on till then. When you mention the "new" fitbit.. is that the Surge or the Charge HR.?.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Charge HR is one I find interesting due to heart rate monitoring though really do prefer to have one that's waterproof like the Vivosmart. There are a few things I wish the Vivosmart had like multiple alarms (it only allows one), better sleep tracking (fitbit wins this by a bunch), and ability to work with other companies so you can find more friends to challenge with. I don't know anyone that uses a Vivosmart of the older Vivofit so I have no connections in their app. I had 5-6 on Fitbit. Pretty much all the above is mentioned on the different reviews that are out there. I also keep an eye out on their forum, https://forums.garmin.com/forumdisplay.php?478-vivosmart.
Accuracy seems fine for me, steps wise. It doesn't really track any other activity. For other activities I log them in MyFitnessPal which the Vivosmart can sync with. I did wear it for a day with my old fitbit force and it registered more steps than my fitbit but it wasn't more than a one or two percent.
Jawbone UP
http://www.theverge.com/2014/8/14/6001153/the-best-fitness-tracker-you-can-buy
henderjr said:
The Charge HR is one I find interesting due to heart rate monitoring though really do prefer to have one that's waterproof like the Vivosmart. There are a few things I wish the Vivosmart had like multiple alarms (it only allows one), better sleep tracking (fitbit wins this by a bunch), and ability to work with other companies so you can find more friends to challenge with. I don't know anyone that uses a Vivosmart of the older Vivofit so I have no connections in their app. I had 5-6 on Fitbit. Pretty much all the above is mentioned on the different reviews that are out there. I also keep an eye out on their forum, https://forums.garmin.com/forumdisplay.php?478-vivosmart.
Accuracy seems fine for me, steps wise. It doesn't really track any other activity. For other activities I log them in MyFitnessPal which the Vivosmart can sync with. I did wear it for a day with my old fitbit force and it registered more steps than my fitbit but it wasn't more than a one or two percent.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After looking at the Garmin.. i think ide like a few more features for my money than just counting steps.. plus I read that the Garmin mobile app is a little sparse. It would also be nice too count calories and sleep patterns, but the charge HR and flex look nice. While i dont necxessarily need something as feature packed as say Samsings S Health, a few app features would be nice.
darkintragedy said:
Jawbone UP
http://www.theverge.com/2014/8/14/6001153/the-best-fitness-tracker-you-can-buy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This looks interesting., but it seems all done through apps than a watch. Do you use it yourself?, Do you find it accurate?.. I thought the Jawbone was more for iPhone.. is that right?
Im open to any ideas
I have the jawbone up24 and use it exclusively with my M8. I also owned the fitbit flex prior to owning my jawbone Up24. I liked the fitbit, but I LOVE my jawbone. The fitbit gave me tons of issues, not syncing correctly, battery status not showing correctly. Battery not lasting anywhere near the week it was supposed to (think 3 days), and wasn't the best looking band. After switching to the UP24, it's been smooth sailing. No connection issues, battery life was already good, but the new firmware update extends battery life up to 14 days between charges. I thought not having a screen would bother me, but honestly, with the smart alerts that the app gives you, I don't find myself longing for a screen. It also syncs with other apps such as runtastic and myfitnesspal (apps to track your run, and track your food intake). If i didn't already have one, I'd take at the jawbone 3. It does everything the up24 does, but adds changeable bands, and a heart rate monitor. Hope that helps.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
eep02b said:
I have the jawbone up24 and use it exclusively with my M8. I also owned the fitbit flex prior to owning my jawbone Up24. I liked the fitbit, but I LOVE my jawbone. The fitbit gave me tons of issues, not syncing correctly, battery status not showing correctly. Battery not lasting anywhere near the week it was supposed to (think 3 days), and wasn't the best looking band. After switching to the UP24, it's been smooth sailing. No connection issues, battery life was already good, but the new firmware update extends battery life up to 14 days between charges. I thought not having a screen would bother me, but honestly, with the smart alerts that the app gives you, I don't find myself longing for a screen. It also syncs with other apps such as runtastic and myfitnesspal (apps to track your run, and track your food intake). If i didn't already have one, I'd take at the jawbone 3. It does everything the up24 does, but adds changeable bands, and a heart rate monitor. Hope that helps.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply, that helps alot. Ive read up on the Jawbone Up24 and it looks like so many people having sync issues or theyre breaking as its realitively new to Android. I think what I read was it used to be IOS only. Ill certainly take a look. I like the idea of being able to integrate other apps into it to trasck food and running.. instead of just a pedometer. Is the Jawbone not quite chunky on your wrist ?.
Ill take a look at the Jawbone, Garmin and Fitbit and decide.
EDIT:
My local store has the black flex for £50 on special, which seems tempting .. but still looking
NightOrchid said:
Thanks for the reply, that helps alot. Ive read up on the Jawbone Up24 and it looks like so many people having sync issues or theyre breaking as its realitively new to Android. I think what I read was it used to be IOS only. Ill certainly take a look. I like the idea of being able to integrate other apps into it to trasck food and running.. instead of just a pedometer. Is the Jawbone not quite chunky on your wrist ?.
Ill take a look at the Jawbone, Garmin and Fitbit and decide.
EDIT:
My local store has the black flex for £50 on special, which seems tempting .. but still looking
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The jawbone seems slimmer than the fitbit. As for the syncing issues with the jawbone, that was before when it was only for iOS. Now that it syncs with android, I've had no issues. I honestly had more sync issues with the fitbit than I did with the jawbone. You should be able to catch good deals on either one though. Another option that's could be worn on the wrist or clipped to you is the jawbone move. It's basically a jawbone up24, but with a user replaceable battery. It's also significantly cheaper than both the flex and up24
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Ordered a misfit flash.. On black Friday needless to say hasn't even shipped yet. It was a bargain at $24, it does distance, steps, calories burned and sleep. Pretty sure it has a clock too.
Might post a review at some point if I'm happy with it

If you could buy the LG G Watch R again today, would you?

I'll be the first to admit that a large part of my rationale for purchasing the LG G Watch R was gadget lust as opposed to a logical cost/benefit evaluation.
Here's what I've learned:
1) I don't use the notifications nearly as much as I thought. Why? Because honestly it isn't that hard to pull out my phone and look. While the watch interface is cool, it is just too small to "do anything" with as with a small effort I could do that same thing much better on my phone.
2) A large reason I got this was to reduce distraction of looking at my phone while driving. Well again, the problem is, the text is so small and cannot scroll without two hands that it may actually be MORE distracting, not less. Also, I wear glasses to drive. Since I am near-sighted, I cannot see whats on my watch while wearing my glasses. So if I get a notification while driving I need to take off my glasses and take my eyes off the road to look. Hopefully while doing all this I don't hit a school bus full of somebody's babies.
3) Much of the notification work the watch does is already done by my small but powerful bluetooth headset. Text messages read, check. Turn by turn navigation read, check.
Funny thing is that most of the time what I find myself using the watch for is telling the time, temp and battery levels of my devices. Granted I don't go to a lot of meetings so getting texts surreptitiously on my wrist is not a benefit for me while it may be for others.
The #1 drawback (besides the price) of this watch is simply that I have to wear a watch. I have a $6,000 Rolex that I never wear for work because it annoys me when typing. The LG G R has the same issue.
So anyway, if I had to do it all again, would I? No, probably not. What does intrigue me is the new idea of a small curved LCD notification attachment for the wristband of your current mechanical watch. Now that would be useful.
I'm slowly gearing up to sell mine. The novelty has worn off and I really don't wear it as much as I thought I would - it just doesn't DO anything useful aside from having a customizable colorful watchface and showing me notifications, for which I have to take the phone out anyway to respond.
Also, I constantly worry that I'll damage it by hitting or bumping it somewhere, and that only stresses me out.
I got it for $210 with tax and shipping when T-Mobile had that 30% off coupon (along with 5% cash back from my Discover card), so I'm going to probably break even since it's in pristine condition.
I bought mine to replace my old Sony Smartwatch2. It's a great device and I found that I cannot live w/o a smartwatch to my wrist. Thanks to this little buddy, I'm barely touching my phone which leads to great battery life. Watch on the wrist, bluetooth handsfree in the ear, phone in the pocket ... no need to touch it unless I have to send a message.
So my answer is YES ... definitely.
Today I will buy it again hands down, in fact if I lost it or break it I will buy another one as soon as I get Internet access. I've had a Smartwatch (meaning a watch connected to your mobile by bluetooth) since 2009 and I can't understand how did I manage to have a mobile phone without these watches before.
Yes, I've worn a wristwatch since I remember, never had a problem typing or anything else, I'm used to it.
I love a vibration in my wrist rather than in my pocket/backpack/table while charging... (I like my mobile making sounds just when I intentionally play that sound)
I love notifications with no vibration or noise as well, it just stays there on my watch waiting for me.
I check temperature, possible rain, wind speed and direction, just with a quick look, I know what to wear faster than before.
I read and archive non-important emails faster than before, I read messages that doesn't need to be replied faster than before.
I can switch my Wi-Fi light in the garden easily while riding my bike when I'm getting close to my house.
I can check my shopping list while shopping, leaving my hands free to grab things and avoiding the risk of my mobile hitting the floor.
I could keep writing reasons for a while more, but you get my point, I love it, I need it and yes, I'll buy it again and again (until there's one better out there for me to buy)
I hope I didn't do too much harm to English language BTW.
Cheers!
Yes, I would buy again. Especially since I got mine for just $210, when T-Mobile had a discount code.
I replaced a Samsung Gear Live. I'm very happy going from square to round. The only thing the Gear Live has over the "R" is that it does not have screen burn in as easily. But I'm change my watch face all the time with my "R", so burn-in has not been an issue for me.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk
One of the things which has lessened my enjoyment is that when I walk away from my phone and the Bluetooth disconnects, often it takes forever to reconnect if it does at all. Weird that my $30 bluetooth headset reconnects instantaneously but my $300 smartwatch cannot.
I guess I was hoping for a smarter "smart" watch.
mitchellvii said:
One of the things which has lessened my enjoyment is that when I walk away from my phone and the Bluetooth disconnects, often it takes forever to reconnect if it does at all. Weird that my $30 bluetooth headset reconnects instantaneously but my $300 smartwatch cannot.
I guess I was hoping for a smarter "smart" watch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I suspect that would cost much more battery. It's probably just a matter of the polling rate.
I also think it may depend on how long things are away from each other. To me, when I'm away a short period of time it reconnects faster, than when I'm away a longer period of time. So it's possible the polling rate adjust to wait longer when, it seems you'll be away from the phone for a while.
I have never had a case where the "R" failed to reconnect, but sometimes it takes longer than other times.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk
Darnell_Chat_TN said:
I suspect that would cost much more battery. It's probably just a matter of the polling rate.
I also think it may depend on how long things are away from each other. To me, when I'm away a short period of time it reconnects faster, than when I'm away a longer period of time. So it's possible the polling rate adjust to wait longer when, it seems you'll be away from the phone for a while.
I have never had a case where the "R" failed to reconnect, but sometimes it takes longer than other times.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't think battery life has anything to do with it. My tiny Bluetooth headset reconnects instantly and it has 11 hours talk time. I think its just bad engineering. Its unreasonable to expect the user to accept a disconnected smart watch for any more than a millisecond.
You should not compare a bluetooth handsfree with a smartwatch. The protocols used are different as well as the transferred content and amount of data.
And, because the protocols are different, it is also a matter of hot the phone is behaving with the bluetooth pooling of the clients. Don't jump into blaming bad engineering.
Anyway, my watch is reconnecting in a matter of seconds after I get back in the range of the phone (Z1 Compact).
I'm not using my smartwatch all that much simply because I don't get too much notifications
Would I buy it again? Definitely
I have been and would be wearing a regular watch (which was more expensive than the LGWR) anyways and I love the little “extra” I get from a smartwatch
Most importantly, for me the watch is a fashion statement and that’s where the LGWR does an OK job, which makes it feasible to me (looks good and you can’t immediately identify it as a smartwatch). Are there better looking watches out there? yes, but to me the smart is worth it
I would buy again, But i am typically an early adopter of alot of things. I want to run the face full time on but havent yet. Still nervous. Ive had it since released at TMo. Coming from the Pebble Steel, Id like the watch to always be on.
I had a normal Pebble before. I dont want miss this watch anymore. I wont sell it. I knew how the system is before I got it. So I knew what it can do and what it cant do.
Im very pleased.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app
I definitely would buy a smartwatch, but not now.
I love my G Watch R, but I think there are a lot of important things the watch still misses, such as NFC, a speaker, and a better version of Android Wear, and as a student, I wouldn't be able to buy another GWR + the next generation.
So I think that, if I lost it or if I broke it, I would probably wait for the next generation, if I'm able to wait.
I think before being a Gadget, the smartwatches are watches, and it has to be bought as a watch.
I use my smartwatch all the time, to read notifications, mails, messages ... But also as a sleep tracker, and even to read my shopping list when I go to the supermarket. I used to read my shopping list with my phone, and I have to admit that it's a lot better with the watch ! It's very usefull to make simple calculs with the calculator app as well.
All these extra things doesn't justify the price, but comparing to the price of a normal watch, it worth it as a watch for sure !
mitchellvii said:
Don't think battery life has anything to do with it. My tiny Bluetooth headset reconnects instantly and it has 11 hours talk time. I think its just bad engineering. Its unreasonable to expect the user to accept a disconnected smart watch for any more than a millisecond.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Battery is the exact issue at hand here. It's your phone thats making the reconnect request, not the watch. The Android Wear app is designed to request a reconnect at certain intervals (I believe it's 16 seconds a couple of times, then 32, 64, 128, then finally topped out at 256). This is used not to destroy your phones battery life. I'm suspecting they designed it this way KNOWING that we will walk away from our phones a lot more often with a watch, as compared to a bluetooth headset.
So, for the record, it's quite the opposite of bad engineering. Maybe in time someone will figure out how to mod the app to change the intervals.
Anyways reading your OP, it sounds like a lot of the issues with this watch are pertaining to personal issues/preference. To each is their own of course, I actually have none of the issues that you describe (besides the longer 128 and 256 reconnect intervals), so I would definately buy this watch again. Works like a dream, a lot better than the Pebble Steel I previously owned and sold. Working in the public safety sector, this watch definitely helps me out.
Yes. I love it. It's great at work in the business world
Sent from my GT-I9505 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Bad user experience means bad engineering, period. You can spin it all day and the result is the same. For whatever reason my $800 bleeding edge phone struggles to connect to my $300 (supposed to be bleeding edge) smartwatch while my $30 Bluetooth headset connects and reconnects instantly.
I mean how much battery life is failing to reconnect in a timely manner saving me and why should I care since my long lived smartwatch won't connect to my phone?
Good intentions don't make good engineering. Good results do and this sucks.
mitchellvii said:
Bad user experience means bad engineering, period. You can spin it all day and the result is the same. For whatever reason my $800 bleeding edge phone struggles to connect to my $300 (supposed to be bleeding edge) smartwatch while my $30 Bluetooth headset connects and reconnects instantly.
I mean how much battery life is failing to reconnect in a timely manner saving me and why should I care since my long lived smartwatch won't connect to my phone?
Good intentions don't make good engineering. Good results do and this sucks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First off, I am not trying to "spin" anything. I am not a hardcore fanboy, I am just giving simple facts, and you're entitled to your opinion just as I am with mine. I have no problems with my watch "struggling" to connect to my Nexus 5 AT ALL (regardless of their value), what I do notice is the polling taking awhile to connect if I am away from my phone for any extended period of time. You can say its "bad engineering," or software development all you want, but what they are trying (and succeeding) in doing is preventing the Android Wear and Bluetooth apps from popping up in your battery stats with a large amount of battery usage. There would be a lot of people crying here if the watch was sucking up battery because your phone is trying to connect to your watch in 1 second intervals every time you walk away (and for some people who aren't attached to their phones, this would be a big battery drain).
"Bad" user experience as you put it doesn't always mean poor engineering or software development, it just means there's no better way of doing it at the moment. What would have been smart of them to do is have a setting where you can change the polling rate if the user, like yourself, so wanted. Like I said, if your away from your phone for extended periods of time (like an hour at a time per se), that can actually add up to big battery drain if your phone is trying to send the same packets over and over every second.
@mitchellvii : in your case (yes, I read the other topic too) is a problem generated mostly by the phone, not by the watch. Samsung is known to have software issues and a bloated operating system. More than that, if you are on Lolipop with your Note4 this only adds a new layer of uncertainty, especially coming from Samsung.
Don't blame the engineers because they did their job beautifully. From my point of view, this watch delivers very good results.
Then, there is the other possibility: a faulty unit. Nevertheless, my watch is bought in the same day when it arrived in stock here, in Sweden (so I assume is one of the early units) and I did not had any issues with it.
doubleohseven said:
So, for the record, it's quite the opposite of bad engineering. Maybe in time someone will figure out how to mod the app to change the intervals.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
completely agree - but it should be user-configurable
xposed would be the way to go (at least for the non-Lollipop users), hopefully someone can come up with something that makes everyone happy
First 24 hours with the G Watch R after returning a Moto 360 and I couldn't be happier. The heart rate monitor works better, battery life much better, and it is working better with Google Fit. Last night, for the first time, Google Fit was able to detect that I was riding my stationary bike when I was working out as opposed to other activities I had logged previously. Sleep monitoring using Sleep As Android resulted in 85% battery left this morning where the 360 would be dead half of the time. I love being able to have the screen always on and get through a full day with battery to spare. I find it more responsive than the 360 and actually prefer the look of it over the 360.

[Q] Worth it for 249?

Thinking of getting an LG G Watch R, is it worth it for $249?
I bought this device three months ago - going on three months of owning it. I bought for full price in march of this year. From my day-to-day use and observations, I see it as a pretty solid device.
For starters, I like look of it. The watch body is pretty solid in design. It feels no different than wearing my normal wristwatch. The screen is pretty good. It's been said since its an P-OLED display, it can exhibit burn-in/ image retention with high brightness settings and certain colors. So you should be cautious with the screen brightness. That being said, I haven't seen any burn-in so far.
Next, the battery life with my usage has been pretty good. I use it everyday (not too much on the weekends) with always-on setting enabled, brightness level between 3 and 1 and Swapp's true dark apps usually enabled. I also turn it off overnight; I have no need to wear it to track my sleep patterns. Using these settings, I have gotten through three days.
Lastly, the connectivity is pretty good. You've got about thirty meters or so of distance to go before the watch losses connection. So if you are in your house/ apartment, you can leave your phone in one room and still be connected. That being said, the whole issue with whether or not the next AW update gives the device isn't that be of an issue (at least for me). Most times I am wearing the watch, I have my phone on me and WiFi is not available (at work; at home completely different story).
Bottom line is I think this device is worth the money.
That would be entirely up to you. Do you think it's worth it? People who own it obviously think it's worth it.
LG = Lots of Greed
dkb218 said:
That would be entirely up to you. Do you think it's worth it? People who own it obviously think it's worth it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you really want to hand your money over to this greedy, disreputable company. Just over 6 months ago, they announced to the world that the LG G Watch R is "fully future proof" because, for example, that it has WIFI built in for the day it should become available in Android Wear OS (goo.gl/oKU5R9 (5:19)). They even had it certified by the FCC for WIFI. Now they say that LGR won't have WIFI enabled but it will be enabled with LGU even though the two products have the same internals. Now they are apparently releasing apps that are locked to the LGU and won't work with the LGR.
It's not that I'd likely use WIFI, and similar calling apps are already on Google Play, but I don't like adding my hard earned money to the coffers of companies like LG. If you don't either, I'd suggest that you look at an alternative device.
In the meantime, I'm trying to get a refund from LG so I can buy from another manufacturer.
datawrhsdoc said:
Do you really want to hand your money over to this greedy, disreputable company. Just over 6 months ago, they announced to the world that the LG G Watch R is "fully future proof" because, for example, that it has WIFI built in for the day it should become available in Android Wear OS (goo.gl/oKU5R9 (5:19)). They even had it certified by the FCC for WIFI. Now they say that LGR won't have WIFI enabled but it will be enabled with LGU even though the two products have the same internals. Now they are apparently releasing apps that are locked to the LGU and won't work with the LGR.
It's not that I'd likely use WIFI, and similar calling apps are already on Google Play, but I don't like adding my hard earned money to the coffers of companies like LG. If you don't either, I'd suggest that you look at an alternative device.
In the meantime, I'm trying to get a refund from LG so I can buy from another manufacturer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well said mate! :good:
Honestly, besides the wifi setback the G Watch R is a solid device! And the Moto 360 is not my cup of tea...
Get this: I have an iPhone, but I have a Nexus 7 2013 and I will use a tablet (yes, a tablet) to power my wear device. Why won't I just buy an apple watch? I hate the apple watch. Everyone is complaining about the G Watch R lacking wifi, but honestly it's probably Better then the Apple Watch.
And all of the people on this website probably know somewhat about modding this stuff! The G Watch R has the hardware, all of us could find a way to enable WiFi unofficially. Now everyone should stop complaining, recognize that the LG will probably not enable wifi officially, and everyone that wants to should start to work on a patch or something to enable wifi! Look at the Gear 2 android wear port, I'm pretty sure (correct me if I'm wrong) that the Gear 2 has unsupported internals for android wear. They got it working! What do you think?
Skye Green said:
Honestly, besides the wifi setback the G Watch R is a solid device!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Except the flicker screen with probable defect on screen brightness hardware, never explained by LG
Except the always crash of Wear when a LG Watch (same for my G-Watch and my R-Watch) go outside BT range or become in range.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3dhZYESs_5bXzY3bkNiX3ZBWDA&authuser=0
it seem not happen on other watch than the watch from LG....
Except LG release new software on store but not for his older product like GWR
http://www.androidpolice.com/2015/0...d-rage-because-its-only-for-the-watch-urbane/
dersie said:
Except the flicker screen with probable defect on screen brightness hardware, never explained by LG
Except the always crash of Wear when a LG Watch (same for my G-Watch and my R-Watch) go outside BT range or become in range.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3dhZYESs_5bXzY3bkNiX3ZBWDA&authuser=0
it seem not happen on other watch than the watch from LG....
Except LG release new software on store but not for his older product like GWR
http://www.androidpolice.com/2015/0...d-rage-because-its-only-for-the-watch-urbane/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Except neither the crash or the flicker happen to my LG G R and mine is not any special version so obviously is not everyone so dont try to make it seem like it is.
shaolin95 said:
Except neither the crash or the flicker happen to my LG G R and mine is not any special version so obviously is not everyone so dont try to make it seem like it is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No but many people have this issue. If you want to see if you have luck or not everyone can try to see
dersie said:
No but many people have this issue. If you want to see if you have luck or not everyone can try to see
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But you do know people with issues are a LOT more motivated to post and complain about it than people without issues is about posting how good the watch is working... so its hard to argue how bad the issue really is, dont you agree?
shaolin95 said:
so its hard to argue how bad the issue really is, dont you agree?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes but also not all people who have this issue post, so if we see a lot of post with issue it mean that is not a minor issue
I only see that when we talk about this problem (FC Wear) other users (with Moto360 for example) say he never had this issue. It seem affect only LG Watch, so ??????
dersie said:
Yes but also not all people who have this issue post, so if we see a lot of post with issue it mean that is not a minor issue
I only see that when we talk about this problem (FC Wear) other users (with Moto360 for example) say he never had this issue. It seem affect only LG Watch, so ??????
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I disagree, if it was a big issue I am sure we would have seen a movement to try getting a recall or a more vocal group which is not happening. Again, my watch is not any special, just a common LG R so why is it mine never has that error??????
I have it go out of range constantly while at work and never an issue.
Guess we will agree to disagree.
shaolin95 said:
Again, my watch is not any special, just a common LG R so why is it mine never has that error??????
I have it go out of range constantly while at work and never an issue.
Guess we will agree to disagree.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same, why my G-Watch with my Nexus 4 has this issue ? Why my LG-R with my Samsung S4 has this issue ?
and why this other users have this issue
https://plus.google.com/+KayFash/posts/ZMg7dEGfkAJ
I do not know why ? but there are a problem with the watch by LG, after like I said everyone can try an LG or try another brand.
dersie said:
Same, why my G-Watch with my Nexus 4 has this issue ? Why my LG-R with my Samsung S4 has this issue ?
and why this other users have this issue
https://plus.google.com/+KayFash/posts/ZMg7dEGfkAJ
I do not know why ? but there are a problem with the watch by LG, after like I said everyone can try an LG or try another brand.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again, thats a tiny sample of how many watches are around so at the very least neither of us can say for certain how bad the situation is but you are free to think as you like.
I personally would never trust LG again and will make my mission in life to (a) never buy their products again and (b) persuade as many people as i can to do likewise.
I bought the R literally one month before their 'knife in the back' to all their R community.
Regardless of whether this is a good watch or not, what LG has done doesn't affect a percentage of the people with the R but ALL the people with the R.
They cannot have it both ways. Either (a) they lied during their luanch stating it has wifi and the fccid certification or (b) they are lying now stating they cannot enable it. There is simply no other reason i can think of. It has been proved (you can find all the evidence you like with a simple search) that the wifi chip exists and so do the antennae so the only reason i can think of is like i said 'a knife in the back' and i will not allow anyone to do this to me or my friends not as long as i am in command of where, and with whom, i spent my money. LG are not the only ones that make smartwatches or smartphones. You want to hurt them back then don't buy it, simple.
There was a post with a quote from an LG rep which pretty much said that the GWR wouldn't get wifi with the update but it was something that could happen down the line with a software update meaning the tech is there to support wifi but LG won't implement just yet for whatever reason. [Urbane sales].
We'll all know once Android Wear is released.
I love my GWR, but I'm not sure I would pay $250 at this point in the products life cycle. In fact, I only paid $210 back in November during the t-mobile "sale". At this point, I would wait for the Urbane or Moto 360 v2.
I probably wont upgrade until there is a model with: sapphire glass, stainless back, integrated speaker, gps, and better battery life. That said, I think the GWR is a great watch, great looking, and does everything it was advertised to do.
I will would wait for the next generation of android wear from Samsung and Motorola. If you can get the GWR for $200 then its a good deal. If you have have a smart watch for now I would get a Samsung gear live on craigslist for under $100. I had the lg g watch, Samsung gear live, moto 360 n lg GWR and the one I like the most is the GWR. But if I can save $150 I would get the gear live instead.

Do you use smartwatch?

Anyone using smartwatch? Share Experiences and thoughts here.
I am thinking of buying G Watch Urbane
http://i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/481/790/669.jpg
Go for it. You will be a BOSS. Seriously, it will change your life.
Have been think about getting one for a while, but they are pretty expensive in Australia and I would personally wait a little bit longer for the technology to mature.
Sent from my SM-N920C using Tapatalk
I use a asus zenwatch.
It is very usefull for some things.
When you get messages/calls at work you can have a quick look if its important.
Maps navigation (walk) you dont need to look at your Smartphone anymore.
Music skip Songs
OK Google feature: Send whatsapp to... (When driving), reminder, translator....
I have a G Watch.
Having a smart watch is pretty usefull when you recieve messages or calls, u can look at the watch and see or respond without turning on your phone.
Also u have maps and other apps that are pretty usefull..... If u are a runner is great!
At the end is a watch with smart capabilities... Time and date plus the basics of the phone...
metteduch said:
Anyone using smartwatch? Share Experiences and thoughts here.
I am thinking of buying G Watch Urbane
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am using Pebble Steel, which is based on the original Pebble watch. The value and functionality is fantastic. First of all, it looks good and performs extremely well as a watch. I picked it for just $100 around holidays, and at that price it's worth the money even if it did not have any "smart"watch functionality. Some good points about it:
1. Great as a watch. The time always stays in sync with network time. There are about a gazillion good looking watch faces you can download.
2. Delivers notifications from the phone (calls, messages, etc)
3. Weather and battery charge display on many popular watch faces.
4. Will last 7-10 days on one battery charge
5. waterproof
6. Android compatible (of course)
7. Cheap
8. Many many free apps.
Poor points:
1 bit "color" display is very readable and saves you battery, but some people want a color display.
I think the activity/fitness tracking features are a bit gimmicky.
The newer versions of Pebble are worth checking out.
Don't know why are all smartwatches are so expensive???
EvilKing009 said:
Don't know why are all smartwatches are so expensive???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you can find pebbles on swappa for typically less than $100, plus the pebble classic dropped to $100 MSRP
pebbles are awesome, I rock the steel and it's great, the battery life is ridiculous and it does notifications really well (music control is nice too)
they don't bite off more than they can chew like some other smartwatches
I highly recommend an asus zenwatch 2, it only costs $130 on (or at) bestbuy and has specs similar to "flagship" smartwatches. The only thing it doesnt have is a heart rate monitor. It also is one of the only smartwatches with a speaker, whenever google adds functionality for a speaker on android wear.
I wish those watches weren't so expensive
yes I do ,moto 360
I have an ASUS Zenwatch 2 and can highly recommend it!
It is available on Amazon and at Best Buy, etc. for $129 with the brown band (which actually isn't terrible), but I also picked up a steel 22mm milanese band for $11 and it looks great!
I'm using an Asus Zenwatch. It's very useful for eg answering whatsapp.
I have a Samsung Gear LIVE, pretty useful for the notification (but I use some filter)
I have the LG G Watch the original I snagged it for $100. Best thing I've done. It's mostly to learn to leave my phone alone in my pocket. I can't talk through the watch which is really fine with me, you can use a Bluetooth headset for music and phone calls so no biggie. I have two phones so I also have a second watch the LG G Watch R for my LG G3. Just remember that you can't pair more than one phone to the watch.
Quick text and email replies, start apps while driving eg: navigate to x location, start music, call B contact. That's what the watch does best. No heart rate monitor, not an accurate pedometer it will get better!
Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk
I had a zenwatch. Worked fine with my G2. But after a few days i sold it. In a few years i'll get interested again. For now i don't find it useful.
Using Pebble Time. You can find discussions about pebble vs. other (android wear) watches on reddit.
Extremely happy with my watch. It's not pricey as other watches, 150$ and you get one week battery life.
I'm using the LG Urbane. It's nice but the phone's battery sure has taken a hit (even though I use it less).
LG Watch R and yes, love it

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