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I'm about to upgrade to the Note 3 and am seriously considering a smart watch for notifications as the many layers of protective clothing I have to wear will make getting the Note out a John Cleese scene.
I've been looking at 3, the Sony. The g g and the pebble. Obviously the hg is the one made specifically for this phone but I am baulking at the price which is an eye watering £250...about $400 US. No idea why Samsung UK have priced this so high. Might be cheaper in the Euro Zone.
I'm a wee bit cautious about the galaxy gear as mist reviews haven't been great and it looks a bit unadaptable for an android device, were the price lower I would probably go for it.
As I can get a pebble for half the price, and I've been really impressed at the 3rd party content etc. I'm leaning towards pebble + a plantronics pro headset rather than a gear with the guilt in **** Tracey speaker.
Is the galaxy gear as bad as all that?
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scooters29 said:
I'm about to upgrade to the Note 3 and am seriously considering a smart watch for notifications as the many layers of protective clothing I have to wear will make getting the Note out a John Cleese scene.
I've been looking at 3, the Sony. The g g and the pebble. Obviously the hg is the one made specifically for this phone but I am baulking at the price which is an eye watering £250...about $400 US. No idea why Samsung UK have priced this so high. Might be cheaper in the Euro Zone.
I'm a wee bit cautious about the galaxy gear as mist reviews haven't been great and it looks a bit unadaptable for an android device, were the price lower I would probably go for it.
As I can get a pebble for half the price, and I've been really impressed at the 3rd party content etc. I'm leaning towards pebble + a plantronics pro headset rather than a gear with the guilt in **** Tracey speaker.
Is the galaxy gear as bad as all that?
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The only downside ever to the Gear is that it only supports Galaxy devices - but you will be using a Note 3, so it's the better option.
HOWEVER, the Gear 2 is probably coming very, very soon.
Thanks, I might wait to see what the gear 2 looks like, after all if I get a pebble it will likely be the steel one and they recently launched here and costing top dollar.
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Pebble. I myself is rocking a pebble with note 3 and it is excellent. Plus new appstore coming on Monday enables u to dl apps much easier. Gear has lousy battery life too...
SM N9005 Rocking Temasek CM11 With Temasek Kernel
The SmartQ Z-Watch is another option that I am looking at.
I also have been using my Pebble with my Note 3. Have you had any luck getting the one - handed operation to work when the phone is connected to the Pebble?
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Looked at the Sony as well but the pebble does do them on price. I've got a few issues with the watch functionality of the gear. If I'm going to wear this rather than my Seiko sports military watch, a lovely automatic , it has to be able to tell you the time without having to be woken up.
The gear 2 if sold at this price point is probably out of contention for me, unless it is a significantly splendid gadget, I simply wouldn't spend 250 quid on a watch that will date in 18 months, far better to spend half that on a pebble, the sheer volume of 3rd party pebble apps is a good indicator of support, I don't see Sony getting there and like Sony's tablets and phones, its a well screwed together item let down by clunky oem skin and apps.
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I am planning to get the Pebble in white to match my white note 3, the Pebble has a good battery life, the time is always displayed, and you can put any 22mm strap on it, if the strap breaks on the Gear, then you have had it, as it's not replaceable and it houses the camera.
Go for Gear, if you have come across this far to customise Note 3 you will never be disappointed if you drop by http://forum.xda-developers.com/smartwatch/samsung-galaxy-gear to do what others can not.
You can compare Peeble battery with Gear which only stand for 2 days but what about features and mods to browse Internet, games, gps, video chat it`s like comparing your old Nokia to your new Note 3 which the old Nokia can extend battery to one week compare to Note 3 for only 2 days.
Read the Gear threads to find parts not only strap.
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Thanks. I'm reasonably confident at rooting phones, my current htc is rooted. I might read up the galaxy gear forum as you suggest. At the end if the day the issues I have apart from cost are the sort if issues you can fix by rooting which is why I did my HTC. I could always buy a second hand one off the bay and see how I get on. This would also negate having to wait for the gear 2 to come out. I drive an old jaguar and an old Citroen CX precisely because it is tried and tested technology and anything you can possibly have to face with either vehicle has been faced by others who have documented the fix.
The greatest thing the internet has done for me is enabled an archaeologist like me to move into a technical mechanical and chemical engineering and set up a business by others sharing their expertise with me. All you need is a brain some hands and access to the right tools! I'm being a total wuss...this is xda developers...its only an ickle watch, how hard can it be!
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I quite like the look of free falling ROM
Here....
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2546850
Ok, plan will be to get a gear and root it to another theme that sorts some of the issues.
Neither. Try a Citizen Nighthawk for something similarly priced. Better yet try a Submariner or Seamaster.
Usually wear a 1919 vintage omega military watch in 9 carat gold!
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go for gear. i've been using this about 1 week and i am happy with its speed, and battery is not so bad. fully compatible with note and elegant look than the others.
so go for it...
I think I gona wait until the galaxy gear 2 comes available in stores
Enviado desde mi GT-N8013 mediante Tapatalk
Had the gear and returned it and got the pebble. The pebble is absolutely amazing. Week of battery. And the Tasker Integration brings the functionality of this watch to a whole new level.
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I have the Gear, and I have rarely used it. It's not what I expected but it is a first attempt by Samsung, I am also considering swapping mine for a Pebble especially now the pebble store is going live soon.
Does either watch have a heavy duty 3rd party removable protective case eg like the trident ones for the 'phones? I have several restoration projects coming up that see me in workshops and building sites etc. I want the watch so the phone can live under my protective gear and I will use a platronics headset. I guess the pebble steel might be the toughest option. Can spotify and audible apps extension be mounted on the pebble?
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Torn between the martian, the GG, and the sony2, and maybe even the quallcom TOQ. As for the gear, price is dropping, best buy is already down to 250. If it gets to 200 even, I'm getting it.
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Just bought a nearly new Gear from eBay. I see that Pebbles are now down to 100 quid in the UK with 2nd hand decent ones coming in at 75. I might buy a pebble as well due to its waterproofing, I'm outside at work a lot in wet Scotland. But I might wait till the pebble steel becomes a bit more available, its the first 'normal' smart watch and the steel construction is a winner re protection
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I'm interested to know what the Gear Fit is like. I currently have the Gear 2, but this looks pretty good and I'm thinking about purchasing it. Would you say the Gear Fit is as good as the Gear 2 or are they completely different?
Thanks!
doverjosh8 said:
....are they completely different
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:good:
Different.
Gear fit doesn't have camera, no direct replying of calls from the watch, no standalone music player, no speakers, no IR blaster.
Both have the usual fitness features, timer and stopwatch features, and notification access on the watch.
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i think the gear fit has everything you need and is not as bulky as the gear 2..much better battery life and it's cheaper too. :good:
but they are very different indeed the fit is more like a fitness tracker with smartwatch features xD
hello folks!!
i wanna buy a galaxy gear fit.
i loved all the features!
but i read a lot of complaints like no after sales support from samsung ,infinite boot looping gear fits, dead after a few months etc.
this scared the crap out of me!
im investing almost 10K INR roughly 170$ which is a huge amount for me!
so id like some valid reviews please!
you're insights shall influence my final purchase!
P.S i own a samsung galaxy S5.
Hi Guys. I skipped both gear 1 and gear 2 but finally decided to buy a gear. What would you recommend. Should I look for Gear S or go for Gear 2?
curved screen and 2" looking nice
SayWhat10 said:
curved screen and 2' looking nice
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I would go with the Gear S. That curved screen looks amazing. I also like the build in Flesky Keyboard. I have the 1st gear with Null Rom and used the keyboard to reply to text messages using Tablet talk.
But the price will be higher than Gear 2
I'm totally in on the gear s as my first smart watch but my only concern is how much the data plan will be.
The Gear S is looking good for my first smart watch, although I really like the look of the moto 360..........circle watch with square interface though.........
decisions decisions..........
Have they released pricing and availability of the gear s?
mediaman123 said:
The Gear S is looking good for my first smart watch, although I really like the look of the moto 360..........circle watch with square interface though.........
decisions decisions..........
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Att.Fan1982 said:
Have they released pricing and availability of the gear s?
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I was in the same boat as you .. but the moment I saw the flat tyre "design" in the moto360 and the notifications/messages being cut off at the flat tyre portion ... that did it for me .. it's Gear S for sure ... the flat tyre is really an eye sore ..whoever at Motorola whom decided to allow the flat tyre design should be given the boot ..
http://9to5google.com/2014/10/30/samsung-gear-s-release-date/
I have the Gear 2 now I had the Gear 1 I want the Gear S but the lack of camera and IR blaster I think I'll stick with my Gear 2 a while longer many the Gear S2 will come in march with the S6 and include camera and IR blaster
I'm about 2 months in on my gear S, and It feels like the run is coming to an end. Main reason? No support for always on clock faces. I'm a every day watch wearer, and having really no options for a stylish always on face is unacceptable. Plus I'm finding the gear manager to buggy, I can't even manage my notifications anymore...
I'm sick of using only samsung apps, still don't know how to reply to an email correctly. Developement seems slow, all apps are paid apps, not enough apps. Really a shame considering the hardware is really nice, and tizen itself if pretty solid. S voice blows donkey chode... if it could use google now, i would be set. I do alot of random searches throughout the day, and pulling out my phone to using google now because of s voice inadequacies seems stupid.
Just called my pops to order me a moto 360, not sure if I'll be anymore happy, guess we will see. Bottom line, not using 3g card or phone call features as much as I thought, I hate svoice, and gear manager. No replacement watch bands, a rubber band on a $350 watch, malarkey, nuff said.
Update:
Looks like the jumping of the ship did not work... Got the 360, love the looks, love the charger, love google now. Dislike interface overall, whole cards thing just doesn't work, battery life is an absolute joke. Back to the gear s for now, someone please get an aftermarket band and always on faces going. Kinda shocked on how bad android wear is.... hope apple comes out and blows everyone out of the water.
Sampson0420 said:
I'm about 2 months in on my gear S, and It feels like the run is coming to an end. Main reason? No support for always on clock faces. I'm a every day watch wearer, and having really no options for a stylish always on face is unacceptable. Plus I'm finding the gear manager to buggy, I can't even manage my notifications anymore...
I'm sick of using only samsung apps, still don't know how to reply to an email correctly. Developement seems slow, all apps are paid apps, not enough apps. Really a shame considering the hardware is really nice, and tizen itself if pretty solid. S voice blows donkey chode... if it could use google now, i would be set. I do alot of random searches throughout the day, and pulling out my phone to using google now because of s voice inadequacies seems stupid.
Just called my pops to order me a moto 360, not sure if I'll be anymore happy, guess we will see. Bottom line, not using 3g card or phone call features as much as I thought, I hate svoice, and gear manager. No replacement watch bands, a rubber band on a $350 watch, malarkey, nuff said.
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Bye...
Bye Felicia
He does raise some very valid points, especially about the watch faces. However, the available alternatives have much less functionality. I studied the moto in detail before finally buying the gear s. I am sure I made the right decision, even with the many shortcomings of the gear s. I am also hopeful that some of those glaring omissions (which can very easily be fixed in an update) might actually be updated at some point. Although Samsung is infamous for having the slowest updates in the industry, I remain hopeful.
Agreed, gear can do much more, google wear as a whole has much less functionality. This is why I've passed up on the 360 in the past and waited for gear s. I'm just finding I don't use the gear's extra funtions hardly ever. The functions I do use, the wear watches execute better. I'll have both the next couple weeks and will report back...
Agree with all criticisms, but still Gear S is a keeper
The ability to answer a call or text on my wrist overwhelms the very valid criticisms cited above. I have owned two Pebble watches for over a year now, and while the Pebble does all the small stuff well, the Gear S is so much more powerful on the two most important things that matter, texting and receiving a phone call when your phone is stuck in your pocket. I have also tried several of the android wear devices, and both the Pebble and Gear S still blows them all away. Don't waste your time with Android Wear right now. Buy a Pebble Steel or Gear S.
I agree with jwhedberg. Yesterday after work I went out for a quick discussion with a friend over a beer. Like this happens sometimes, I ended up hitting the town with till very late in the night. My phone battery died at some time and I couldnt charge it at the bar, but I was still able to receive my phone calls on the smartphone number (activated "Call forwarding when unreachable"), I could call and send texts, all from the gear S. Thats a deal maker for me.
An always on face with stylish look would be nice, but I think that even if it was available it would drain too much battery and I wouldn`t use it. I use a combination of always on black and white faces / motion activation, depending of how much of a show off I want to be
I fully agree on the strap issue. This is the most expensive of all my watches, but the strap looks like its from a toy watch. I think first manufacturer of a really cool strap will have some cool sales.
This thread probably could have gone in the returned Gear S thread. I really liked the Gear S but just seemed buggy to me. If a software update came out I might consider getting again but wish some how you could charge the battery wireless or not have to put the dock on. I'll be checking out the Gear S 2 which I guess could be out sooner then what I thought.
The gear s is by far the best smart watch out right now. There is an always on option if you look in the settings. Also you dont wont wireless charging on a device this small. Wireless charging creates excessive heat whuch is bad for batteries. It is one of the reasons why users of the Moto 360 have had device failure. I dont even use wireless charging on cellphones, slow and not worth the added cost for the convience. I like the fact that Samsung placed an extra battery in the charger, that way you can charge the Gear S without a power supply. You can even wear it with the charger. Do you guys actually own the device? Or even read up on what you are buying? Most of the concerns addressed on this thread or easily answered by Samsung and options provided by the device itself.
sniickers said:
The gear s is by far the best smart watch out right now. There is an always on option if you look in the settings. Also you dont wont wireless charging on a device this small. Wireless charging creates excessive heat whuch is bad for batteries. It is one of the reasons why users of the Moto 360 have had device failure. I dont even use wireless charging on cellphones, slow and not worth the added cost for the convience. I like the fact that Samsung placed an extra battery in the charger, that way you can charge the Gear S without a power supply. You can even wear it with the charger. Do you guys actually own the device? Or even read up on what you are buying? Most of the concerns addressed on this thread or easily answered by Samsung and options provided by the device itself.
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lol @ wearing the watch with the charger. The battery in the charger was cool but putting the charger on the watch was a hassle. Imo The watch is very nice and yes I owned it for 20 days and yes I could afford it. LoL I love wireless charging and Note 4 doesn't get hot with the OEM wireless cover. I wouldn't care if it did since I switch phones so much. That was another reason why I didn't keep the Gear S is because if I get a different phone I can't use all the features of the watch. Not everyone is going to love everything so don't get mad at people returning something. Not like you have to read this thread. Just saying
owned the pebble for 6 months, it was ehhh ok. It just looked crappy, and yes I did have the OG, not the steel. On the other hand, it was pretty darn rock solid in regards to working consistantly. Sold it and don't miss it... starting to think twice though about abandoning my S.
I run always on clock face on my gear, I'm typically around 35% at the end of the day. Battery life on this watch is awesome, I charge daily, so no complaints there.
Qi charging is the best thing ever created, there's no going back. Auto alarm clock on a $25 3 coil stand charger and $8 insert on my note 3, completely worth it.
I have the moto 360 and wore it once it does not compare to the gear s because you still have to use your phone for everything
fatboypup said:
Bye Felicia
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OMG im dying here.
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flamebeats said:
I have the moto 360 and wore it once it does not compare to the gear s because you still have to use your phone for everything
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You can't use google now to respond/dictate text or email?? Or do quick searches?? If true... that sucks.
This watch is an accessory it is not for the weak at heart. It will not cook you dinner or drive your car clean your house ect. You made the right choice for YOU at this rate you will not be happy with any Smart watch. They are not for everyone with that said good luck with your search
I thought the bands on the moto360 were ugly and cheap looking.
I've owned the Gear S for a month now and love it. Not sure why someone would want the always on feature. Your not always looking at your watch and the slight twist of your wrist it comes on. Saves battery this way too. But to each his own I guess. No problems with notifications here either. In fact I think it notifies me too much. But I like the fact that I can leave my phone anywhere and get messages and calls to my Gear S. I don't get good reception in my place of work so have to use whatsapp over wifi and I like the fact that I can reply to whatsapp messages with watch. I've become a master of swiping on a small keyboard.
just my 2 cents worth, now let me get back to designing watchfaces with watchstyler. lol
so after 8 days of use ....... and totally expecting it to cook me dinner. Im taking mine back too, I hope a model with bigger battery is heading down the pipe and i can totally live with a wifi only option. It's been fun I'll still look in and see if anything happens dev wise that might make me want another. :good:
The Motorola 360 seriously looks like something out of a gumball machine, I was actually taken back by how ugly and cheap it looked the first time I seen one in person. But again it's Motorola, aesthetics and quality aren't Strong suites for them.
But I do agree with the band issue with the Gear S, I love this watch, but was looking forward to the different band options ... still nothing. While the current band looks good I think, it creaks where it touches the watch when you touch the band, two Gear S' in and same thing. Anyone else?
Regardless, this watch is a def keeper, its beautiful and functional.
My band also creaked once in awhile. The watch was either to big on my wrist to where I was moving it a lot. Or it was to tight causing it to sweat on my wrist.
I also was stuck with the band either being to big on one hole or too small on the other .... thought it was just me one left clasp marks on my wrist the other made the hrm not functional
curious to see how many of the Samsung Galaxy S8 community have smartwatches, and which ones they are using?
I've had the Asus Zenwatch 3 since before I got the S8 back in November.
this watch is very stylish and serves as a great time piece.
everything seems to run fairly well. I get notifications, able to respond with my voice, etc. but my main concern is lag. when I disable the "OK Google" detection from the watch, the lag is almost gone. thus, in order to enter a command, I need to press a button on the watch to launch google assistant. and each time, on the first pass, I get an error that google was unreachable. but when I try a second time, it works fine. so I'm not sure if this is due to the handshake between the phone and the watch or just the watch. also, when going on a run/walk/bike ride, I would like to start the activity through the watch. however, I cannot seem to get Map My Run to work properly. I'm fine using Google Fit, but it does not call out the milestones to my bluetooth headphones - only when I start the activity through the phone. to me, this makes have the smartwatch almost pointless if I have to initiate the activity through the phone.
I know that Samsung has their own line of smartwatches, but from what I read, they do not use Google, they use Tizen. I also read that the next release of their watch (Galaxy watch, I think) will have Bixby install as it's assistant. those two factors alone will keep me away from getting a samsung smartwatch.
however, I am eyeing the Ticwatch Pro, but just want to be sure that watch is true upgrade over mine.
I used to have the original moto 360 (paired with my Motorola Droid Turbo), and that was a great combination except that the heart rate monitor was spotty at best (the Asus Zenwatch 3, FWIW, does NOT have the heart rate monitor, also a downer).
curious to see anyone else's experience....
If you're not in the rush, I recommend you to just wait for Samsung / Google next upgrade on smartwatch, because it is very near already..
Personally, I'm using Samsung gear S2 and loved it a lot for quite long... The rotating bezel is the best navigation out there imo... Sadly, Gear S3 and Gear Watch is a bit overpriced for me, so I'm still using the outdated Gear S2 for quite some time.
StardustGeass said:
If you're not in the rush, I recommend you to just wait for Samsung / Google next upgrade on smartwatch, because it is very near already..
Personally, I'm using Samsung gear S2 and loved it a lot for quite long... The rotating bezel is the best navigation out there imo... Sadly, Gear S3 and Gear Watch is a bit overpriced for me, so I'm still using the outdated Gear S2 for quite some time.
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I keep reading reviews of how everyone loves the rotating bezels. I'm sure I would like it, but i'm just fine with flicking my wrist to view the notifications or using my voice.
I wound up selling my Asus Zenwatch 3 and bought the TicWatch Pro. I had some difficulty setting it up at first - meaning that it took more than an hour to complete the process. but once it was done, seems to be working quite well so far.
the tough part is that in order to NFC to make payments via google pay (I think that the gear watches force you to use Samsung Pay instead?), is that you need to have a screenlock password/pin/pattern - and this is extremely inconvenient for normal use. But i believe that is more of a feature of Android Wear rather than the watch itself. if anything, I would prefer the to enter the password/pin/pattern only when I attempt to use google pay.
my only reason for waiting until the pixel watch would be to see it offered a watch with more RAM. however, this TicWatch Pro is very responsive and I'm able to leave the "ok Google" enabled - very helpful when driving.
jco23 said:
I keep reading reviews of how everyone loves the rotating bezels. I'm sure I would like it, but i'm just fine with flicking my wrist to view the notifications or using my voice.
I wound up selling my Asus Zenwatch 3 and bought the TicWatch Pro. I had some difficulty setting it up at first - meaning that it took more than an hour to complete the process. but once it was done, seems to be working quite well so far.
the tough part is that in order to NFC to make payments via google pay (I think that the gear watches force you to use Samsung Pay instead?), is that you need to have a screenlock password/pin/pattern - and this is extremely inconvenient for normal use. But i believe that is more of a feature of Android Wear rather than the watch itself. if anything, I would prefer the to enter the password/pin/pattern only when I attempt to use google pay.
my only reason for waiting until the pixel watch would be to see it offered a watch with more RAM. however, this TicWatch Pro is very responsive and I'm able to leave the "ok Google" enabled - very helpful when driving.
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I also ended up with a Ticwatch E model - didn't want to go all in with an expensive, high end watch until I was sure I liked the idea. Bought this one during Amazon Prime Days and have been really happy with it. Syncs to the S8, messaging, notification, Fit, Assistant, Maps, etc., all just work the way you think it should. You're right, it took about an hour before everything got set up and updated correctly. I even run Google Keep on it and check off my grocery list with the phone still in my pocket - no more burying the phone in the cart, then digging to find it!
Samsung Galaxy Watch is up, but I don't see any difference with the Gear S3?
Everything just looks the same.
The size.
The OS.
The feature.
I don't even feel Gear S3 is worth the price, and here comes a newer, more expensive one.
Yes, I totally love android smartwatch. I own Gear S2 for quite some time, and I really enjoyed it. But, smartwatch price just feels so ridiculous.
i use my moto 360.
i got a tic watch S but sending that back it was the white one. + android wear 2 is stupid... u can only voice talk in one language... but im dutch and live in france so i need 2 language... but its only french or english.. i tried looked on internet it seems normal android wear 2 is stupid, otherwise its great to talk and reply to people but i can do that same on my moto 360 with android wear 1. with just a extra app on my phone i can get keyboard and all on watch.. and i can speak 3 language and its know which it talk and it works... but for real im really disapointed by android wear 2. . its great but seems stupid to not have multi language....
so yeah i guess i will never change my moto 360...
Anyone have experience with Huawei watch 2 4G?
miloshp said:
Anyone have experience with Huawei watch 2 4G?
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I just picked up the Huawei Watch 2 Classic from Best Buy (also available on Amazon). I think it is JUST the bluetooth version, as I am not interested in getting the cellular version..
I compared it to the Ticwatch Pro, and the Huawei has a much better feel and classiness to it. The battery life has been great - I even have everything enabled (always on-display, "ok google detection", wrist gestures, etc.). At the end of the day (6:30am-10pm), I'm still at 50%+. I also take it off at night, and it charges very quickly. So I really do not need more than 2days of battery life. The watch also has an eco mode, where (just like the Ticwatch Pro), it will disable Wear OS, and you'll just get the time while it tracks your steps.
I'll submit my video and full specs review a bit later...
hope this helps.
Introduction:
I am comparing two smartwatches that use Android Wear 2.0. I have read where many people prefer the Samsung watches with their Tizen OS and rotating bezel, thus I felt that comparing a AW OS smartwatch to a different OS would not be fair. From my experience, Samsung tends to handcuff their customers (much like Apple), so many folks are already turned away from using any additional Samsung products. my previous devices were the original Moto 360 (paired with a Motorola Droid Trubo) and Asus Zenwatch 3. The Moto 360 had a heartrate feature, but was only available on demand, and took over a minute to find my heart rate. The Asus Zenwatch 3 is very classy, but lacked the heartrate monitor, and always seemed slow to respond. Neither of these watches had GPS, NFC, or IP68 rating. The Moto 360 capped out at AW 1.5 (which some still say is better than 2.0), while the Asus Zenwatch 3 started with 1.5 and moved quickly to 2.0. I had the Moto 360 for nearly three years (11/2014-8/2017) and the Asus Zenwatch 3 for less than one year (8/2017-7/2018). Battery life on both barely made it a full 24 hours. Both felt very comfortable and looked classy.
Tiwatch Pro:
I tested the Ticwatch Pro for about two weeks. Pairing it to my phone took well over an hour. There were many times when I had to disconnect/reset the watch, as I thought that the phone/watch was stuck. But really, it just took significantly longer than my other watches. The watch worked fine from the get go, however, setting up my credit card for NFC payments took some time as well (including disconnecting/resetting, as your watch must have a PIN/password/pattern in order to use this feature). Did not realize until later that each time I disabled the lock screen, I lost NFC, so I had to re-enable the lock screen and then set up my credit card all over again. But I think that is more of a feature of AW than the watch. Supposedly, the watch knows when it is on your wrist, so when you take it off/on, you'll have to get through the lock screen each time. The watch was not very consistent with this, so there were a few times when I had to enter the info even though the watch had been on my wrist for a while. Also, when I docked/charged the watch, I had to bypass the lock screen just to get to the nightstand mode. In terms of feel, the Ticwatch felt like I was wearing a smartphone on my wrist, and not a watch. This felt awkward to the point where I could not wait to take it off. The idea for the band is great - leather on the outside and a breathable silicon on the inside. However, the length was a little odd and felt too stiff. The battery life was acceptable, as I always take it off when I sleep, so I really only require 1-day+. The Ticwatch's best feature is what I dislike most - the digital display. In my opinion, this is not classy - not the reason to spend $250. Thus, I had to enable the always on display - which was fine, but for the stock watchfaces, I did not like having to read, "Ticwatch", and they were not that nice. I installed Watchmaker and used a custom watchface, which was much nicer, but with the always on display, my wrist was always illuminating (and not fading like the stock faces). However, the Ticwatch functions as it should, and is a nice watch. Just that it does not feel right to me.
Huawei Watch 2 Classic:
I tested the Huawei Watch 2 Classic for one week. Much like the Ticwatch, it took well over an hour to pair to my phone. The functionality is essentially the same as the Ticwatch with these few exceptions: the screen lock had to be entered far less. Only had to bypass the lockscreen when putting the watch on my wrist, and NOT when I docked/charged the watch for nightstand mode. Since I had the Ticwatch previously, the Huawei had a noticeably smaller screen size. Not a big deal, but the featured watchface has a circle that shows the date, and this circle is not legible, this making it useless. In terms of feel, the Huawei felt like very comfortable. Similiar to the Ticwatch, the Huawei has a dual band with leather on the outside and breathable silicon on the inside. However, this band feels more genuine and softer than the Ticwatch band. Also, the two tone (brown leather) looks better than the black band only offered by Ticwatch (Huawei also offers a black band). Battery life is better than expected, as I could get 2-days easily with limited use, and could probably get even longer if enabled "Smart Power saving" or "watch mode" via the Battery setting. Response is realatively quick, even with "Ok Google" detection enabled.
Conclusion:
Both watches work very well as advertised, and are great for both casual users and athletes. I go running/walking/biking at least twice a week, and both watches perform well with no hiccups. Battery life is a non-issue to me due the Huawei having it's own essential mode. The key difference is that the Huawei has more RAM (thus, performance is slightly better), and the Huawei looks/feels classier and far more comfortable. The Ticwatch has a slight edge for a larger screen size and being newer. However, given that the Huawei is now on clearance (could be a bad sign), the Ticwatch is more expensive. Thus, due to these factors, I went with the Huawei Watch 2 Classic.
by the way, the Huawei Watch 2 Classic on clearance at Best Buy for $180 ($125 open box) - not a bad deal for what I think is one of the best AW smartwatches available right now. Consider that the Pixel and next generation smartwatches will be $300+ (albeit they'll have an updated processor and probably more RAM). The Huawei Watch 2 is already in line to get Android P to sync up with our phones (whenever the Samsung Galaxy S8 gets pie).
I got 2 gear S2s and they are absolutely wonderful I bought a second one as I am a mechanic and figured I would tear it up fast...Nope take most of the abuse and other than a beat up band which i have 3 others still 6 months later the watch has a couple scratches and thats it
I've got 3 watches. Diesel On Full Guard, Michael Kors Grayson, and Nixon Mission. The first 2 are essentially the same thing just different styling. The Nixon has the same processor and is more rugged for out doorsey use. All three lack NFC and heart rate monitoring. So unless you need to pay for your Starbucks after your power walk they are not for you.
Nixon has very basic functionality, it will accept voice imput, but will not talk back (no speaker). The Grayson and Full Guard has a speaker and is a real '**** Tracy' watch. All of these are considered fashion watches and have built in watch faces that are extensive. Add an app like!e Watchmaker and you can expand the looks. Nixon is pretty fixed when it comes to bands, while the other will easily take any 24mm band and the stock bands are quick release.
Working with my S8+ has been easy. Notifications are easy to read and interface with. Assistant works well. Battery life needs improvement, and the next generation should address this. But for now I'm pleased with these choices. All are in my daily rotation based on my mood or style preference for any given day.
I've got a LG G Watch R and I'm happy with it after all these years. The battery sadly doesn't lasts that much anymore but it's perfect for me.
With Bluetooth : ~2-3 days
With Wi-Fi : ~1-1/2 day.
Airplane Mode : ~ 4-5 days.
It's rooted, all the bloat removed and TWRP on it. Android Wear 2 installed. Cheap too nowadays
TheMadScientist said:
I got 2 gear S2s and they are absolutely wonderful I bought a second one as I am a mechanic and figured I would tear it up fast...Nope take most of the abuse and other than a beat up band which i have 3 others still 6 months later the watch has a couple scratches and thats it
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I got those for my kids (used on e-bay), so far, so good. lone downside is that I had to a samsung phone for best results. I feel that samsung is trying to be like apple with all of their propriety crapps.
jco23 said:
I got those for my kids (used on e-bay), so far, so good. lone downside is that I had to a samsung phone for best results. I feel that samsung is trying to be like apple with all of their propriety crapps.
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I found a modded gear app for any phone and any ram size no 1.5 gb ram limit Its posted in the gear s2 thread
I used mine on a 30$ ZTE straight talk and my lgs
TheMadScientist said:
I found a modded gear app for any phone and any ram size no 1.5 gb ram limit Its posted in the gear s2 thread
I used mine on a 30$ ZTE straight talk and my lgs
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yeah, I saw those apps. somewhat unreliable in my experience. but since I won't be using the phone or watches, I needed something that would require zero maintenance (or as close to zero as possible).
if it was just for me, then I probably would have gone the same route. however, I did use the windows executable that copies MP3 files from the computer to the watch via WiFi - that was pretty nifty.
I'm using a Fitbit Versa and it works flawless with my S8+ (before I had a Moto G4 and it worked terrible tbh).
I'm looking at the new Galaxy Watch but A. It's too expensive, B. It doesn't have MST like the Gear S3. So that's a deal breaker for me.
I have tag heuer connected modular 45 and seriously it's great to use both together with 1.5 day battery.
I am using Zenwatch 3. Its more than 1 yr now and running fine.