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Sony Liveview wort it? Vs. Pebble and newer sony smartwatch

so the liveview is $25 on amazon, the second gen sony smartwatch is $94, and the pebble is $150. I have preordered the pebble, but have yet to pay. I wanted to ask if the liveview is worth it in comparison, for the price being so cheap..i may just buy it to try it out since its so cheap. i have an htc one s with android 4.2, also does liveview have push notifications?.... any suggestions..thanks

When a Google search brings up the suggestion "Sony Liveview don't bother", you know you'll be wasting your money.
Those Amazon reviews paint a very negative picture.
See what kind of reviews the Pebble gets and decide from there. You'll likely get what you pay for.
Sent from my Galaxy Note 2 using Tapatalk 2

got to respectfully disagree. For 20$ this thing is awesome.
I'd sort the reviews by date.
Also, consider the technical sophistication of your average user.
If you are posting on xda - you are the top 1% generally.
This thing is awesome.
There's a new firmware and client software out from sony that obviates pretty much all of the old problems.
AND there's an Open Live View reverse engineering effort that is 90% functional already!
This thing is badass!
imho.

willfck4beer said:
got to respectfully disagree. For 20$ this thing is awesome.
I'd sort the reviews by date.
Also, consider the technical sophistication of your average user.
If you are posting on xda - you are the top 1% generally.
This thing is awesome.
There's a new firmware and client software out from sony that obviates pretty much all of the old problems.
AND there's an Open Live View reverse engineering effort that is 90% functional already!
This thing is badass!
imho.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yea i ended up getting it for $27 off amazon with expedient shipping. so i should get it soon and im hoping it works well with my htc one s...and for that cheap why not...much better than spending $150 on a pebble that ill get in like 6 months

i got my liveview, and id say its worth the money...it does what it says it does, though it sometimes disconnects...im glad i bought this and didnt spend 150 on a pebble, since its kinda of a gimmick... i mean its basically a pager on your wrist, but 27$ for it, i cant complain

For $20-30, it is a steal. Unfortunately they don't ship to my country, otherwiser I would have ordered an extra one as well.
I saw the Pebble, and frankly, I miss a two quite important functions from it that the liveview has: volume up and down as a music remote. Yeah, most likely someone will figure out how to add them to the 3-button-only interface (long press track skip would be ok) but till then, I'll go with my Liveview. Even if the connection is still not rock solid. Yeah, it is much, MUCH better than it was, but still not 100% if you are skipping music tracks left and right.
Another thing to watch out for: the frames are extremely fragile. Yes, even the metal clip-on frame. My wristwatch frame has a holding clip broken off (so it is useless as the LV falls out of it quite easily) and the clip-on is broken at the microUSB connector part. I actually had to attach the LV with a piece of masking tape to the frame so it won't fall out. I'm thinking of supergluing it there.

i found sony liveview a good smart watch but this is depending of what you demand from it
i found that it offers me the basic functionalities with cheap (really cheap) price
may be you found it a little bit dull (its look is not that great for some people), but who cares

It all depends on what you want to do with it, for me I wanted to use it as a cycling computer that worked with my phone using the my tracks app which worked perfectly so I love it for that and it only cost me $25. If you buy it just for the hell of it and don'd really know what is available for it then you might hate it, also I haven't encountered any issues with it disconnecting with my phone as others have had but it can be difficult to set up at first.

auda said:
i found sony liveview a good smart watch but this is depending of what you demand from it
i found that it offers me the basic functionalities with cheap (really cheap) price
may be you found it a little bit dull (its look is not that great for some people), but who cares
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1

I just got my liveview so far so good I bought one when it first cam out switch to an HTC amaze and it didn't work at all so I got rid of it, switched to a samsung note 2 and since I rarely had a problem with my old nexus s and t959 I figured it was worth getting it over the pebble I synced it about 2 hours ago and no disconnects and everything seems to be working fine
Sent from my SGH-T889V on the WIND network

Mine frequently disconnects, and I also had issues with the clip not holding, so I was a little disappointed. That being said, I only paid $22 for it, so I can't be too upset. I only need it to be able to discreetly check text messages at work, so it serves its purpose.
Sent from my HTC Flyer using xda app-developers app

Hello,
I was in a position like you at one point here's my take on it:
I considered the Liveview when it came out, but the reviews were horrible. Personally felt it looked a bit cheap for a wach... I saw the price drop, but since I can't get the US deals, I gave up on that one.
I then saw the pebble, but missed the kickstart. Noticing that the shipping date was so far away (and the price of $150 seemed too high), I looked elsewhere.
I found a nice balance with the Sony Smartwatch. It's cheaper than the pebble, and the general reviews are better than the previous liveview. I also like how they bundle the 20mm watch strap adapter so you can make it look better with other straps. This is what I ended up getting and I'm quite happy since all I really need was for my notifications to show up on my watch (free app for that!). Cost me about $100 AUD, but I've seen it cheaper in US sites.

just purchased one last night and i should be getting it on saturday. will post my thoughts on it. not expecting too much for $22 but im still excited!

I kickstarted the Pebble. I had another Android smartwatch on preorder until I realized the Pebble is the only waterproof one. I dreaded the thought of washing my hands wrong, or getting caught in the rain and ruining my $300 watch. The $115 Pebble seemed like a no brainer, all things considered.
With that said, the Pebble SDK still isn't public yet, so there's currently a severe lack of functionality. The Pebble has piqued my interest in smarter watches though, so I've been keeping my eyes peeled for better alternatives.
I think the year of the smartwatch is coming soon. Especially if the rumors of an Apple iWatch are true.

Have mine for a half year now. I use it almost every day. It's pretty useful if you are listening to music via your phone in car and want to skip a song etc. . Also the Camera Watch function is pretty funny

i can only speak about the liveview since i have not bought a smartwatch yet.
as you can see within this thread and on openliveview.com, custom firmware developement and a liveware manager replacement is in developement.
the custom liveware manager replacement you can find here, has all the functionality the liveware manager has, except plugin support (wich is currently in developement)
besides, it has a notification implementation that is pretty similar to how custommessagenotifier works.
the firmware is yet not for daily usage since it does not put the watch into deepsleep yet and has no bluetooth support yet.
a big minus would be that you need to kindoff break your wristband holder to charge the liveview.
overall i'd say, the liveview is currently extremely customizable since the custom manager and the custom firmware are opensource.
to the smartwatch:
it has bluetooth 4 instead of 1.1 (liveview) wich makes the bluetooth battery drain pretty small and it could theoretically even be ported to iphone.
the screen is the same except it has multi touch instead of 4 tap keys.
it has more internal storage than the liveview so a custom firmware would be more awesome on it.
overall i'd say, its better than the liveview but unless we devs get our hands onto it, there will mostly not be a custom manager / rom soon, so you will need to stick to connection issues and sony's creepy try to write software.

It seems a good idea this new project.
Since 2 years, the LiveView is not on my wrist but on my desk.

Liveview is so worth it considering the price.
Sent from my GT-I9100

I got mine for $15. I can't even find a cheap wristwatch at walmart for that much. The Liveview is a watch, but has some added functions which are pretty cool. Worth every penny of my $15.

Been planning on buying this for my Samsung Galaxy Nexus running on Jellybean 4.2.2 just wanted to ask if anyone can tell me if this watch is compatible on my device and android version. Just recently got ahold of bluetooth headset (Nokia BH-503) can this watch has capability to override handsfree and music controls of bluetooth headsets.
Now that I think of it, can I pair to devices on a phone at once? Asking because here in my country this costs 30$.

Buy Sony Smartwatch or wait for the real deal?

I've been thinking about buying a smartwatch after I heard about the Pebble. I've been looking at the different smartwatches available today but none of them can really pursuade me into buying it. The Pebble does not sport a color screen, instead it has just a black and white e-paper screen.
Then we have the metawatch which has the same kind of screen. We also have the cuckoo, which doesn't even deserve the 'smart watch' label in my opinion. It's way too simple. There's also the I'm watch. This is a really nice watch that I would actually buy... if it wasn't that expensive. The cheapest one starts at $400.
There are also a countless amount of 'watch phones' available from websites like DealExtreme.com but I looked at them all but their displays all suck. But that is what you can expect from Chinese products. Besides, they're really phones and not just an extension of your existing phone which I'm actually looking for. I don't want to carry around two phones and have two different phone numbers.
The only watch which I would actually buy today is the Sony Smartwatch, but after reading a lot of reviews, I'm left with mixed feelings. I think it is a great watch; you can install tons of applications for it because people are actively developing apps for the watch (there's calculators, Google Maps navigation, games, custom watchface apps, notetaking apps and whatnot) and it has a really nice color screen. It also looks quite awesome. But the Internet apparently has another opinion about the watch. According to the Internet, it's just a $150 gimmick. A review from The Verge for example destroys the watch completely.
Coincidentally, I also read some news articles today about the fact that Samsung and Google will possibly release smartwatches too in the future. I have a feeling that a smartwatch from those two could possible blow away every smartwatch currently in existence. If Google comes up with something, it's meant to be big and most of the time, products from Google aren't that expensive either.
So now I'm wondering what the best option would be; should I just go for the Sony Smartwatch (and possible risk regretting it when Samsung or Google comes up with something thrice as good a year or a half later) or should I just wait and see what Google and Samsung will come up with?

I have the Sony and I don't know how I ever survived without it. The convenience a smartwatch provides is simply extraordinary. I carry the Note II (along with 2 iPhone 5s, an HTC 8x). I now don't have to pull out my phone to check when I get a notification alert. For someone who receives 100+ legitimate e-mails, and dozens sms, plus Twitter/Facebook alerts, it was insane to have to look at my phones that often. Now the watch just vibrates politely, i would glance at it quickly and decide which alert warrants my response. You would not believe how much money I've spent on apps that attempted to filter and prioritize my e-mails and sms, and notify me accordingly. They all have their shortcomings and I have rules and exceptions that these apps could not overcome. At least now with the watch, I can choose to answer certain emails when convenient. Like you wrote, many reviews I read were not positive. However, I got the watch at Verizon for $90, I thought it was worth trying. It's much nicer than the Pebble, classier, dressier, and does not look like a $5 party favor. I installed a black leather strap and it looks nice. Some of the reviewers just didn't know how to utilize this device. I have it configured to buzz for gmail, Touchdown corporate mails, Exchange emails, USA Today alerts, Google Maps, weather, Twitter, Facebook, calendar, etc. It hasn't failed me yet...... Now there's one aspect that does suck about this watch: It's difficult to view outdoors under bright sun light.
Hope that helps.

buy if you are fairly yechnical and want a challenge. it took me a week of research until i figured how to make mine useful

keversap said:
(...) and possible risk regretting it when Samsung or Google comes up with something thrice as good a year or a half later (...)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In a world where new suplerlative technologies are presented in an annual cycle, this will happen to whatever you buy.
If you want the whole freedom you get with Android, you should wait for Google's IO and their possible smart watch.

would yall happen to know how to connect it with a vzw galaxy note 2?

vzw_note2 said:
would yall happen to know how to connect it with a vzw galaxy note 2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not to sound sarcastic but did you download the smart connect app? and did you hold down the button on the watch so you get the rotating arrow? also is your phone rooted and are you currently able to connect to other bluetooth devices?

I hope to get one in the near future. I have similar feelings as the OP. Despite the fact that better stuff may come out from Google, that's still a ways off.
Right now Sony is selling them brand new for $99 with two (white/black) watchbands. Imo that's a great price for what you get.
If something better comes out later in the year this can easily be sold if needed.
I wouldn't advice anyone to rely on theVerge's review. After reading multiple reviews of the pros and cons of this watch, I came to the conclusion that whoever wrote the review on theVerge is a noob.
Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
---------- Post added at 05:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:09 PM ----------
Haha didn't realize this post was so old
Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

I had a Sony SmartWatch and sold it on eBay after using it for 1 day. I am interested in the Pebble though.

NeuroCrashJS said:
I had a Sony SmartWatch and sold it on eBay after using it for 1 day. I am interested in the Pebble though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm happy for you!
If you told us why that would be a better post.

keversap said:
I've been thinking about buying a smartwatch after I heard about the Pebble. I've been looking at the different smartwatches available today but none of them can really pursuade me into buying it. The Pebble does not sport a color screen, instead it has just a black and white e-paper screen.
Then we have the metawatch which has the same kind of screen. We also have the cuckoo, which doesn't even deserve the 'smart watch' label in my opinion. It's way too simple. There's also the I'm watch. This is a really nice watch that I would actually buy... if it wasn't that expensive. The cheapest one starts at $400.
There are also a countless amount of 'watch phones' available from websites like DealExtreme.com but I looked at them all but their displays all suck. But that is what you can expect from Chinese products. Besides, they're really phones and not just an extension of your existing phone which I'm actually looking for. I don't want to carry around two phones and have two different phone numbers.
The only watch which I would actually buy today is the Sony Smartwatch, but after reading a lot of reviews, I'm left with mixed feelings. I think it is a great watch; you can install tons of applications for it because people are actively developing apps for the watch (there's calculators, Google Maps navigation, games, custom watchface apps, notetaking apps and whatnot) and it has a really nice color screen. It also looks quite awesome. But the Internet apparently has another opinion about the watch. According to the Internet, it's just a $150 gimmick. A review from The Verge for example destroys the watch completely.
Coincidentally, I also read some news articles today about the fact that Samsung and Google will possibly release smartwatches too in the future. I have a feeling that a smartwatch from those two could possible blow away every smartwatch currently in existence. If Google comes up with something, it's meant to be big and most of the time, products from Google aren't that expensive either.
So now I'm wondering what the best option would be; should I just go for the Sony Smartwatch (and possible risk regretting it when Samsung or Google comes up with something thrice as good a year or a half later) or should I just wait and see what Google and Samsung will come up with?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, i bet you typed all that up on a Chinese product.
Sent via LG E970 with houstonn aokp 4.2.2

vzw_note2 said:
would yall happen to know how to connect it with a vzw galaxy note 2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a note 2 and everything works perfect. Do you install these apps?
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sonyericsson.extras.smartwatch
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sonyericsson.extras.liveware
Also you need to connect and sync via Bluetooth.
Enviado desde mi GT-N7100 usando Tapatalk 2

I was eying a friends smart watch. I wouldn't buy one now, but the idea is fairly interesting. Especially for meetings etc where a stealthy gadget let's you know what's going on without alienating the speaker / room. I'm actually drooling over putting some custom roms on it now that Sony opened up the platform.

Well its likely for an updated Sony smartwatch to come out at the end of this month
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

keversap said:
I've been thinking about buying a smartwatch after I heard about the Pebble. I've been looking at the different smartwatches available today but none of them can really pursuade me into buying it. The Pebble does not sport a color screen, instead it has just a black and white e-paper screen.
Then we have the metawatch which has the same kind of screen. We also have the cuckoo, which doesn't even deserve the 'smart watch' label in my opinion. It's way too simple. There's also the I'm watch. This is a really nice watch that I would actually buy... if it wasn't that expensive. The cheapest one starts at $400.
There are also a countless amount of 'watch phones' available from websites like DealExtreme.com but I looked at them all but their displays all suck. But that is what you can expect from Chinese products. Besides, they're really phones and not just an extension of your existing phone which I'm actually looking for. I don't want to carry around two phones and have two different phone numbers.
The only watch which I would actually buy today is the Sony Smartwatch, but after reading a lot of reviews, I'm left with mixed feelings. I think it is a great watch; you can install tons of applications for it because people are actively developing apps for the watch (there's calculators, Google Maps navigation, games, custom watchface apps, notetaking apps and whatnot) and it has a really nice color screen. It also looks quite awesome. But the Internet apparently has another opinion about the watch. According to the Internet, it's just a $150 gimmick. A review from The Verge for example destroys the watch completely.
Coincidentally, I also read some news articles today about the fact that Samsung and Google will possibly release smartwatches too in the future. I have a feeling that a smartwatch from those two could possible blow away every smartwatch currently in existence. If Google comes up with something, it's meant to be big and most of the time, products from Google aren't that expensive either.
So now I'm wondering what the best option would be; should I just go for the Sony Smartwatch (and possible risk regretting it when Samsung or Google comes up with something thrice as good a year or a half later) or should I just wait and see what Google and Samsung will come up with?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had smart watches for a while, and I must say my current Sony Smartwatch (going on a year now) has been the best one so far. That doesn't say much for the competitors, but overall I don't know how I lived without it.
The good:
-Pretty nice display, white on black text is readable even outdoors on a sunny day.
-Tons of great plug ins to do just about anything, both from Sony and third parties. Everything from any alerts from your phone, to custom DIY widgets, to calculator, remote viewfinder for camera, and even gps maps.
-Good battery life. Even receiving hundreds of alerts a day I only need to charge once every 2-3 days.
-Touch screen navigation through menus is pretty snappy, and watch still tells time even when disconnected from phone.
-Custom watchbands: first thing I did was go to the jeweler to get a 20mm stainless steel band. Fit like a charm, and now my watch actually looks classy enough to wear when going out to dinner with my wife, or a business meeting. I still get asked occasionally why I have a small Sony television on wrist, but all in all it's a good blend of style and functionality.
The bad:
-Telling time. It is surprisingly inconvenient to have to double-tap (pretty hard) the watch face, or press a tiny button on the side, just to see the time. Sony's latest firmware introduces new watch faces that allow motion detection to turn on clock display, but this feature rarely works in my experience. Takes a bit of getting used to having a watch that at a glance will give you email and alerts, but requires tapping and pressing to simply show the time.
-Finicky connection. Randomly disconnects from my Note II about once a day on average, but alnost always reconnects automatically within a few seconds. Also, about once a week it refuses to reconnect after a charge until I unpair and repair. Minor annoyance but after two major firmware updates I expect more.
Bottom line: the Smartwatch could be better, and should be, and hopefully the next one will be, but all in all it is a truly useful product (not a gimmick). I find it extremely useful in everyday life, both in and out of work, and find myself not needing to pull out my smartphone every 5 minutes to see who emailed me. Glad I got one, and for the $100 I paid a year ago, I would have paid double and still be happy.
I believe the Sony Smartwatch is an underrated product, and had Apple or Samsung released the same product today with its name on it, the biased tech media would be singing its praises. Heck they already are and Apple hasn't even announced a watch or even shown a concept sketch. Pebble got similar treatment, and it looks like one of those watches you found in your cereal box as a kid. Granted Sony had more than enough time to fix all the bugs, and they haven't, but mostly they are minor annoyances.
Hope that helped.
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app

supersonic64126 said:
.
The bad:
-Telling time. It is surprisingly inconvenient to have to double-tap (pretty hard) the watch face, or press a tiny button on the side, just to see the time. Sony's latest firmware introduces new watch faces that allow motion detection to turn on clock display, but this feature rarely works in my experience. Takes a bit of getting used to having a watch that at a glance will give you email and alerts, but requires tapping and pressing to simply show the time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are watchfaces that stay on without going into screensaver mode btw
edit: woops, didn't realise you were talking about the latest firmware (which I was not aware of >.<)
Sent from my LT29i using xda premium

depth ispoph
like.!!!

I have the first gen the Sony Ericsson LiveView. It works to a fashion, problem is you have either take the phone to the toilet with you or detach the LiveView from the mounting on the strap as it drops the bluetooth connection as soon as you move to another room.
I'm considering the Sony Smartwatch as the price has dropped to just £79gbp. I would like the Pebble as I like the idea of the e-ink screen that you can view in broad daylight, however it's taking 7 months to ship from 1st order, and I would imagine the delivery charge would be nearly £50gbp.
Sony are working on the 3rd generation smartwatch which is due to be announced this week.
What is the bluetooth like on the Smartwatch?

i prefer buy sony smartwatch
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Buying the Sony smartwatch 2

Hello people,
I am planing to get myself a smartwatch
since I use Xperia Zu , the Sony SMW2 seems interesting ,
but is it right time to get it now since pebble steel is out and there might be a Sony SMW 3 ( maybe)
shall I wait or is the watch itself good enough to buy or are there must needed improvments , expected to be there in the next gen ?
Thank you

abdallahmemon said:
Hello people,
I am planing to get myself a smartwatch
since I use Xperia Zu , the Sony SMW2 seems interesting ,
but is it right time to get it now since pebble steel is out and there might be a Sony SMW 3 ( maybe)
shall I wait or is the watch itself good enough to buy or are there must needed improvments , expected to be there in the next gen ?
Thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sw2 is pretty good as it is but there are still some issues that needs to be resolved. Hopefully a firmware upgrade will solve some of them. Soon I hope.
But if you are into customization, than you should look into other options as this watch really does not allow third party watchfaces that can replace the native ones. Yes there are some alternative watchfaces but they are merely apps that can not run without a connection to the phone, and you loose full page notifications. Battery life is also affected by these apps.
There are some really nice smartwatches coming so I suggest you wait a bit longer. But if you get the SW2 and don't care much about the customization then you should be happy. SW2 can do pretty much everything pebble can and more except the watchfaces. But I heard pebble has some issues/limitations too such as the ability to install only 8 apps at once including the watchfaces.I maybe wrong on this one but check the review on pebble steel at http://www.smartwatchfans.com
Sent from my HTC One SV using Tapatalk

thearif said:
Sw2 is pretty good as it is but there are still some issues that needs to be resolved. Hopefully a firmware upgrade will solve some of them. Soon I hope.
But if you are into customization, than you should look into other options as this watch really does not allow third party watchfaces that can replace the native ones. Yes there are some alternative watchfaces but they are merely apps that can not run without a connection to the phone, and you loose full page notifications. Battery life is also affected by these apps.
There are some really nice smartwatches coming so I suggest you wait a bit longer. But if you get the SW2 and don't care much about the customization then you should be happy. SW2 can do pretty much everything pebble can and more except the watchfaces. But I heard pebble has some issues/limitations too such as the ability to install only 8 apps at once including the watchfaces.I maybe wrong on this one but check the review on pebble steel at http://www.smartwatchfans.com
Sent from my HTC One SV using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I usually have a watch on my wrist , so I am not into fancy watchfaces at all. I am not willing to go for the pebble steel because , 1-It is pebble ,
2- Its expensive and
3- the availability in my local market .
and there many other reasons , colour screen , screen size , touchscreen and you name it .
Please mention any other flaws in Sony SMW2 .
I would like to add that with the android 4.3 update for the xperia devices , sony added the downloadable themes feature to the devices , so people waiting for the changeable watchfaces (ones which make sense and are practical) should keep their fingers crossed

abdallahmemon said:
Hello people,
I am planing to get myself a smartwatch
since I use Xperia Zu , the Sony SMW2 seems interesting ,
but is it right time to get it now since pebble steel is out and there might be a Sony SMW 3 ( maybe)
shall I wait or is the watch itself good enough to buy or are there must needed improvments , expected to be there in the next gen ?
Thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont think we see smw3 before autumn, maybe not even on this year. It is very difficult to say, but Sony isnt Samsung and makes new toys on every month...
Is it ready for you depends on lot of what you like to have and do with the watch. Simple notification? Then yes. Playing games? No.
It is almost working like a charm, some bugs like apps dont always open immediately - you may need to tap the app couple times. There is an issue with a4.3. I have a4.1.2 so everything is working good - except that I need to couple times tap the app before it opens (calender app).
It is always the same thing - to buy or to wait. There will always better choices if you wait, but how long are you willing to wait? 3weeks, 3 months, 6 montsh, a year...? If you want it now, I think sw2 is the best - working fine, looks classy and stylish, can be weared with a suit or with a college pants or whatever...
Sent from my GT-N8000 using Tapatalk 4

Agree with what has already been posted. I bought my SW2 for $199 and lucked out to see Best Buy had a one day sale for $160. At $199 it was a decent deal, and at $160 it is a good deal. I was looking at the plain Pebble at about the same price. The Pebble has a few advantages: more and better developer community, more customization of watch faces and apps available, a bit longer battery life. I chose the Sony due to better build (metal vs plastic), better looking, and touch screen.
I use the SW2 to notify and read texts, email, sports scores and news, answer calls, catch tweets, and Facebook updates. I also use it to control music, view pictures on my gallery, access news feeds via RSS, and Yelp. I have tried the GPS extension and while it works I prefer to wait until an extension that does turn by turn arises. Other than email I am pretty happy with how the SW2 works going all of the above.
Downsides of the Sony? Wish email notifications were handled better. I have 4.3 and the stock extension doesn't work (not a Sony phone) and the stock Gmail extension does not work with 4.3 on my phone. Sony says they are working on it, in the interim I have my email read by Gmail on my phone, which is then read by K9 on my phone, and then the K9 extension on my watch reads the email. With all the hops it delays seeing the emails and it doesnt seem to catch all the emails. So I also use Watch it to notify on email and Watchify notify on Gmail. Better to get a few duplicate notifications than miss an important one.
To be honest, if HOT watch was out I probably would have purchased that one. More of a "smart" watch. And truthfully I am getting swayed by the Galaxy Gear. If it was closer in price and if my phone was running 4.3 at the time I purchased the SW2 I may have looked more at the Gear. Again, more "smart" things you can do. Plus, it is really cool what you can do with watch faces. Maybe down the road when the price and size comes down.
Hope this helps.
Sent from my TouchPad using xda app-developers app

Thanks for the detailed info.
What can the Sony Smartwatch 2 do as a stone-alone watch (when its not connected to a device)? if you can list then please.
Time?
Alarms?
...?
Thx.

Built-in app: time, alarm, calculator, torch (just max brightness), timer, stopwatch.

Also there's that snake game.

is the sw2 aging well?

How long has it been out? What's it's future look like? How does it compete with the competition? How much has it evolved? Are things gonna keep looking better or worse?

the SW2 was released late september, 2013
i don't expect a very bright future, to be honest
even though it evolved to a very useable smartwatch, thanks to firmware updates, i think the next batch of smartwatches will be much more popular
several google wear watches are expected to be announced during google i/o, one of them the Moto 360, which might just be the smartwatch a lot of people have been waiting for because of it's looks (watches ARE considered juwelry, so why not have something good looking)
compared to watches currently released, the SW2 still has an edge i think, thanks to:
-transflective display, sure it's cool to have a high-res display, but if you can't read it outside...
-extensions, giving you all kind of extra functionality notifications
-watch face editor, i think they really hit the mark there
-battery life, 3-4 days
but the watch is showing it's age
i don't know if it's because Sony added the watch face widgets so long after releasing the watch, or that the watch simply isn't that popular, but somehow i expected an explosion of watchface widgets, which simply hasn't happened
and i don't think it will happen
don't get me wrong, i'm a very happy user, thanks to the last update, watchface widgets and notifications (too bad Sony won't listen and give me (us?) a selectable screen timeout), if i leave my watch at home i miss it all day long
but the Moto 360 does look amazing...

Had mine 2 days & I love it but, yeah, ^ what he said.

JarlSX said:
the SW2 was released late september, 2013
i don't expect a very bright future, to be honest
even though it evolved to a very useable smartwatch, thanks to firmware updates, i think the next batch of smartwatches will be much more popular
several google wear watches are expected to be announced during google i/o, one of them the Moto 360, which might just be the smartwatch a lot of people have been waiting for because of it's looks (watches ARE considered juwelry, so why not have something good looking)
compared to watches currently released, the SW2 still has an edge i think, thanks to:
-transflective display, sure it's cool to have a high-res display, but if you can't read it outside...
-extensions, giving you all kind of extra functionality notifications
-watch face editor, i think they really hit the mark there
-battery life, 3-4 days
but the watch is showing it's age
i don't know if it's because Sony added the watch face widgets so long after releasing the watch, or that the watch simply isn't that popular, but somehow i expected an explosion of watchface widgets, which simply hasn't happened
and i don't think it will happen
don't get me wrong, i'm a very happy user, thanks to the last update, watchface widgets and notifications (too bad Sony won't listen and give me (us?) a selectable screen timeout), if i leave my watch at home i miss it all day long
but the Moto 360 does look amazing...
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Click to collapse
I think a lot of People don't even know that there are Smartwatches from other Manufactures, here in Switzerland (where I live), the only official selled Smartwatches are the Samsung ones...The most People here don't know that Sony made Smartwatches too.
Except from that, a lot of People don't see why they should need a Smartwatch, they're always on the Phone, so why should they buy an Accessory which hasn't any use for them?
And then, there's the look of these things. The most Smartwatches are in a rectangular shape...How many People have you seen wearing a "normal" Watch with a rectangular design? Maybe a few, but not much. People like their watches with circular design - and that's where the Moto 360 comes in.
The Sony Smartwatch 2 will probably get a replacement soon with the same (or slightly upgraded) firmware of the SW2, but it hasn't any chance to sell as good as Android Wear devices will, for that, Sony has to deliver more than one Watch, Maybe a circular and rectangular, and a few color options sure won't hurt, and they have to advert this thing! I have never seen any Ad for the SW2 here in Switzerland (The Gear Ad is running almost 24/7 on TV - well , not as much, but it feels like), and there are posters everywhere with the Gear on it! You even get the Gear for free if you buy a new Samsung- Phone here...
Sony should get the marketing right for the upcoming SW3, otherwise they will loose the fight.

i actually don't know anyone (friends, family, co-workers) who has a smartwatch
people respond amazed when they see i get email/facebook/twitter/etc notifications on my watch (or if someone calls me), but that didn't result in anyone wanting one as well
maybe that will change when they see a more fashionable watch like the Moto 360...

Same here! Got SW1, 2 and a Pebble and everyone is astonished but never saw another smartwatch in the wild...
Envoyé depuis mon SM-N9005

at homedepot
I'm a cashier and I see probably around 30% OF WATCHES ARE SQUARR. ITV WAS OBVIOUSLY COMMON IN OLDER DESIGNS

In my opinion - no, it is not aging well when compared with the Android Wear devices on the horizon. On it's own the SW2 is not a bad device and I have enjoyed using mine over the last few months but I have now sold it in anticipation of the new Android Wear products and I shall be picking up a Moto 360 or LG G Watch.

Why's everyone buying into the Android Wear hype? It's basically a screen for your Google Now notifications. With a microphone built in. And batteries 10 times the size of the SW2 but with less lifetime.

ngoonee said:
Why's everyone buying into the Android Wear hype? It's basically a screen for your Google Now notifications. With a microphone built in. And batteries 10 times the size of the SW2 but with less lifetime.
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Because Google supports it natively meaning app devs will be able to easily adapt their apps to utilize it. No hacks and third party apps needed in order to function on the watch. Obviously there are many things still unknown like battery life and general functionality but it's likely to be better supported.
Sent from my XT1080 using XDA Free mobile app

Gahh! Having a bit of headache over this question too. Will android wear kill the SW2? Reason is I´m planning to get a smartwatch for a gift to an event this weekend. The SW2 and Pebble is out here in Sweden, but there´s no word on release for the Android wear watches (we´re not one of the contries google announced the other day).
And I really want to hand over a real, physical device. Not a gift certificate saying "you´ll get a cool device sometimes in the future".
Was really set on getting the SW2 for this gift but now I don´t know...

Upgraded from Gear 2 Neo and I don't Get It

I recently bought the Gear S2 after using my Gear 2 Neo daily for almost a year.
I used my Neo for:
- Occasionally taking calls via Bluetooth when my hands were otherwise occupied (e.g. carrying stuff).
- Occasionally controlling the TV via IR blaster
- Tracking my sleep habits, how much I was getting and how much tossing/turning I did that night
- Timekeeping
- Notifications
For reasons I can't really fathom, the Gear S2 only does the latter 2. I can't really understand why Samsung would remove those features from their flagship smartwatch line. What's more, I REALLY can't understand why this watch is getting ABSOLUTELY RAVE reviews across the board. It's almost like people didn't know the Gear 2 Neo even existed.
I guess it has something to do with the fact that sleep tracking, IR device control, and accepting phone calls via bluetooth are things MOST watches are incapable of for various reasons, so it's not much of a drawback from a reviewer's standpoint when those features are removed. As someone coming from the Neo to the S2, I have a hard time getting past the fact that I have an older, cheaper device that is far more capable sitting in a drawer unused. :/
Don't get me wrong, though. What the S2 can do it does do very well. The screen is gorgeous. The rotating bezel is brilliant. This version of Tizen is lightning fast and very intuitive. The "always on" feature is great, and notifications are handled much better. But I can't really escape the feeling that, while the Neo was a smartwatch, the S2 is just a $300 watch that can send text messages and receive email.
Am I missing something here?
Oh, and for some reason I can't get mine to vibrate when text messages are received. Calls only.

I sold my lovely Gear 2 in readiness for the S2 thinking it would finally get better app support and a better UI on top of the camera and ability to make and receive calls.
What a disappointment, apps are worse or as bad as the prior 3 watches, no camera or calling !!!

If you get a 3g model then it will have a speaker...therefore allowing for calls over bluetooth even if you don't have a sim card for the watch. On the sport models there is no speaker though. For the other functions like ir blaster, I guess they figured people don't use it as much and they had to cut something out to include new things like a different form factor, NFC, etc. Not defending, just saying they evolved to something else. Personally, I love my original gear s which basically has everything but the new round size of the S2.

Yeah it's pretty crazy our Gear 2's are the still the most capable smartwatches on the market.

Tends to happen when you strap a phone on your wrist instead of a watch.

JazzMac251 said:
...I have a hard time getting past the fact that I have an older, cheaper device that is far more capable sitting in a drawer unused. :/
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I don't understand. You say you have a more capable watch sitting in the drawer unused, yet you recently bought a new S2 that is less capable and you are using it. Why not return the S2, use your Neo and save $300 bucks. Just because the S2 is out now, doesn't mean that your Neo can't be used again.
I had a Moto 360 V1 and Gear Fit, I returned both of them after a while because I didn't like them for one reason or another. No point in keeping unused depreciating assets like phones and wearables IMO, it's not like a classic Bugatti or classic Rolex that you can pass on or will gain value.
As far as the S2 is concerned, I think it will outsell all other Gear watches combined easily. The general public just doesn't want the whole entire kitchen sink in their watches. This is evident by previously poor Gear sales. Sure, they will lose some previous Gear customers, but they are gaining many more. That's the way business works unfortunately, maximum unit sales for maximum profits. I will say though that the BT version of the S2 really needs a speaker and Google voice recognition.

supersoulfly said:
Tends to happen when you strap a phone on your wrist instead of a watch.
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Click to collapse
Ha, you cannot stop the inevitable. That point that most of the posters in this thread are making, is that Samsung DROPPED a lot of features and that didn't go over well with a segment of Samsung smartwatch users. I was in the thread where they were saying the S2 was selling out in Korea.. Wow, I figured that was just plain sales talk or there must be users that don't care about the PAST features that were on past Galaxy Gear Watches. Gear 2 was nice, but I even went for the Gear S, I am fully independent of my Note 4 if I choose to be.. They have put the S2 out there without a speaker, and they downsized it..
People are not talking against the S2 just to be talking, that's for sure..
Back to your comment, why don't Samsung just make a PLAIN WATCH, and leave all Tizen, email, and small tech stuff that you can do on the S2 alone?

Get the S2 3g model if you want an independent experience. (why do people keep acting like this model doesn't exist and doesn't address most of the complaints prior S users have?)
As far as making a plain watch? I might consider wearing that before the monstrosities Samsung has put out before. Gear 2 and Gear S, lots of cool tech, but the only place I'd be seen wearing one is if I went to a Star Trek convention.

This thread reminds me of a book I read years back: "Crossing the Chasm." It's about the challenge technology companies have selling to different kinds of customers: technology enthusiastic early adopters vs. the pragmatic broader market. According to the author, Geoffrey Moore, the former are an important way to launch an product in a new space, but represent a very small market. The latter are a much larger market but are not going to buy a product until it reaches a level of maturity, refinement, and clarity of purpose.
I usually consider myself an early adopter, but I gotta say, I really like the S2, but I had no interest whatsoever in the Gear 2 or Gear S. But for those who like that sort of product, hopefully there will continue to be options in future.

I get that there's a lot of "can't please everyone" talk going on here, but here's why the removal of these features is kind of nuts to me:
The single driving complaint the public has with this type of wearable technology is that it's pointless. The iPad and the iPhone were brilliant because they were able to fill a niche solving problems in people's lives that they didn't know existed. People argue that the physical form-factor limitations inherent with smartwatches makes them redundant at best and extravagantly wasteful at worst. The problem is that this characterization is largely correct.
For smartwatches to break out of that mold, I think the key is for them to be as Swiss-army-knife as possible. Can't find the remote, got it. Can't answer call because its impractical (hands full, can't find phone, doing chores, etc), got it. Would like to evaluate sleep habits, got it. Need to make NFC payment, got it. Want to track your heart rate, got it. The second you start dumping features is the second you move the device even more into the realm of "$300+ dollar device to check your email". The rotating bezel is super cool, but the primary concern people have with smartwatches is that they're pointless, not that they need to be easy to use.
The point I was trying to make is that I was one of the few people for whom Samsung successfully created a product that actually DID fill a unique little niche in my life. As they're trying to expand their product base, it seems the last thing they would want to do is create a flagship device that has absolutely 0 appeal to someone that is already super into smartwatches anyway.
This is actually the first time I've ever upgraded a piece of technology to find it woefully inadequate to what I already had. As a technophile, that's a really strange concept to me. The technology in device is great - I love the hardware, the software, and the implementation. Unfortunately, this device really is a $350 way to read text messages on your wrist and that's all it is, which is why I'll be returning it ASAP.
Also, I have to say, it kinda looks feminine. I much prefer the squared off look of the Gear 2. That's just personal preference, though.

JazzMac251 said:
I get that there's a lot of "can't please everyone" talk going on here, but here's why the removal of these features is kind of nuts to me:
The single driving complaint the public has with this type of wearable technology is that it's pointless. The iPad and the iPhone were brilliant because they were able to fill a niche solving problems in people's lives that they didn't know existed. People argue that the physical form-factor limitations inherent with smartwatches makes them redundant at best and extravagantly wasteful at worst. The problem is that this characterization is largely correct.
For smartwatches to break out of that mold, I think the key is for them to be as Swiss-army-knife as possible. Can't find the remote, got it. Can't answer call because its impractical (hands full, can't find phone, doing chores, etc), got it. Would like to evaluate sleep habits, got it. Need to make NFC payment, got it. Want to track your heart rate, got it. The second you start dumping features is the second you move the device even more into the realm of "$300+ dollar device to check your email". The rotating bezel is super cool, but the primary concern people have with smartwatches is that they're pointless, not that they need to be easy to use.
The point I was trying to make is that I was one of the few people for whom Samsung successfully created a product that actually DID fill a unique little niche in my life. As they're trying to expand their product base, it seems the last thing they would want to do is create a flagship device that has absolutely 0 appeal to someone that is already super into smartwatches anyway.
This is actually the first time I've ever upgraded a piece of technology to find it woefully inadequate to what I already had. As a technophile, that's a really strange concept to me. The technology in device is great - I love the hardware, the software, and the implementation. Unfortunately, this device really is a $350 way to read text messages on your wrist and that's all it is, which is why I'll be returning it ASAP.
Also, I have to say, it kinda looks feminine. I much prefer the squared off look of the Gear 2. That's just personal preference, though.
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Agree with everything you wrote except for the part where you said you think the watch looks kinda feminine. ?
Sent from my SM-G925P using Tapatalk

supersoulfly said:
Get the S2 3g model if you want an independent experience. (why do people keep acting like this model doesn't exist and doesn't address most of the complaints prior S users have?)
As far as making a plain watch? I might consider wearing that before the monstrosities Samsung has put out before. Gear 2 and Gear S, lots of cool tech, but the only place I'd be seen wearing one is if I went to a Star Trek convention.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
, Gotta give the Star Wars Crack was a good one.
However, if the S2 was so much a winner, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Instead we all would be breaking or necks to get one. As you can see that is not the case. A lot of users that WOULD be breaking their necks to get on are instead turned off by the new design and features.
You can't ignore that, just read some of the comments.
Since I am a Samsung Fanboy, I will wait for the S3 and Note and see what happens!
I am a Star Wars fan, now I'm addicted to Guardians Of The Galaxy.

I'll gladly sale my gear 2 neo to anyone reading this.
IR blaster went away on phones and watch, just didn't make the cut for usability. I played with ir for the first day to show off then never used it again myself.
Camera in a watch was another one. Apple watch will sale a **** ton without these features for more money. It's not needed by enough people.
Speaker, u just bought the wrong model, but they should have put it in all models. I agree on that part.
Other problems are app issues and tizen is always gonna behind google wear, they are trying to swim upstream and I'm afraid they will never catchup in shear amount of apps.

The 3G model is not coming to all markets the UK being one.
Samsung is just a Apple sheep soon as the Apple watch fan boys like the whole making and taking calls Samsung will do the mother of U turn and the S3 gear will be out this time next year if not earlier.
My Gear 2 was great battery and did the notification basics and handy calling features but the lack of apps was a killer and here we are again the same crap this time 1000 apps at launch.

I think the Neo was a massively underrated device and I'll be keeping mine.
That said, the additional functionality versus the S2 were largely novelty items for me... it's core functions of time, notifications and step tracking were all I used on a daily basis. I can understand the frustration if you used these regularly.
The form factor (s2 is a beautiful watch in its own right) and the bezel navigation are worth the price of admission IMO.

I agree with JazzMac about the S2. I have had the original "Galaxy Gear", Gear 2, Gear S, and then picked up a Gear S2. After 2 days I returned it. Loved the round form factor and rotating bezel, but realized I wanted at least the receive & talk capability on the watch. I would wait for the 3G version. I have had the 3G version for about 3 weeks now and absolutely love it. Does almost everything I want, has great battery life, and I enjoy the freedom of leaving my phone for runs and other quick trips and still being connected.