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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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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.
Hey everyone! First of all I didn't see a Q&A forum so if this is in a bad spot sorry about that.
So I have been wanting to get a smartwatch and i have been stuck on deciding between the Sony smartwatch 2 and the Pebble Steel.
I have been looking everywhere, reading and watching reviews, but no one ever gives a good opinion on which is better. It seems like they end up weighing them out as even. For the Sony sw2 with the metal wristband it is currently $199 with free shipping. The Pebble Steel is $249 with free shipping that takes several weeks (so the site says) and may include import taxes.
I am currently using a Nexus 4, enjoy some small development, mainly looking for practical use, with a nice look.
Currently I am leaning towards the pebble steel. I don't know guys. Please share some of your opinions and thoughts, it would be appreciated!
Thanks!
Sony Smartwatch 2 FTW
babanomania said:
Sony Smartwatch 2 FTW
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whats your reason behind that? Have you used both? And do you have the metal or silicone band?
I have the SW2 and have tried the Pebble, and while the Pebble is a great device that lasts a good deal of time, I prefer the touchscreen and colorful display of the SW2. The app selection is not that great, but it has all that I need and then some. If you are using the Sony made Gmail notifier app, prepare for some battery drain on your phone. None of the other apps I have used really cause that much of a drain if any.
mikeydubbs said:
Hey everyone! First of all I didn't see a Q&A forum so if this is in a bad spot sorry about that.
So I have been wanting to get a smartwatch and i have been stuck on deciding between the Sony smartwatch 2 and the Pebble Steel.
I have been looking everywhere, reading and watching reviews, but no one ever gives a good opinion on which is better. It seems like they end up weighing them out as even. For the Sony sw2 with the metal wristband it is currently $199 with free shipping. The Pebble Steel is $249 with free shipping that takes several weeks (so the site says) and may include import taxes.
I am currently using a Nexus 4, enjoy some small development, mainly looking for practical use, with a nice look.
Currently I am leaning towards the pebble steel. I don't know guys. Please share some of your opinions and thoughts, it would be appreciated!
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a hard question to answer. Unfortunately, right now the Smart Watch market is in the very beginning stages in commercial availability and functionality.
For the most part, the Sony and the pebble do the same thing...and seem to do it well. In this case, the option really boils down to color or black and white screen. I have both the Pebble (1st edition) and the Sony SW2... The Sony quickly replaced the Pebble when it arrived. I loved the color screen, Android UI, and build quality. I felt that the pebble was outdated technology being in B&W and was a toy in comparison. I used the Sony for a few months...to be honest, I really wasn't impressed either. The watch face was really big and overwhelming. I did feel that the functionality was decent, but customization was very limited. Disconnects were prevalent every day and many times I missed notifs all together. I also experienced constant slow downs and extensive lag that could only be fixed by a restart.
Now...once I got the SmartQ Zwatch... my impressions and overall acceptance of the smart watch device changed. After a few firmware upgrades from SmartQ, the Z became my daily driver. Amazing considering I expected the LEAST from the Zwatch.
But this was almost 6 months ago now...for you the situation is different. Now we have devices like the Omate Truesmart, SimValley AW420/421.RX, and ZGPAX S5...dual core, full featured power houses. And with Google and Apple expected to release their stab at the Smartwatch...it's a tough time to commit to one.
My recommendation to you...is really try to figure out what your wishlist is for a SW. How will you use it? Will you need a full function device? I know this can be a difficult thing to do since you most likely don't know what your expectations are.
My advice is to start small. Buy something that has all the functionality you want....see if you like having a vibrating wrist. Some people hate it! Look at the Zwatch...it's only $99...fairly feature rich for that price with 4gb of storage, WiFi, BT, KitKat 4.4 and a great screen. With all the other possible devices hitting the shelves soon, it won't be long before you'll be looking to upgrade.
How this helps.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
I've had the same disconnect problem with sw2, but I fixed it by changing the oom values. You need a rooted phone to do that. Mine has 1gb of ram.
Sent from my LT30p using Tapatalk
mghtymse007 said:
This is a hard question to answer. Unfortunately, right now the Smart Watch market is in the very beginning stages in commercial availability and functionality.
For the most part, the Sony and the pebble do the same thing...and seem to do it well. In this case, the option really boils down to color or black and white screen. I have both the Pebble (1st edition) and the Sony SW2... The Sony quickly replaced the Pebble when it arrived. I loved the color screen, Android UI, and build quality. I felt that the pebble was outdated technology being in B&W and was a toy in comparison. I used the Sony for a few months...to be honest, I really wasn't impressed either. The watch face was really big and overwhelming. I did feel that the functionality was decent, but customization was very limited. Disconnects were prevalent every day and many times I missed notifs all together. I also experienced constant slow downs and extensive lag that could only be fixed by a restart.
Now...once I got the SmartQ Zwatch... my impressions and overall acceptance of the smart watch device changed. After a few firmware upgrades from SmartQ, the Z became my daily driver. Amazing considering I expected the LEAST from the Zwatch.
But this was almost 6 months ago now...for you the situation is different. Now we have devices like the Omate Truesmart, SimValley AW420/421.RX, and ZGPAX S5...dual core, full featured power houses. And with Google and Apple expected to release their stab at the Smartwatch...it's a tough time to commit to one.
My recommendation to you...is really try to figure out what your wishlist is for a SW. How will you use it? Will you need a full function device? I know this can be a difficult thing to do since you most likely don't know what your expectations are.
My advice is to start small. Buy something that has all the functionality you want....see if you like having a vibrating wrist. Some people hate it! Look at the Zwatch...it's only $99...fairly feature rich for that price with 4gb of storage, WiFi, BT, KitKat 4.4 and a great screen. With all the other possible devices hitting the shelves soon, it won't be long before you'll be looking to upgrade.
How this helps.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is exactly what i was hoping for from a reply, thanks!
I dont think i would mind the black and white screen, and i feel like the steel would take away from the "toy" feeling. But as you said, it is still early for the smartwatch generation. All that im really looking for is an easy way to see notifications, flip through music, and as i would think/consider basic functionality. Ill have a look at some of the ones that you mentioned!
i have been watching reviews on youtube for these
honestly they seem pretty cool but i would probably wait until they get the technology up to speed with the vision.
they seem more like notification centers for you to then check your phone
and not as much SMARTPHONE
they are missing some key stuff
FULL COLOR
AND TOUCH SCREEN
camera
actual ability to talk on the phone and message back.
that is the major issues
i have with pebble.
sw2 seems slightly better to me
but both im sure are cool to play around with
I'm not really sure you want what you think you want. You'll never be able to put as much functionality on your wrist than you can in your pocket. It makes too much sense to let the wrist device extend the pocket device. It's still useful for situations like driving and shopping, even if you can't do everything with it. A microphone would be nice though.
Sent from my LT30p using Tapatalk
tacotester1 said:
i have been watching reviews on youtube for these
honestly they seem pretty cool but i would probably wait until they get the technology up to speed with the vision.
they seem more like notification centers for you to then check your phone
and not as much SMARTPHONE
they are missing some key stuff
FULL COLOR
AND TOUCH SCREEN
camera
actual ability to talk on the phone and message back.
that is the major issues
i have with pebble.
sw2 seems slightly better to me
but both im sure are cool to play around with
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are apps available for the pebble to send text messages
I don't know of an app that you can actually type a text from for the Pebble though. SW2 you can.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk
Testingchip said:
I don't know of an app that you can actually type a text from for the Pebble though. SW2 you can.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its called wrist ponder
mikeydubbs said:
Its called wrist ponder
Click to expand...
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I think the writer above said that you write the sms with your watch, not preloaded sms, but actually you write the sms with your watch from the start. Doesnt Wristponder work on the way, that you have to write sms with you phone, like "ill be there in 5min" and use these preloaded sms to answer.
Sent from my Galaxy Note 10.1 (N8000).
The "which one should I get?" question is one that is difficult to answer and likely to get different answers depending on which form you asked. I am sure the folks in the Pebble will give you valid Pebble recommendations in their forum, same for Gear, AI, HOT, Onate, etc. Here, you will get SW2 recommendations.
I looked at all and chose the Sony obviously. There were/are things about each design I liked and disliked. I like the community aspect of the Pebble and the greater number of apps/extensions available to customize the watch, especially the watchface. I like the build quality and looks of the SW2, and the ability to use touch instead of buttons. Plus most of the functions I need are covered by the available extensions. My biggest gripe continues to be the limited number of watchfaces... I envy the complete customization available with the Gear (eg. recreating a high-end watch face like a Bell&Ross, Omega, Breiltling, etc). And even the Pebble offers way more and way more functional watchfaces... eg. one that shows time, weather, and notification counts).
Ultimately, I think the real winners will be the next gen of true "smart" watches. Whether its the gear 2, or something like the Omate. Where you can completely customize with ROMs and add functional apps from the Play Store. I don't know if cameras and calls are that big of a deal, but I really think the smartwatch has to be more than a notification window and more of a smartphone extension.
My two cents... discounted as usual.
I say the smart watch 2!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using xda app-developers app
mikeydubbs said:
Hey everyone! First of all I didn't see a Q&A forum so if this is in a bad spot sorry about that.
So I have been wanting to get a smartwatch and i have been stuck on deciding between the Sony smartwatch 2 and the Pebble Steel.
I have been looking everywhere, reading and watching reviews, but no one ever gives a good opinion on which is better. It seems like they end up weighing them out as even. For the Sony sw2 with the metal wristband it is currently $199 with free shipping. The Pebble Steel is $249 with free shipping that takes several weeks (so the site says) and may include import taxes.
I am currently using a Nexus 4, enjoy some small development, mainly looking for practical use, with a nice look.
Currently I am leaning towards the pebble steel. I don't know guys. Please share some of your opinions and thoughts, it would be appreciated!
Thanks!
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I was in the same dilemma few days back and I chose Gear instead of SW2. Reason being simple. Now with the launch of Gear2, we can get Gear at the price of SW2 if not less. You get more features with Gear. And its cool too. If you check Gear forum, you can see the Null ROM which has added more features to Gear than the stock OS. With Null ROM, you can connect it to any device and not just Galaxy range. Check it out and decide. Try to see all 3 at the same time and see which one you like. End of the day, you are not gonna spend 24hrs of ur time seeing notifications. Its gonna act as your watch so check how comfortable are you wearing one and how it suits you. For the usage you mentioned, all 3 serves the purpose.
All the best! Gonna place my order for Gear next week
Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk
I used to have first Sony attempt to a Smartwatch and the experience was horrible (few years back).
Now, I played with Gear, SW2 and Pebble and, let's put it simple: my money went to Sony's SW2. Is far from perfect but, considering the price, is a very good quality/price ratio. If you ask me which smartwatch is the best nowadays I would say: TOQ ... it has by far the best display - but that is expensive.
Functionality wise - they are all the same: a simple notification extension to your smartphone.
Hey guys, I am pretty much here to express why the Gear 2 was such a good idea on paper but terrible in reality. The fact of the matter is the Gear 2 sucks. The apecs are great the screen is beauitful the design isnt half bad if you ask me. But the sheer lack of apps is what makes the smartwatch so gimmicky. Yes I can pick up calls but I mean we can do the same thing with a pair if $20 headphones; so why did i buy a $300 'smart'watch? Well, here us the answer. I though it was better than android wear. For some reason I thought "hey, samsjng makes great products!" Which in reality it does, but Tizen was not the way to go. The sheer lack of apps makes this app a brick if you ask me. Also the lack of compatability! (What were they thinking?!) I mean have you seen how fast android wear is developing?! Its absolutely insane. I guess this a call to action if anythjbg for Samsung to either open up tizen or port Android Wear to the Gear 2 or make it incredibly easy for devs to use Tizen because if it doesn't itll suffer the same fate as any other OS besides Android or Apple (not a threat LOL.)
Post your ideas below.
adr14ng said:
Hey guys, I am pretty much here to express why the Gear 2 was such a good idea on paper but terrible in reality. The fact of the matter is the Gear 2 sucks. The apecs are great the screen is beauitful the design isnt half bad if you ask me. But the sheer lack of apps is what makes the smartwatch so gimmicky. Yes I can pick up calls but I mean we can do the same thing with a pair if $20 headphones; so why did i buy a $300 'smart'watch? Well, here us the answer. I though it was better than android wear. For some reason I thought "hey, samsjng makes great products!" Which in reality it does, but Tizen was not the way to go. The sheer lack of apps makes this app a brick if you ask me. Also the lack of compatability! (What were they thinking?!) I mean have you seen how fast android wear is developing?! Its absolutely insane. I guess this a call to action if anythjbg for Samsung to either open up tizen or port Android Wear to the Gear 2 or make it incredibly easy for devs to use Tizen because if it doesn't itll suffer the same fate as any other OS besides Android or Apple (not a threat LOL.)
Post your ideas below.
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Click to collapse
I agree with you, the potential is extraorinary with this watch, but Samsung is failing to use this potential. I really hope we get an android wear update some day.
Interesting but I just bought a Gear 2 after selling two Gear Neo and trying Android Wear and also a Sony - for me the simplicity of the Gear is just right.
It's a notification device not a replacement for your mobile.
Sent from my SM-G900F using XDA Free mobile app
Guys I know you might not want to here this but after coming full circle back, I setup my Gear today (this time the Brown/Gold), absolutely loving it.
The grass always seems greener ...
But guess it depends on expectation.
had the original gear then the sony but once wear came out I grabbed myself a lg g watch which i liked but missed the camera all the way through all of them. Picked up a gear 2 changed the strap for metal one and could not be happier Love the camera which is a major need for me and function wise its fine although I'll admit the notifications are not on par with my lg but I prefer a peep to a vibrate too
In short .... I love mine and trust me it turns heads when people notice it.
it might be good on paper but it depends on how someone use a device. I got a free Gear 2neo when I bought my Tab S 8.4, sold the neo and bought myself a gear 2 basically for the camera, and the love-love (no love-hate here for me) relationship began, installed fleksy keyboard and i never have to pull out my tablet when travelling (i commute to one of the most dangerous place in the world LOL) added a few needed apps by editing my tab S build prop so I have the latest gear app list. answering calls with this looks a bit odd but awesome to others, although you hate it when people eavesdrop, so got me-self a gear circle, paired everything up and im a happy man.
camera wise, 2mpxl is enough for those quick snaps, like when a cool lambo stops beside you and you want a quick snapshot.
in the end, it all boils down on how you use it, it may not have all the bells and whistle that other platform has, still.. worth every penny i invested in.
As an owner of the gear 2 neo I feel this device is nearly useless. Unfortunaltey, I couldn't choose the smartwatch as it was a present..
Right now I'm just using it to quickly check notifications, nothing else. Why? Because I hate Touchwiz so:
I don't use their email app -> can't use email feature on the gear
I don't use their sms app -> can't really reply to any message if not through SVoice (but that doesn't work that good)
Can't reply to most of the messages on whatsapp/telegram: maybe with flesky you can but since I'm not english mothertongue, I need to write into another language and I read it's a pain replying this way (if possible, haven't tried).
SVoice is SLOW: you ask for something, it spends too many seconds processing; try google now and you'll see the difference.
Now I'm using a touchwiz based custom rom on my GS4 to take advantage of the little things I can do (read notifications, check calendar, use svoice for replying to sms, check time!) but TW is sluggish and it's just not a good experience.
Also the total lack of any useful app for this smartwatch make it even more useless if possible.
Months have passed since the release of this product and there is no real development, so to me this is a dead product.
OP is partially right, if Samsung ports this to android wear we can still save something, otherwise Tizen isn't going anywhere and this watch will be just junk...
Kwbmm said:
As an owner of the gear 2 neo I feel this device is nearly useless. Unfortunaltey, I couldn't choose the smartwatch as it was a present..
Right now I'm just using it to quickly check notifications, nothing else. Why? Because I hate Touchwiz so:
I don't use their email app -> can't use email feature on the gear
I don't use their sms app -> can't really reply to any message if not through SVoice (but that doesn't work that good)
Can't reply to most of the messages on whatsapp/telegram: maybe with flesky you can but since I'm not english mothertongue, I need to write into another language and I read it's a pain replying this way (if possible, haven't tried).
SVoice is SLOW: you ask for something, it spends too many seconds processing; try google now and you'll see the difference.
Now I'm using a touchwiz based custom rom on my GS4 to take advantage of the little things I can do (read notifications, check calendar, use svoice for replying to sms, check time!) but TW is sluggish and it's just not a good experience.
Also the total lack of any useful app for this smartwatch make it even more useless if possible.
Months have passed since the release of this product and there is no real development, so to me this is a dead product.
OP is partially right, if Samsung ports this to android wear we can still save something, otherwise Tizen isn't going anywhere and this watch will be just junk...
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Click to collapse
I think everything is relative. I love my Gear 2 Neo. I initially was not so sure (have also a pebble) - but now, after wearing it for a couple of days I will be selling the Pebble.
I love the amazing screen - with long battery life (do not want to charge daily - like android wear), the very fast notification; the good selection of useful apps (IR remote; remote view of phone camera; calendar; fitness apps; simple games; many many good watchfaces etc.); the ability to take a quick call on the watch itself...
Also, being able to send SMS messages directly from the watch is in many cases very handy.
I have shown the watch to a few colleagues of mine - now they also want one...
I understand you dont like it - I do. So do people I have showed mine to. ( I do not use Svoice - see no need for it; so I cannot comment on how good or bad it is)
Android Wear may have more apps - but the short battery life and lack of some features (use the watch as a phone, IR blaster etc.) - make Android Wear (for me) quite inferior to the Gear 2 Neo
If Samsung would port Android Wear to the gear 2 neo, so we can keep the features we have AND have the more apps: that would be of course best. But I would think that Android Wear would bring us the "feature" of needing to charge once per day - and that is not a feature I would want
adr14ng said:
Hey guys, I am pretty much here to express why the Gear 2 was such a good idea on paper but terrible in reality. The fact of the matter is the Gear 2 sucks. The apecs are great the screen is beauitful the design isnt half bad if you ask me. But the sheer lack of apps is what makes the smartwatch so gimmicky. Yes I can pick up calls but I mean we can do the same thing with a pair if $20 headphones; so why did i buy a $300 'smart'watch? Well, here us the answer. I though it was better than android wear. For some reason I thought "hey, samsjng makes great products!" Which in reality it does, but Tizen was not the way to go. The sheer lack of apps makes this app a brick if you ask me. Also the lack of compatability! (What were they thinking?!) I mean have you seen how fast android wear is developing?! Its absolutely insane. I guess this a call to action if anythjbg for Samsung to either open up tizen or port Android Wear to the Gear 2 or make it incredibly easy for devs to use Tizen because if it doesn't itll suffer the same fate as any other OS besides Android or Apple (not a threat LOL.)
Post your ideas below.
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Click to collapse
I can see the point you are making, you expected a james bond type watch and got somthing far from it. but your conclusion for it terrible is because of your expectations. I see i a lot of people saying lack of apps is a factor that gear 2 is no good, have you seen android wear it does not have any apps, it only works as an extension to your existing apps. the only thing good about the android wear is the OK Google hot word, and as much as it sounds and looks good in the videos it just doesnt work when you want it to.
Also what do you want from a smart watch, give me an example of an app that is so badly needed on the watch and it does not exist?
and finally its a watch you are not suppose to spend time on it its just there to make little things easier, you dont want to be engaged with it for more than 10-20s.
Also as far as my knowledge goes gear 2 fit perfectly in the middle of being a long lasting eink watch (pebble) with very little things and the android wear that has the "ok google" thing and always on display but last at max 2 days). my experience with gear 2 has been 5 days of use and i am very happy with it.
I see it as something of a conversation starter among friends and keeps my phone in the pocket to experience the real world more.
here are examples of some apps you might like,
http://forum.xda-developers.com/gear-2/themes-apps/nownotifier-development-t2914013
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wearablewidgets
I agree with Wear, but it is still great for me!
I love my Gear 2. I do agree that Wear is probably better in many ways, and I may go for a Wear next time, but this is far from useless. I use it for:
Shows my next appointment when I look at the time - this is the most used and useful of all IMO.
Notifications of email and SMS
Possible reply to SMS (rare)
Control of media (often, and it avoids the need to take the phone out or keep it out when travelling)
Locking my phone if I leave or lose it
Finding my phone or watch when I lose them
To Do list (not that useful, sometimes as a short shopping list)
Voice memo - great to record fleeting ideas
Remote for TV in case I lose it
Turning off TVs in public (without being obvious) - I love that!
Simple Italian phrases with sound - a quick and easy reminder
answering the phone without getting the phone out and missing the call (all too often)
answering my phone from the pool - I love being able to do that!
I have tried a lot of other apps, all sorts of games and drawing/writing apps, but the screen is too small. I use the camera occasionally, but not for much. I like it for what it is and am more than happy with it. Battery life is amazing, too. I get the feeling that some people just expect too much from smart watches.
My first post here, and I'd like to express some frustrations with the Gear 2 as well. I got it as a xmas present from my wife and initially, I really liked it.
After a couple of updates though, it seems like Samsung has made this "smart" watch a bit less smart. I was once able to tell S-Voice not to "talk" after giving it a command, but now that's no longer an option and can only reduce the volume down to "1".
Instead of increasing the level of tweaks in the app, they've removed a lot of them (running it on an S5).
Every time there's a software update, some of the apps stop working and I have to re-install them.
Creating tasks on the watch works great, but I only get reminders on my phone.
Does anyone know if there are plans to continue developing the Gear app for this watch? It almost seems like they're abandoning it as far as I can tell.
OTOH, I realize these types of devices are still in their infancy, so I'm not expecting this to be perfect, but my point is that in the last four months that I've had this thing, it keeps getting less and less useful after every update!
LuiFranco said:
My first post here, and I'd like to express some frustrations with the Gear 2 as well. I got it as a xmas present from my wife and initially, I really liked it.
After a couple of updates though, it seems like Samsung has made this "smart" watch a bit less smart. I was once able to tell S-Voice not to "talk" after giving it a command, but now that's no longer an option and can only reduce the volume down to "1".
Instead of increasing the level of tweaks in the app, they've removed a lot of them (running it on an S5).
Every time there's a software update, some of the apps stop working and I have to re-install them.
Creating tasks on the watch works great, but I only get reminders on my phone.
Does anyone know if there are plans to continue developing the Gear app for this watch? It almost seems like they're abandoning it as far as I can tell.
OTOH, I realize these types of devices are still in their infancy, so I'm not expecting this to be perfect, but my point is that in the last four months that I've had this thing, it keeps getting less and less useful after every update!
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Click to collapse
Unfortunately they moved to Android wear, and you're right in thinking they basically abandoned tizen development. My issue is that the three key "bonus" features for me were : speaker phone, ir remote, and camera and I can't find those things on any other device! Otherwise only looks seem to set apart the other watches
I agree .... I loved my gear 2 with all its camera goodness but had to move onto wear when I changed to a nexus 6 still miss her even though I would change my nexus for anything .....
Since this update I got a 360 and honestly. Wear does notifications better. They have the whole thread of messages and it doesn't get mixed up no matter what client you use. I'll admit I miss the tizen battery life. But I will say both are giving me issues with fitness tracking, the fit app is incompatible with my s5 and s health is always a mess if you ask me.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Free mobile app
I entirely agree with you.
adr14ng said:
Hey guys, I am pretty much here to express why the Gear 2 was such a good idea on paper but terrible in reality. The fact of the matter is the Gear 2 sucks. The apecs are great the screen is beauitful the design isnt half bad if you ask me. But the sheer lack of apps is what makes the smartwatch so gimmicky. Yes I can pick up calls but I mean we can do the same thing with a pair if $20 headphones; so why did i buy a $300 'smart'watch? Well, here us the answer. I though it was better than android wear. For some reason I thought "hey, samsjng makes great products!" Which in reality it does, but Tizen was not the way to go. The sheer lack of apps makes this app a brick if you ask me. Also the lack of compatability! (What were they thinking?!) I mean have you seen how fast android wear is developing?! Its absolutely insane. I guess this a call to action if anythjbg for Samsung to either open up tizen or port Android Wear to the Gear 2 or make it incredibly easy for devs to use Tizen because if it doesn't itll suffer the same fate as any other OS besides Android or Apple (not a threat LOL.)
Post your ideas below.
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Click to collapse
I am happy that you wrote it.
Worse thing i did with my life is probably buying this watch. After using it a few months I threw it away. Its sitting in its box. I bought a LG G Watch for 70€ (was on discount for 1 day) it has 5000 times more features you can use
kadeve said:
Worse thing i did with my life is probably buying this watch. After using it a few months I threw it away. Its sitting in its box. I bought a LG G Watch for 70€ (was on discount for 1 day) it has 5000 times more features you can use
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Click to collapse
"5000 times more features" bit of an exaggeration and purely your opinion, if that is the worse thing in your life then you must have a great one or sit at home doing nothing.
For the added advantages of android I saw none that made me want to change, major one was lack of camera.
jeffnz said:
"5000 times more features" bit of an exaggeration and purely your opinion, if that is the worse thing in your life then you must have a great one or sit at home doing nothing.
For the added advantages of android I saw none that made me want to change, major one was lack of camera.
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with all due respect jeffnz but I think you are an entry level user. Even the comparasion between Tizen and Android Wear is unfair. Tizen is stuck with poor SDK and HTML5 only support. If your user experience has been limited you wont see the difference because you are using the smartwatch just as a regular watch.
Android Wear has Tasker support and by using AutoApps you end up having infinite amount of features. But again I think you are an entry level user. I have a server and a raspberry pi that I use for my projects and home automation.
Just a few simple examples so you could maybe understand.
- When a video is played on computer lights go off, ambient light is set to match the video (ambilight) , Watch gets a Controller screen that has basic play/pause next fullscreen etc. buttons on low level brightness.
- When phone is charged , I get a notification and the smart wallplug cuts off the electricity that feeds the adapter. This is done by a raspberry pi with 433Mhz Receiver/transmitter kit ( which allows me control wall plugs individually)
check youtube for AutoWear app and you will understand better what you are missing.
I am an mechanical engineer, electrical engineer and a programmer. I am trying to make use of my skills at home as well as my professional life. Yeah android wear cant take a goddamn photo but I can give chain voice commands to start the freaking oven downstairs meanwhile the amblight is in disco mode...
kadeve said:
with all due respect jeffnz but I think you are an entry level user. Even the comparasion between Tizen and Android Wear is unfair. Tizen is stuck with poor SDK and HTML5 only support. If your user experience has been limited you wont see the difference because you are using the smartwatch just as a regular watch.
Android Wear has Tasker support and by using AutoApps you end up having infinite amount of features. But again I think you are an entry level user. I have a server and a raspberry pi that I use for my projects and home automation.
Just a few simple examples so you could maybe understand.
- When a video is played on computer lights go off, ambient light is set to match the video (ambilight) , Watch gets a Controller screen that has basic play/pause next fullscreen etc. buttons on low level brightness.
- When phone is charged , I get a notification and the smart wallplug cuts off the electricity that feeds the adapter. This is done by a raspberry pi with 433Mhz Receiver/transmitter kit ( which allows me control wall plugs individually)
check youtube for AutoWear app and you will understand better what you are missing.
I am an mechanical engineer, electrical engineer and a programmer. I am trying to make use of my skills at home as well as my professional life. Yeah android wear cant take a goddamn photo but I can give chain voice commands to start the freaking oven downstairs meanwhile the amblight is in disco mode...
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Click to collapse
Thanks for telling me all about yourself but isn't necessary as I stand by what I said it is purely your opinion and to you it may be 5000 times better in your mind but to most a gross exaggeration.
Also please don't try and guess what i am as you do not know me and it is clouding your judgement ven if you prefix your post with "all due respect" which is usually the opposite.
oh and I know tasker but just because you cuan run on Android wear doesn't mean it is a great reason to dis Tizen, once again that is the way you use your watch not all will do that. One size does not fit all
So I am a first gen moto 360 user till this day. Unfortunately the battery, fragile band and overall watch is seeming to show its age to me finally. I am currently using a nexus 6p and have no intention of jumping over to a samsung device as I dont quite enjoy touchwiz or the update cycles outside of direct google devices. While shopping around for options I keep finding myself drawn to this watch which doesnt seem out of the ordinary since they are pretty difficult to come by outside of ebay here in the states at the moment. I do have some questions since I do use a few of what I consider the basics of the google ecosystem daily and the samsung reps at the few bestbuys I visited were less than helpful in solving my problems (surprising I know).
- I am a big google now user with my moto 360 and phone, I know s voice doesnt come close but how does it react with commands like "what time is **** open until" or "call **** on 123 main street". Specifics like that are what I love. Or simply the reminder feature based on location and not simply time.
- I am also worried about how it will handle or if it can even handle the notifications and controls for my google music or google messenger since from what I gather anything outside of samsung apps can be a bit spotty.
- I just read in another thread that google maps does exist on the samsung app store so if thats true would it sync up with my phone navigation or work independently (I dont plan to get the lte model or if I do, I dont plan on using it stand alone since I am on verizon).
I find myself at a crossroad since I really enjoy the idea of samsung pay on my watch since that is one of if not the main feature I am jealous of the samsung devices for, but to give up all the other android wear features I seem to live with seems like more cons than pros at this time. I dont seem too thrilled with any of the other android wear watches and with their future looking grim I fear the pickings are becoming more and more slim as time progress'.
My first smart watch was the original Moto 360 as well. Like you, I was hesitant to move to a Tizen based smart watch. After owning the Fro tier for almost a month now, I can say this watch is a significant upgrade over the Moto 360, and the Tizen operating system has several advantages over Android Wear.
1. Battery life is significantly better. I can get two days with AOD on, and 3-4 days with AOD off.
2. Samsung Pay alone is worth the upgrade.
3. The UI and rotating bezel are superior to Android Wear.
Cons:
1. S Voice isn't as good as Google Now. I am not able to to the things you like to do with Google Now. To be honest, I didn't use Google Now as much as you do. While I may not be able to find out when a particular place closes, it is adequate enough to send a text or call someone using my voice. As a side note, I changed my command to respond to "Hey Google." I wanted to make it different than my phone, so I wouldn't trigger both.
2. Boy, I can't think of anything else. Just get the Gear S3. You won't regret it.
ttown said:
My first smart watch was the original Moto 360 as well. Like you, I was hesitant to move to a Tizen based smart watch. After owning the Fro tier for almost a month now, I can say this watch is a significant upgrade over the Moto 360, and the Tizen operating system has several advantages over Android Wear.
1. Battery life is significantly better. I can get two days with AOD on, and 3-4 days with AOD off.
2. Samsung Pay alone is worth the upgrade.
3. The UI and rotating bezel are superior to Android Wear.
Cons:
1. S Voice isn't as good as Google Now. I am not able to to the things you like to do with Google Now. To be honest, I didn't use Google Now as much as you do. While I may not be able to find out when a particular place closes, it is adequate enough to send a text or call someone using my voice. As a side note, I changed my command to respond to "Hey Google." I wanted to make it different than my phone, so I wouldn't trigger both.
2. Boy, I can't think of anything else. Just get the Gear S3. You won't regret it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Appreciate the input. How about the maps navigation connection? Also I see they are just now getting Spotify to work but it seems more stand alone. Know if other apps like Google play music work well enough with controls?
NyPlaya513 said:
Appreciate the input. How about the maps navigation connection? Also I see they are just now getting Spotify to work but it seems more stand alone. Know if other apps like Google play music work well enough with controls?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google maps doesn't work (at least not right out of the box), but there is an app you can download. I thought I would miss this since I use my phone for navigation, but I haven't missed it one bit. Now that Android Auto works on the phone, I have been using that. I think I used the Motorola 360 for navigation while I was walking twice in two years.
I haven't tried Spotify because I use Google Play Music. The controls for GPM work the same they do on the Moto 360. The music is played through the phone, not the watch just like in the Moto 360.
One more thing that was a concern for me before buying. I use Verizon Messages+ instead of the Samsung Messages app and was concerned I wouldn't be able to reply to messages. I am able to reply and create texts from the watch using Verizon Meaages+ without an issue. I created a thread walking you through how to make this work. It is very easy.
Alright well you talked me into it. Luckily today Best Buy got both models back in stock. I ordered the classic to be here on Friday and although I like the grip on the bezel for the Frontier Model better, I do like the stylish and more professional look in my opinion of the classic Model. Luckily if I don't like the classic after a few days I am a silver member and can simply swap with the frontier LOL.
Coming from a Moto360 1st gen too.
Owning a Nexus 6p too!
Heavy Google Now user too!!!!
So I guess we share something.
I was also hesitant but finally decided to buy it. So now I own a Gear S3 Frontier.
1- S Voice? Almost useless. I am so disappointed about this. My only hope is that software related issues eventually get a solution.
2- Notifications and control handling is superb. Not only for Spotify (recently added to Tizen market) but Google Play music or whatever you may be streaming to your Chromecast.
3- Maps? I still don't see the point using a map on the wrist. Never used it on my Moto360 (probably due to the overwhelming battery drain issue).
That's what I can tell after a month.
Sorry if I am late and I hope you find my comments useful.
flasflus said:
Maps? I still don't see the point using a map on the wrist.
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Click to collapse
As wrist based GPS for pedestrian use is very useful for directions when waking around on foot. It's better than walking around holding your cellphone out in front of your face in order to refer to directions.