Related
I wanted to break this off since the other topic was looking to be mostly about the LCD's
floatpoo said:
I wanted to see if the blank sockets on the system board were active. So I grabbed my multimeter and tested each pin to see if any delivered power. I don't know if these sockets are controlled by software, but it looks like these sockets are inactive.
(cant post link ref other thread....)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm an electronics tech (avionics really) just so you know my background, and I am by no way a programmer i just hack my way throught when i need... poorly at that. I'm a long time reader but don't post much.
I havent taken mine apart yet, I bought it for the wife to use as an ereader she was using her evo before and already has bad eyesight I just dont think reading on that small screen is good for her. However we planned on returning it today because she couldn't get anything to work... But i loaded VAGAn-Tab rom on it and she likes it ALOT more now, but we still might be returning it (she thinks it to big and heavy to hold). So all I have to work with is the internal pics posted by other members and I thank you for them!
I was thinking about using a mini pci card with 3g/4g and GPS to solve my problem like this one for Sprint Customers looks very nice and they claim android support. Could someone please verify the length available for the card from the socket to the mounting holes? It should be around 50mm but i cant tell from the pic.
I cant post a link so google
franklinwireless
M600_datasheet_v1.pdf
Then after more research I figured out that think I can get the GPS to work on the board. I found that the RXM-GPS-SG-T looks to be the exact chip they are using, the pin look to match exactly VCC, GND, RX, TX, RF, VOUT. So they are using an active GPS antenna (but could be modded for passive). They use NMEA-0183 or SiRF Binary output selected by a serial command. So we need to figure out if the TX is going to U39 making U39 the interface to the unit, or directly to somewhere else (idk need to see board) I hope i can attach my pic i made or maybe an admin can post it for me.
However the PCI slot might be just as hard to use, the pin 20 that has 3.3v isnt what we want, but it could be a software control to disable/enable the card. However we still need A+ on pins 2,52 (3.3V), 6,28,48(1.5V) and maybe 24(3.3V Aux) dependeding on the card. We could be dealing with a "Non Standard" connector, they are out there but most OEM's dont bother with them. More likely to find them on a Asus product ect. It's common for the SIM card to be powered by the PCI card itself and the board looks wired that way. I have 2 Digi International Mini PCI express Wifi/Cell Development boards and thats how they both power the SIM card. Pin 16 should goto Pin 1 on the sim card, 14->2, 12->3, 10->6 but maybe 7 or 8.
Getting the Power to it could be software or hardware. Looks like around U8 on the frontside could a Vreg setup, Or it could be as simple as putting in some 0 ohm resistors around R15 and R14. We also see that U7 is unpopulated on backside. So that leave us with U7,U8, R15, and R16 which could mean they are all part of the same circuit if they laid it out with any logic. TP1,2,and 3 also make me believe this is true, however they match up to LED_WPAN#, LED, WLAN#,and LED_WWAN#. I sure wish they match the power input pins, but that means all those missing resistors could just be for unpopulated status LED's. Like I've said over and over i cant tell ya unless i can probe around the board.
As far as the memory, yes its possible, I do BGA replacement at work. What I am afraid of is that the other memory chips look to be exactly on the other side and I'd be afraid of messing them up. I'd have to look at my jig at work and see if I could set it up without any problems.
I'm no electronics expert but I dabble. I'd be interested in internal GPS and a memory boost. I'm pretty confident in my soldering skills and would try something if directed by someone smarter than me.
This is something I am very interested in. Any new info on this?
ihaveathumb said:
This is something I am very interested in. Any new info on this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I sadly no longer own a G tablet, wife thought it was to heavy to read books, and hated the screen. I cant argue with her on either of those points, so we returned it. However I got the ok to buy a referb on if i can find one, but when I did at my local store i showed them the paper and they told me they dont sell that stuff there and send me away. I talked to 3 different people too basically all told me to go f off. I even tried another time with the 7" they sell same results. I dont know why it gets listed on the website if they wont sell it.
Not to get sidetracked, but i even did by the proper bga fittings to solder the ram chips too lol..
So no its probably not going to go any farther from my stand point, if anyone wants my help I still read the forums everyday.
I'm just gonna wait and see what comes out in the future that XDA gets behind, because I'de never buy anything that didnt have an active community here.
IF you were looking for a reader fo rher mainly, you should've really gone with the Nook Color... eInk devices are good too IF you don't really need good PDF support and/or need it to read more complexly formatted documents, e.g. technical manual, mathematics texts, etc. i.e. eInk is best suited for ficiton and other simply formatted documents, but it VERY readable except in poorly lit conditions where you'd need external lighting of some sort.
Very true I should have bought her a nook, but now she doesnt want it because its not powerful enough for her needs imo. She also wants to login to her school (blackboard) and be able to use overdrive. Plus she likes dungeon defenders and I dont think that can handle it. We are just gonna wait it out and see what comes along, mostly cause we have our first due next month, so trying to be frugal.
mystkrh said:
Very true I should have bought her a nook, but now she doesnt want it because its not powerful enough for her needs imo. She also wants to login to her school (blackboard) and be able to use overdrive. Plus she likes dungeon defenders and I dont think that can handle it. We are just gonna wait it out and see what comes along, mostly cause we have our first due next month, so trying to be frugal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, you'll want a full blown tablet then and I suspect that the NC would be too much of a bother to get setup for her for what she wants it for...
All the 10" tablets are fairly heavy too, so you'll probably have to stick to looking for 7/8" tablets and I suspect Tegra 2 or multi-core cortex-a9 SoCs from other mfgs... not much in the way of 7" ATM other than the elocity a7 (was c. $300 around xmas), but it's not very hacker friendly and I don't know if they ever got the USB port to run in non-host mode... probably best to not even look at it...
The g Tablet would, as many have already said, be a great tablet if it had gps mainly and increased memory. Adding pci-e would be even better. I would be extremely happy with the addition of gps. I would be very tempted to allow somebody with expertise and high level of confidence of success to experiment on my tablet.
GPS+
Just bought my Gtab yesterday. As you know the stock Roman/UI sucks big time. I installed Clockwork followed by CyanogenMod 7 and what a difference. Anyway I looked on the web for a dock and it seems there is a Chinese version of the Gtab that has higher spec's including GPS. It would seem logical to assume the U.S. motherboard has the same circuits built in. Who knows what's possible....
It's too bad that more people don't feel like tearing up their electronics to start soldering things to them.
Hi, I'm back ... I start this new thread to expose my concepts about phones, I'm not a professional but I try to imagine some original devices with some originals spcecifications ...
All your comments (good or bad) are welcome ...
I'm usually inspired by HTC and my latest concept is one of them ...
The entire concept and the others are here --> NAK PHONE DESIGN
[NEW] 3 March 2011 --> Second part of the concept, the TUBE TABLET (2nd post) ...
[NEW] 21 April 2011 --> Third part of the concept, the STICK PHONE and the TUBE LAPTOP (3rd post) ...
Hi, here is the second part of my HTC TUBE Concept ...
Hi, here is the third part of my HTC TUBE Concept (and the last) ...
The entire concept and the others are here --> NAK PHONE DESIGN
Here's the HTC STICK PHONE for the TUBE Tablet ...
and the HTC TUBE Laptop ...
Interesting concept but why make the whole cartridge thing? I don't think many people will be swapping out the internals of their phone often enough to justify it.
Nice concepts!
Interesting...like the size & curves!
I had already seen pictures of the concept and find it gorgeous
I wouldn't be interested by the multiple cartridges (I had already the dual boot on my former HD2 and for my daily use I don't see the point in sticking with more than 1 OS. It's cool for testing but otherwise ...Just my opinion ).
iDroidFan said:
Interesting concept but why make the whole cartridge thing? I don't think many people will be swapping out the internals of their phone often enough to justify it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to agree with this point.
I just don't see the concept clicking with what customers want.
The only possible advantage IMO would be that if you dropped your phone and damaged the casing or screen, you could quickly and easily replace it yourself but beyond that, it doesn't seem like practical concept.
I would love a cartridge based phone that would let me have multiple ROMs loaded onto the cartridges, and switch OS by rebooting with another one.
Not for everyday use, but rather for developing
cool, al like this
For the interest of the cartridge, more than the choice of the hardware level (and of the price !!!...), you will see soon the part 2 of this concept ... In next few days ...
good
i like this design.
What if the concept was beyond just the cartridge though? After all, a smaller cartridge footprint could enable you to have the internals in different housings. For example, a much smaller housing for a more discrete phone, say for going out in the evening, when you don't want the bulk but still want all your 'stuff'?
Or a rugged housing for sports/camping/mountain biking/etc?
Or perhaps an in-vehicle version where you just slot the thing into a console in the vehicle, rather than the phone into a cradle?
Finally, you could have an at home/office version where you slot it into a small footprint dock that has higher spec hardware but still uses the data and applications on the device.
I personally can see far more uses for the internals in other housings idea rather than the single housing, multiple internals. That said, both would work together as you can use any internal module in any housing..
From a manufacturer's point of view this *could* work. One standard screen/housing/connections with multiple options of different phones "internals".
Interesting idea.
rTiGd2 said:
What if the concept was beyond just the cartridge though? After all, a smaller cartridge footprint could enable you to have the internals in different housings. For example, a much smaller housing for a more discrete phone, say for going out in the evening, when you don't want the bulk but still want all your 'stuff'?
Or a rugged housing for sports/camping/mountain biking/etc?
Or perhaps an in-vehicle version where you just slot the thing into a console in the vehicle, rather than the phone into a cradle?
Finally, you could have an at home/office version where you slot it into a small footprint dock that has higher spec hardware but still uses the data and applications on the device.
I personally can see far more uses for the internals in other housings idea rather than the single housing, multiple internals. That said, both would work together as you can use any internal module in any housing..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with this point completely. I'm actually already sorta doing this type of thing by swapping my SIM card to and from my Galaxy Tab and my Galaxy S. I'll usually bring my Tab with me to work, but use my Galaxy S for when I'm traveling light and hanging out with friends etc.
It would be even cooler though if my semi-internal hardware cartridge could remain powered on while I hot-swap it from my phone to my tablet to my desktop dock or car dock etc etc. THAT would be super cool, and practical. Kinda like what Motorola is trying to do with the Atrix, but maybe in a more elegant manner.
Step666 said:
I have to agree with this point.
I just don't see the concept clicking with what customers want.
The only possible advantage IMO would be that if you dropped your phone and damaged the casing or screen, you could quickly and easily replace it yourself but beyond that, it doesn't seem like practical concept.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's more practical and cost efficient if you think about it. This is a really slick and just awesome design, but what if you hardly use your phone? You aren't going to need a 1.5 Dual Core processor with a 12 MP camera, you may just want the starter pack.
Then people don't have to pay for a high end phone with features they aren't going to use. It's actually really smart and practical....I like it.
You need to send this to HTC, go to the manufacturing plant, and start building this phone!
EDIT: I just went on your site, and you really need to send these ideas to HTC or something. You have some really nice ideas, designs, and talent..I'd seriously buy all of these phones.
missparker76 said:
I had already seen pictures of the concept and find it gorgeous
I wouldn't be interested by the multiple cartridges (I had already the dual boot on my former HD2 and for my daily use I don't see the point in sticking with more than 1 OS. It's cool for testing but otherwise ...Just my opinion ).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Valid Point, I dont why you would want all the confusion, Not to kill your concept NAK but at least a 32GB also 4G should be available on all model. that just me!!!
Amazing concept! I would sell a kidney to get one Just kidding, but its a really awesome design
oh~man! This is great! I would like to buy one
Do you accept preorders for this beauty?
Love it.
When I was growing up my dad always wore a wrist watch. On the few occasions he ever took it off, it looked like he was still wearing something around his wrist due to the absense of the massive tan he got from working outside.
I think a wrist phone is a great idea, but wouldn't buy one unless it could actually function as a phone. I personally hate wrist watches, but would start to like them if I could remove the phone from my pocket, and I'm sure a lot of others would too.
Ha, I just got my Gear 2 and started wearing it when I take my daily walk. The first thing I thought of was that this was going to mess up my tan.
JimSmith94 said:
Ha, I just got my Gear 2 and started wearing it when I take my daily walk. The first thing I thought of was that this was going to mess up my tan.
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Click to collapse
How shallow are you people...
They should hand these out at the park - save my eyes :laugh:
vulcanvillalta said:
As a Vulcan, I don't see the point of tanning, aside from fulfilling your human need for vitamin D. Tan lines are no indication of a man's character.
The usefulness of this watch clearly compromises the curiously vogue impression of the importance of attractiveness.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The importance of attraction is different to people in this day and age, for some people, they feel a lot better mentally when they know they're looking good.
Don't Think It Is Possible
fuzzy7k said:
When I was growing up my dad always wore a wrist watch. On the few occasions he ever took it off, it looked like he was still wearing something around his wrist due to the absense of the massive tan he got from working outside.
I think a wrist phone is a great idea, but wouldn't buy one unless it could actually function as a phone. I personally hate wrist watches, but would start to like them if I could remove the phone from my pocket, and I'm sure a lot of others would too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think this would be possible. With the moving parts and displays on the watch, it would be impossible for it to be tan through. But it is a great idea!
I too think that is a good idea.
JimSmith94 said:
Ha, I just got my Gear 2 and started wearing it when I take my daily walk. The first thing I thought of was that this was going to mess up my tan.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly I do not recommend you to use the smartwatch under the scorching sun for too long, I think that the screen may be affected
fuzzy7k said:
When I was growing up my dad always wore a wrist watch. On the few occasions he ever took it off, it looked like he was still wearing something around his wrist due to the absense of the massive tan he got from working outside.
I think a wrist phone is a great idea, but wouldn't buy one unless it could actually function as a phone. I personally hate wrist watches, but would start to like them if I could remove the phone from my pocket, and I'm sure a lot of others would too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't understand so many things about this. You're right that this would be popular; I've read a lot of people making the same comment, but why?
A. Full Android watches with SIMs and everything have existed for years. If that's what you want why don't you have one already?
B. The whole point is to be able to to have a personal area network with a single control unit managing the experience across all of your contacted devices, not a series of independent devices each vying for your attention in a disjointed way. Think of the watch as an extension of your existing phone that you can access without having to pull the phone out of your pocket, enter your pin, find your app, and finally do an action. This also allows the watch to offload the heavy processing tasks to the powerful device you already have in your pocket 99% of the time. What good is having your phone, and a second, less powerful processor in your watch both running 100% of the operations in parallel?
Rather look pasty white than have skin damage, in the worst case skin cancer is not very attractive.
Incognitum said:
I don't understand so many things about this. You're right that this would be popular; I've read a lot of people making the same comment, but why?
A. Full Android watches with SIMs and everything have existed for years. If that's what you want why don't you have one already?
B. The whole point is to be able to to have a personal area network with a single control unit managing the experience across all of your contacted devices, not a series of independent devices each vying for your attention in a disjointed way. Think of the watch as an extension of your existing phone that you can access without having to pull the phone out of your pocket, enter your pin, find your app, and finally do an action. This also allows the watch to offload the heavy processing tasks to the powerful device you already have in your pocket 99% of the time. What good is having your phone, and a second, less powerful processor in your watch both running 100% of the operations in parallel?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The reason your logic isn't working is because you assume that people would still carry a second device. Not everybody wants a powerful device because not everybody plays games, or surfs the internet or other things that require a larger screen.
Another question similar to the one you are asking is, why would people buy a tablet when their phone can already do everything and more than it can do.
If there was a choice between a pocket phone with an optional wrist device, or a wrist phone with an optional reading device, a lot of people would go for the smaller, highly mobile wrist phone.
It wouldn't interfere with mobility and it would be readily available.
Something else that may be bogus, but would probably factor into some people's decisions is that it would distance the RF source from reproductive organs.
Ziago said:
Honestly I do not recommend you to use the smartwatch under the scorching sun for too long, I think that the screen may be affected
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
will it really be affected? i mean all the gears are out there... and there are to be worn and designed most of the time and probably under scorching sun?
I also thought this seemed like a good idea, Android on your wrist. So I bought a cheap one to see.
I got one from Chinavasion(can't posts links yet obviously). The one I got was the "3G Android Watch Phone 'FineWatch' - MTK6577 Dual Core 1GHz CPU, 2 Inch IPS Screen, 4GB ROM, 8GB Additional Memory" because it seemed to have be biggest screen and the best hardware of the no-name ones.
But the android version is horrible on the device, and I kinda wanna install a new one. Watch can't log on to my google account, due to it not understanding the 2-step vertification procedure. And it has no Google play, browser doesn't show any images when browing play.google.com etc. All-in-all horrible, is there a way to fix this by installing a more normal version of Android? Like without bricking it or using the old version?
Can someone point me in the right direction to make this watch the best I ever wore?
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.
Click to expand...
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...
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
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!
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
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
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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...
Click to expand...
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
Yes, yes, it's possible to love a phone. Heck, you sleep next to it, don't you? Rate this thread to indicate your love for the Xiaomi Mi 5, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Xiaomi Mi 5 is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
Very good phone for the price, now i have to remove the bloatware to get a perfect phone.
I'm in love since i got it, really amazing device, but like all says, i need to remove the bloatware, but still being a monster.
Deleted
Have had the phone for a couple of days now, and I really like the phone, but there is a few problems.
- Still some Chinese text here and there
- Unable to connect to PC. Device not recognized by two win10 computers.
- Lock screen, unable to turn of the roll of Chinese pictures.
- Play Store, unable to update or download via mobile network, only via wifi
- Clock widgets tend to not being synchronized with phone clock. They stop showing correct time
These are very unique type of Mobiles that i ever see in mobile market. Here in Pakistan Xiaomi Mobiles are coming Soon. The first look i explored on the internet was quite amazing. I am keeping its rank after i phone luxury looks and feel.I will definitely buy this phone if prices would not so high.
killbox said:
Have had the phone for a couple of days now, and I really like the phone, but there is a few problems.
- Still some Chinese text here and there
- Unable to connect to PC. Device not recognized by two win10 computers.
- Lock screen, unable to turn of the roll of Chinese pictures.
- Play Store, unable to update or download via mobile network, only via wifi
- Clock widgets tend to not being synchronized with phone clock. They stop showing correct time
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, I can solve some problems for you.
Lock screen roll of pictures. Normally you can disable it if you put a wallpaper for lockscreen. Or to click on the small icon in the top right corner of your lockscreen.
Play Store, not able to download on mobile network. You need to disable the download limit in the settings of the "downloads" app.
Love the phone, thought the build quality was excellent BUT my daughter dropped it and the case has split. I dropped my htc one, galaxy s, nexus 4 and a whole host of other phones a 100 times and there was no problem. Really disappointed
Only other major issue is the phone gets locked out "this phone has been lost" many many times a day. Sometimes i cannot use it for hours at a time because activation does not work.
jac33au said:
Love the phone, thought the build quality was excellent BUT my daughter dropped it and the case has split. I dropped my htc one, galaxy s, nexus 4 and a whole host of other phones a 100 times and there was no problem. Really disappointed
Only other major issue is the phone gets locked out "this phone has been lost" many many times a day. Sometimes i cannot use it for hours at a time because activation does not work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a real bummer to hear hope that you can get it fixed somehow.
Do you mean that the glass back had split?
Guids said:
That's a real bummer to hear hope that you can get it fixed somehow.
Do you mean that the glass back had split?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When she dropped it, it hit the top right corner. The metal body is VERY weak apparently (see bend tests), so soft it pushed in. So now the back glass panel on that corner is separated from the aluminium frame. It always felt fragile, the glass is so smooth is slides off even grippy surfaces! BUT it is meant to be a flagship top of the market phone so i did expect more. This is the problem when one of the largest smart phone producers doesn't sell in the internet exclusion zone (Australia & NZ). No repair centres, no accessories in stores probably no warranty. Long wait for new cables, cases and anything else.
I'm starting to see LOTS of software issues now too, MIUI has always been that way though. Be good when some custom roms come out. I guess you get what you pay for. It's no Galaxy s7, HTC one or LG that's forsure.
Buyers remorse right now haha...
Oh, 3 days old too... (not my daughter, the phone )
Having brands like Samsung, LG and others ask so much for their flagship phones is not an excuse, they sometimes cost 4 times less to build than they sell for.
But thinking you actually get a top of the line phone for prices like these (not talking about the prices those online import shops ask for the devices when you're not living in asia, but the actual prices Xiaomi sells the phones for) there has to be some compromise... this time it's mainly the build strength.
The moment you get this phone, GET A CASE asap! You don't want to break it when accidentally sitting on it :'(
Want a less break prone version? Get the 128 ceramic version.
Got the phone damaged? YouTube hugo barra tearing a mi5 apart, good reparability.
Love this phone! But you have to handle it like a Chinese vase!
Sent from my MI 5 using XDA-Developers mobile app
Love this phone. I was skeptical at first as their past phones were less than stellar imo but the specs at this price point was too good to pass up.
Have had it for around 2 weeks now, and though still minor quirks with software here and there, all around very happy and haven't run into any major issues.
Great battery life as well. As to be expected, the body is quite fragile but as I'm very careful with my belongings, I don't think I'll be dropping it *knock on wood*
The Mi 5 will be replacing my S7 - call me crazy, but the only downside (only taking into consideration features I use) I've found so far is that the camera is obviously worse. No biggie since I always bring my DSLR for any proper events, and this way I can save some money.
Here is my Real Live Review:
I've bought a Xiaomi Mi 5 Pro 128 GB (at tradingshenzhen.com)
I've unlocked bootloader, TWRP, rooted, and installed Mi 5 Global Developer Rom 6.5.30 (recently updatet itself to MIUI 8 6.8.11)
The Hardware looks and feels nice. Only negative point I could mention: After some days of use I recogniced a clicking sound when I softly push the center of the backside glas (ceramic).
The Software in my opinion can compete with Samsung (there I have the direct comparison) and other brands. In some Points it's better, in some points it's a little behinde the concurence.
My impressions in detail:
Positive:
+ An amazing feauture added in 6.8.11 is the "Dual Apps" function in the settings menu. If you have dual sim, thats a extreamly important feauture. Otherwhise you cannot use WhatsApp on both Numbers. Whit MIUI 8 you can. And this whitout using WhatsApp clones as WhatsAppGB (which I used bevore MIUI 8). (I don't know if other DualSim Devices have this feauture)
+ I've bought the Nillkin Backcover (black) and the Nillkin Flipcover. (Dark Grey) Both are great but the Flipcover is quite glossy, what I dont like.
+ I've bought an USB-C to USB 3 (female jack) cable to connect external storage (for TWRP-Backup etc.) and other devices. I wasn't able to save the TWRP-Backup direct on the external storage, so I made an internal backup and copied it to an external fat-harddrive. The main thing is, that I have an external backup (whitout MicroSD-Cardslot a little challange)
+ IR Sensor to controll HiFi and TV! ZaZa remote is my favourit App to use it.
Negative:
- No possibility to distinguish the SMS-Inbox of the two mobilenumbers. Sure, there is this little "1" or "2" behind the date. But what I would like to see is a "Dual App" for the Messages-App, a possibility to filter the messages by mobilenumber or two tabs on top of the Display where I can choose the two SIM-Cards. Anything like that would be verry nice!
- MIUI don't give me the possibility to add an App-Link into two different folders on the homescreen =(
- No support of ExFat formated storage via USB-C (nor NTFS or HFS+) Any tip to solve this is verry welcome!
- E-Mail App does allow me to add different arriving IMAP and outgoing SMTP server but have NO possibility to add a different login for these two servers. A verry important feauture for me. (My Samsung was able to make this difference). Any hint is verry welcome! I've tried some other E-Mail Apps but didn't find one that can handle all my needs.
- No MicroSD Cardslot. You could say it's not necessary when you have 128GB internal storage, but for example the backup-process would be easyer with it.
Fazit:
Alltogether I am happy with my new device. It is, what I was looking for. The devices helps me to disassociate Job and Personal contacts whitout a second mobile. In some Videos i've seen, that it is more or less repairable and the replacement parts are available in the "bay", an important criterion I guess.
Edited:
When I was writing text, I had this annoying red lines under words which weren’t known by the System. I wasn’t able to find a menu-point to switch them off. My search engine helped me out with this Link. You have to open an adb shell and enter „settings put secure spell_checker_enabled 0“. With „settings put secure spell_checker_enabled 1“ you can switch them back on, if needed.
short mi5 review
Really happy with mine after 3 months, had a bit of pain getting off the vendor rom and figuring out all of the battery optimizations and over zealous permissions.
Once I sorted all of that threw the google now launcher (app drawer back ,Yuss !) on it and very happy. Super snappy after my nexus 5x and the camera is great. Low light could be better but you just use the HHT low light mode and its all good. Battery life is great, I am usually at around 40% after a full day. used a nilikin case from the start and love it, the size and weight is perfect.
The rear fingerprint sensor on the nexus was way better but the mi5 but that is mostly positioning, in my opinion rear sensor wins. Great phone and very happy with it, the only issue was software niggles which are getting better and better.
Loving mine too. Really impressive phone for the price.
I have the phone with international ROM, camera is very good. But it has some bugs.. Like Bluetooth and Gmail connection which sometimes fails and always connected to Mi stuff which i dont like.Its not that fast either, im thinking to try out the nexus 5x because its in the same price region.
Sent from my MI PAD using Tapatalk
onestyle said:
I've bought a Xiaomi Mi 5 Pro 128 GB (at tradingshenzhen.com)
I've unlocked bootloader, TWRP, rooted, and installed Mi 5 Global Developer Rom 6.5.30 (recently updatet itself to MIUI 8 6.8.11)
The Hardware looks and feels nice. Only negative point I could mention: After some days of use I recogniced a clicking sound when I softly push the center of the backside glas (ceramic).
The Software in my opinion can compete with Samsung (there I have the direct comparison) and other brands. In some Points it's better, in some points it's a little behinde the concurence.
My impressions in detail:
Positive:
+ An amazing feauture added in 6.8.11 is the "Dual Apps" function in the settings menu. If you have dual sim, thats a extreamly important feauture. Otherwhise you cannot use WhatsApp on both Numbers. Whit MIUI 8 you can. And this whitout using WhatsApp clones as WhatsAppGB (which I used bevore MIUI 8). (I don't know if other DualSim Devices have this feauture)
+ I've bought the Nillkin Backcover (black) and the Nillkin Flipcover. (Dark Grey) Both are great but the Flipcover is quite glossy, what I dont like.
+ I've bought an USB-C to USB 3 (female jack) cable to connect external storage (for TWRP-Backup etc.) and other devices. I wasn't able to save the TWRP-Backup direct on the external storage, so I made an internal backup and copied it to an external fat-harddrive. The main thing is, that I have an external backup (whitout MicroSD-Cardslot a little challange)
+ IR Sensor to controll HiFi and TV! ZaZa remote is my favourit App to use it.
Negative:
- No possibility to distinguish the SMS-Inbox of the two mobilenumbers. Sure, there is this little "1" or "2" behind the date. But what I would like to see is a "Dual App" for the Messages-App, a possibility to filter the messages by mobilenumber or two tabs on top of the Display where I can choose the two SIM-Cards. Anything like that would be verry nice!
- MIUI don't give me the possibility to add an App-Link into two different folders on the homescreen =(
- No support of ExFat formated storage via USB-C (nor NTFS or HFS+) Any tip to solve this is verry welcome!
- E-Mail App does allow me to add different arriving IMAP and outgoing SMTP server but have NO possibility to add a different login for these two servers. A verry important feauture for me. (My Samsung was able to make this difference). Any hint is verry welcome! I've tried some other E-Mail Apps but didn't find one that can handle all my needs.
- No MicroSD Cardslot. You could say it's not necessary when you have 128GB internal storage, but for example the backup-process would be easyer with it.
Fazit:
Alltogether I am happy with my new device. It is, what I was looking for. The devices helps me to disassociate Job and Personal contacts whitout a second mobile. In some Videos i've seen, that it is more or less repairable and the replacement parts are available in the "bay", an important criterion I guess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your review.
What are the features of the e-mail app that make it superior to other e-mail apps such as Gmail, Cloud Magic or Blue Mail ?
Just updated to Miui V8.. I will watch out for bugs.
Sent from IPhone 7
@onestyle, TWRP backup by OTG works fine, I use pendrive and I did not see any problems.
Wytapatalkowane z Mi 5
lapocompris said:
Thanks for your review.
What are the features of the e-mail app that make it superior to other e-mail apps such as Gmail, Cloud Magic or Blue Mail ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've listet the eMail App as an negative point, so no superior things. The point is, that I was looking for a Mail App which chould cover my needs some years ago, and didn't found one. When I bought the Mi5 I just tried the wrong apps. BlueMail works great for my needs, thanks a lot for the hint!!! Cloud Magic I wasn't able to configure a different SMTP login (the function is existent, but it didn't accepted my server).
---------- Post added at 12:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:14 PM ----------
maroko1980 said:
@onestyle, TWRP backup by OTG works fine, I use pendrive and I did not see any problems.
Wytapatalkowane z Mi 5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice, that its working with your config. Could you tell me/us which version of TWRC you are using? Maybe my cable is the problem, where did you got yours? Kind regards