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Will Galaxy Gear VR revolutionize the Mobile Industry?

Do you feel that Gear VR (Virtual Reality) will revolutionize the mobile industry in User's Viewing Experience and take a step further to Reality?
Will you be interested to buy one to experience this? Post your Comments & Feedback.
Moderators : If you feel, it is appropriate to move this Post to General Discussion Forum, Please do so.

I wouldn't use the term "revolutionary", as this comes way after the Oculus, Morpheus and even Cardboard. But I will say I am highly interested and welcome the idea with open arms. I have always joked that the Google Cardboard (which I own, and am very happy with my tiny experience) is the Poor Man's Oculus Rift. Now I feel like the Gear VR is the Rich Man's Google Cardboard, lol. The only thing that is pissing me off, is that I would take the Galaxy Note Edge over the Note 4, and it seems like Gear VR will work exclusively ONLY on the Note 4...not the edge...
I'm really hoping they change their mind (They would gain a lot more to allow Gear VR to work with the likes of the Note 3, Galaxy S4, S5, and S6)

I don't think there is any device currently using their cell phones as a source to experience VR. Is there any such models doing it so? If Yes, I stand corrected.

xda rocks said:
I don't think there is any device currently using their cell phones as a source to experience VR. Is there any such models doing it so? If Yes, I stand corrected.
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the 20$ Google Cardboard...? lol

It'll get it on its way maybe

Surly the price of the head gear would be fairly low, since all the tech is in the phone.... i mean the device is all passive right o_0?

The Gear VR appears powered BY the Note 4(touchpad and back button), and the VR does not appear to have a charging/pass-through port. Would have been nice to watch a movie, play games, etc while lying in bed, and not have to worry about the phone going dead. I hope something is done to remedy this.

it's an interesting concept. unfortunately, I think it's more gimmickie than anything else. If it's cheap, it may be an interesting tinker toy with the phone.
Think big issue, it'll have a limited install base and thus limited third party developer support.

It's just a gimmick and I still fail to see the benefits of all that VR glasses ? I mean I've got headaches from just putting that 3d Glasses a few years ago and now a full helmet ummm nope.

This site says $199 but I dont know if this site is reputable or where they got the price
http://venturebeat.com/2014/09/05/s...r-headset-will-cost-199-phablet-not-included/

I wonder how would 3D movies look on it. The resolution is excellent for this but I wonder how distorted the image will be? Will it look like a cinema screen?
EDIT: From this article - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...ions-Samsung-Gear-VR/articleshow/41699899.cms - it seems to be disapointing: "However, there is a problem, and a major one at that. Gear VR shows very pixilated videos, even though the Note 4's screen has QHD resolution. The likely reason is that Gear VR's lenses focus on only a small portion of the screen to play the video and then magnify it up this portion only, thus resulting in a pixilated display."

The Gear VR isn't fully passive, looks to have extra Accelerator, Gyrometer, Magnetic and Proximity sensors for movement detection. I have an Oculus DK2 and I'm excited to try this device. As far as watching 3D video, that is not really what "VR" headsets are designed for. You would need some different lenses and a much higher resolution screen. Think about the experience like sticking your head in a dome fish bowl. To display flat video you would only be using part of the screen and the view angle isn't ideal. Now if you have video shot with a dome cam, that is cool, you can look all around the world as the video plays. Or if the 3D video is shot in a way that compensates for the edges of the frame being out of view. The Oculus DK2 uses a stock Note 3 screen and I would image the retail version of the Oculus will use the Note 4's screen from a production and cost perspective.
When playing a game or demo in a full 3D environment the resolution issue starts to disappear, your 96 (or 120 on the rift) degree field of view effectively turns into a 360 degree field of view. A good example of this is stare directly as some text on your monitor, don't move your eyes and tell me how much of the rest of the monitor is in focus? It will be very little if your eyes stay perfectly still.
I think the deciding factor for this device to succeed is the motion tracking and then secondly content. If the motion tracking is poor, everyone will just puke and throw this in the trash.

I think Virtual Reality will be great on the Galaxy Gear VR, but one thing that I feel a lot of people are overlooking and what I'm concerned about is the cancer/brain damage users would eventually get years down the road from extended use.
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/cellphones
http://guardianlv.com/2014/05/brain-tumors-linked-to-cell-phones-study-suggests/
http://www.thewire.com/national/201...uld-actually-cause-brain-cancer-maybe/370818/
I know it's been a heated debate that extended use of cellphones can cause cancer, but think how much more we are prone to it by not only using our future Galaxy Note 4's for phone conversations, but also for the Galaxy Gear VR(just a few inches from our face). Anyone consider this ?
Don't get me wrong, I'm very excited for the Galaxy Gear VR, but since I also have a Playstation 4, I was thinking of just getting Sony's Virtual Reality Unit when it becomes available since the presence of a cellphone and its electromagnetic waves would be absent. Thoughts ?

xda rocks said:
I don't think there is any device currently using their cell phones as a source to experience VR. Is there any such models doing it so? If Yes, I stand corrected.
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Here's an alternative to the gear vr and google cardboard that lands around the middle of the two in quality/functionality, but really can't be beat for the price. ...btw, the site is legit, I purchase stuff from them frequently.

yes
yes ı do

iZack187 said:
I wouldn't use the term "revolutionary", as this comes way after the Oculus, Morpheus and even Cardboard. But I will say I am highly interested and welcome the idea with open arms. I have always joked that the Google Cardboard (which I own, and am very happy with my tiny experience) is the Poor Man's Oculus Rift. Now I feel like the Gear VR is the Rich Man's Google Cardboard, lol. The only thing that is pissing me off, is that I would take the Galaxy Note Edge over the Note 4, and it seems like Gear VR will work exclusively ONLY on the Note 4...not the edge...
I'm really hoping they change their mind (They would gain a lot more to allow Gear VR to work with the likes of the Note 3, Galaxy S4, S5, and S6)
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I don't think that you are getting why it is only being released on the Note 4. The Oculus technology basically relies on turning pixels on and off instantaneously. If you turn right for instance the entire screen much be redrawn to a new image, continuously. So you need a screen especially, and a processor, which can handle that kind of requirement. The Note 4's screen is the best on the market to do that. You just wouldn't have the same experience at all with the S5 (not even getting into how it is smaller), or even the iphone6. The edge wouldn't work I am guessing because of the bottom (or top) of your screen bending and looking just plain odd when used in a screen for one of these.
Until other devices come up to snuff on the specs that matter to using an Oculus type device, the experience would not be the same. You would have an experience for sure, you have one with the $20 cardboard version. But it will not be the same.

evolone said:
Here's an alternative to the gear vr and google cardboard that lands around the middle of the two in quality/functionality, but really can't be beat for the price. ...btw, the site is legit, I purchase stuff from them frequently.
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I can also vouch for FastTech. I have bought all of my eCig supplies from them for a couple years.

I don't believe the phone is close enough to your face to have ANY impact even if you had a mobile connection on all the time while in VR.

Magnesus said:
I don't believe the phone is close enough to your face to have ANY impact even if you had a mobile connection on all the time while in VR.
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I hope that's the case. I guess I may be paranoid due to the cellphone waves coming from it since I'm sure I'd be wearing the Galaxy Gear VR for at least a good 30 minutes each session.

Just had to bump this thread. :good:

Samsung Gear VR

Is anyone planning on getting the VR headset?
If so, what would your intended use-cases be for it?
For those wanting it, have you experienced / followed the Oculus Rift project?

teedge77 said:
Is anyone planning on getting the VR headset?
If so, what would your intended use-cases be for it?
For those wanting it, have you experienced / followed the Oculus Rift project?
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Yes I am definitely interested. No news on when it's to be launched yet sadly.

Yes plan on getting it, yes, work has an oculus and I have no clue what it's use will be.

When I bought my phone the Samsung rep was there.
He told me it will be out soon for the holiday season and it is going to run around 189.99

Yeah i have tried Oculus Rift and found the experience breath taking It is much more emmersive than say 3D glasses ect.
I´ll be buying it once it comes out and i will be using it mainly for watching movies in bed ect.
I think it is a brilliant idea and will turn out to be a must have for note 4 owners.

Yes. I will buy it for sure

Gear vr overheating?
I've read some rumors that the Samsung gear vr having overheating problem's and that you only can use the device for about 25 minutes, also, I want to know if I can look in a 360° viewing. Anybody who have tested this device?

3D movies! ....All kinds.

magnumhex said:
I've read some rumors that the Samsung gear vr having overheating problem's and that you only can use the device for about 25 minutes, also, I want to know if I can look in a 360° viewing. Anybody who have tested this device?
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I've heard similar comments (most likely from the same source) about heat being a concern. With VR, having a solid frame rate is critical and it seems that performance (and frame rate) begin to drop when the Note 4's temperature increases. I would assume this is a bigger issue with the more GPU heavy games and apps. Regarding the 360° viewing, that will work. It won't have positional tracking to detect forward/backward and side to side movement like the DK2.
I am currently working on a couple of projects for the DK2 with plans to port some of them over to Gear VR. I am just waiting on the mobile SDK to be released so I can begin the process. I already have the Note 4 and I will be picking up the Gear VR once released to begin testing and identifying its limitations.

Getting? Yes. What is it used for? No idea.

Gear VR
heliax007 said:
Getting? Yes. What is it used for? No idea.
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Maybe this video helps to show you what it's like to use the Gear VR. It shows a virtual cinema on the moon and a Circle du soleil show.
But the video can't show you the actual depth and scale of what the user is seeing. The cinema on the moon is huge like a real cinema. There are other applications for an IMAX theater with which you can watch 2D/3D movies and the experience is as good if not better than the real thing. So you can have you own IMAX theater at home, in bed, on a plane, hotel, ect.
edit: Since i'm a new member i can't post links yet, but since it's a youtube video, just copy and paste it to google.
youtu.be/SVwNz4_NbRw?t=35s

so it does track your head and move like the oculus or no?

J3ff said:
so it does track your head and move like the oculus or no?
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Click to collapse
360° Headtracking yes with better latency and better screen than DK2 but no positional tracking yet, but Oculus is working on that for a later version.
But sixense announced yesterday that STEM works with Gear VR (so far one STEM at a time), which could also be used for positional tracking.

Powerslash said:
360° Headtracking yes with better latency and better screen than DK2 but no positional tracking yet, but Oculus is working on that for a later version.
But sixense announced yesterday that STEM works with Gear VR (so far one STEM at a time), which could also be used for positional tracking.
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Cool, cant wait!

To be truthful, I will be mainly using it for porn and other forms of erotica.
Don't judge me...

Yes, half the reason I got interested in the Note. Can't wait.

maybe. depends on price. if it' over $100US, not likely. I just don't think I'll use it that much. It'll be more a tinker toy.
I would use it to check out some games. Maybe interesting for watching movies or tv shows. It's just not something I think i want to drag around with me on a regular basis.

iirc I saw company wasgonna be making a very cheap Gear VR substitute - £20-30 or so. Amirite in thinking there's basically no electronics in the Gear VR, just a frame/lenses/strap?
If so, then I'd really expect cheap copies to come out as there's not a lot to it...
e: and I'm not talking about the cardboard one

To be honest the only reason why I started looking at the Note 4 was because of Gear VR. And it’s the primary reason why I’m not looking at the Nexus 6 or Droid Turbo right now even though I wanted to switch it up this year (this is my 3rd Note device in a row). And because John Carmark and Oculus Rift are behind it I know that this will not be some half-assed attempt like those cardboard boxes or generic head pieces.
For me portable VR (if done right) is next gen stuff. I know it won’t be perfect due to the lack of a head tracking sensor and mobile power (when compared to a powerful pc) but the benefit is that you’re not tied to a computer via cables and the experience is tailored to the Note 4.
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SquidgyB said:
iirc I saw company wasgonna be making a very cheap Gear VR substitute - £20-30 or so. Amirite in thinking there's basically no electronics in the Gear VR, just a frame/lenses/strap?
If so, then I'd really expect cheap copies to come out as there's not a lot to it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not looking for a cheap Gear VR substitute. I want something that will fully utilize the hardware and software of the Note 4; not something that will work with a iPhone 5 or Samsung S4. When you plug the Note 4 into the Gear VR it goes into a full Gear VR experience. The software is made to work with the Note 4 and that was one of the talking points when John Carmack got on stage. You still have sensors, memory card and a keypad that is powered off the Note 4. It's not just a piece of plastic with lenses.

ciscostud said:
To be truthful, I will be mainly using it for porn and other forms of erotica.
Don't judge me...
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Click to collapse
gear vr + teledildonics

Why I like my Gear 2 and I'm keeping it.

I got the gear 2 just a few months ago and prior to that I had the Galaxy gear 1, which I still think is good. The Gear 2, not the Neo, got a lot of things right. I'll go over several of the reasons why I'm keeping the Gear 2 and why it's my preferred wristwatch, even moreso that my Rolex Submariner.
1 - It's a watch, not a cellphone. Most people expected "smartwatch" to be the same thing as "smartphone". Once you adjust your expectations to something more realistic, you find out that it's really a great watch.
2 - The Gear 2 is much lighter than my Rolex, Suunto and even my Patek Philippe.
3 - It's a more accurate watch than all my other watches. Even though Rolex may say "officially certified chronograph", It's actually not that accurate. Any Seiko quartz watch is more accurate. Read up on that if you don't believe me! Mechanical watches have a way bigger margin of error over 24 hours than most quartz watches. Quartz technology is VERY accurate. Not too sure about the oscillator in the Gear 2 but I bet it's a pretty good one which is far better than any mechanical ones.
4 - Price; I got mine for $250 CDN. Some people may say that's pricey. Sure, if you compare that cheap digital watches. My Suunto which I use for freediving is $400! My Casio G-shock is $118 and doesn't do 1/3 of what the Gear 2 does. And don't even ask about the price of the Patek Philippe. Thank god I won that one during the president's club competition. Even most mid-range watches are in the $200-$300 range these days and don't have the prestige of the luxury swiss watches or the features of the Gear 2. You get a lot of "bang for the buck" from the Gear 2.
5 - Battery vs. winding. My swiss watches are mostly self winding "perpetual" watches. Yes, they keep going and going... so long as you wear them. If you put it down for 2 days, it runs out of energy and you can't tell time. Surprisingly, my gear 2 still has some power left over after 2 days of inactivity and it can still tell time... accurately. Given that my swiss watches cost hundreds of times more and do far less for a modern connected person like myself; it's a much better choice if you can put aside the luxury watch snob factor. I really like showing off my Patek Philippe and it's spinning balance wheel at the bottom. It impresses a lot of people. But after a day where I couldn't check my messages, make messages, phone calls and so on, I really miss my Gear 2.
6 - The changeable wristband is a godsend. I have 3 wristbands besides the original; a large rubberized one which I wear when going skiing, my el-cheapo just to prove the point that for $15, you can class it up and a really nice stainless steel (heavy one) which I just got. It's so easy to change wristbands on this watch. Much easier than any other wristwatch I have, even my cheap plastic ones. Kuudos Samsung
7 - Button on the front. This is one area where samsung has it right and Apple will get it wrong. The Gear 1 had it on the right side which is just wrong. Not too bad when you use your right hand to press but for those who like the watch on the right wrist, you find yourself putting your hand over the screen when pressing the button or using your thumb instead of your index finger; which doesn't work quite as well. As a golfer I can tell you that a crown on the right side of a watch is a pain! This is where Apple will really get it wrong. When you swing and you pronate and supernate, you'll find the crown snags on your glove. That's why most left handed golf watches are built with the crown on the left. Samsung go it right by putting the button on the front.
8 - Size, this thing is smaller than most Breitlings and even smaller than my Patek Philippe. So while it is larger than most watches, even the square and rectangular ones, it's by now means unwieldly.
9 - Camera; It takes decent pictures and for really quick snapshots, it's far faster than reaching for your phone. I just double press the front button to get to camera mode and then I can snap. Great for those "did you see that?" moments
10 - Heartrate monitor; not as accurate as the HR monitors on my gym equipment or even those blood pressure monitors but it does the job pretty well most of the time.
11 - IR blaster; ok, this thing is really cool! I was changing the TV at a bar and nobody knew it was me. It's very discreet. I even have the "power off" app which is great when there's just too much noise. As far as I know, the gear 2 is the only one with such a thing. I don't even need my phone to use it either.
12 - Built-in apps; this thing comes with so many right from the factory it's really good value. Think about it: Dial the phone, call a contact, check the weather, get notifications, for almost any app on the phone, play music and videos directly from the watch, control the media player on the phone, record voice memos, voice controls, pedometer, heart rate, sleep tracker, exercise tracker. reply to text messages, check my schedule for the day, tomorrow etc, stopwatch, timer. That's a LOT of things that you can do from your wrist.
13 - Autonomous apps; A lot of people get this part wrong. They think the watch has to be constantly tethered to the phone. This is not the case. Many apps require the phone to work because of internet connectivity or GPS but there are lots of apps which don't. Once you're paired with your phone, power off your phone and try some of these: Pedometer, Heart rate, Exercise (except hiking and biking which require GPS), camera, Gallery, music player (and videos), sleep tracker, stopwatch, timer, IR remote, voice memo and of course, the watchface itself. That's a lot of things that regular watches can't do.
14 - Lots of apps; Yeah so there isn't 1 Million apps in the app store. But like I said before: this is a smartwatch, not a smartphone. You don't really need an app store that has 50,000 different variations of a LED powered flashlight. Yes. I wish there were more apps but given that the gear 2 hasn't even been around for a year, the samsung app store gives a pretty decent choice of apps. Lets not forget that some apps just aren't suited for your wrist. Do you really want to play angry birds on this thing? I already have a solitaire game and I barely use it because it's just not right for my wrist. Developpers are still trying to figure out what works and what doesn't on a wrist.
15 - Some apps, really work well though. Some of my favorites: anti-sleep alarm which is really useful for late night driving. Meternome which I use all the time when playing guitar. Calculator, I mean duh right? Casio had it back in the '80s. Alarm, especially the vibrate part so I don't wake up my wife. Swing by Swing golf; this is actually pretty damn good for us golfers. Runtastic, strava, bike computer, bike; all apps that are really handy for a cyclist. I just can't choose which one is the best for me. xbmcGear to control my media boxes (goes really well with IR remote), Expedia, which I always use when travelling. It knows everything about my bookings. DSLR remote, comes in handy with my Nikon 300. Calendar, of course! If you've got a clock, this is the next logical choice. A lot of these apps can work autonomously as well!
I could go on and on. The only downsides to this watch are that I have to plug it in about every 2 days and I need to press the button to see the time. I turned off the "wake on gesture" to save the battery. Still, charging is really fast; it's usually fully charged in 30-45 minutes. Nice!
As an owner of many watches, from high end Swiss luxury watches to cheap plastic digital quartz, I can tell you that this is currently my favorite for everyday use. And since I "get it" that this is a WATCH and not a "PHONE ON MY WRIST", My expectations were REALISTIC when I got the Gear 2 and I've been pleaseantly surprised by the Gear 2 and everything it can do.
How do the others stack up? Well, the Android wear ones seem to be lacking a lot of what the Gear 2 has; no camera, no speaker, no IR blaster etc. The Apple watch? Well the whole "you must ABSOLUTELY be tethered to an iPhone for ANYTHING to work" is a turn off for me. Not to mention the stupid crown AND button on the right side which will piss off many people wearing it on the right wrist and any golfer wearing it on their left. The Gear S? Well, the simm card thing is cool but deleting the camera and IR seems like it's taking away some useful tools I've gotten used to. The Gear 2 isn't the best, but it's really hard finding others which have better functionality and features. All the "better" options out there always seem to be missing something that the Gear 2 has.

Oh! forgot to mention this: Music player on the go!
I use the music player with connected Bluetooth headphones all the time. The Gear 2 has 4GB of storage so lots of room for plenty of music when I work out. I retired my iPod shuffle once I got the bluetooth headphones (Beats). That note 3 is just too big when I'm out jogging or at the gym.
I do this 2-3 times a week and having the music player secured on my wrist, where it can't fall off, and no wires to get caught up in, is much better at the gym. SO MUCH BETTER!

Have to agree.. I also love my Gear 2. Currently the best available iteration of smart watch rather than the recent set of Android wear smart watches without speaker or IR.
The speaker feature is great when you are alone driving in the car. Even playing the songs from gear 2 in low volume while sleeping really works for me. Hope it had a sleep timer thought

I have to say, i miss my gear 2. I went and traded mine for the gear s and there are days where I really wish I still had the gear 2.
Then I remember:
Every recent up date to gear manager I had to reset the watch.
Every time I really needed the camera to work
(Taking a pic of our parking spot at WDW, couldn't even do that because it was stuck in macro mode)
Drop the watch from my wrist taking it off and boom it quit working (This happened to 2 watches)
The gear s has not had any of these problems.

I definitely will keep my gear 2 once I upgrade to the gear s just for the camera alone. Only smart watch avaliable with a camera! Awesome sauce!

Started on the Neo, then tried various Android Wear watches, was waiting for a deal on the Gear S but then got a deal on the Gear 2 do happy, excellent battery life, looks super cool, love the call and camera functions.
For me it is the right balance of apps and notifications. I feel others try to almost make your mobile redundant with apps.
I find with the Gear 2 I barely take my phone out of my pocket. For me only annoying bits are S Voice is too limited and would be perfect with some WhatsApp quick reply function.
Sent from my SM-G900F using XDA Free mobile app

I love my Gear 2 and even with the Gear S available, I'll still stick with gear 2, unless they make a gear S 2 with a camera LOL
Pro's - well, almost everything has been said by the OP so let's keep it that way
Usage:
Fleksy Messenger - no need to pull up my huge slate Tab S 8.4 to read/reply to messages
Music App - paired up with Gear Circle, I could be on the go with music.
Gear alarm (app store) - does what it says. vibrates and does not wake up the one sleeping beside you lol
Stay awake( app store) - useful when driving during the night, you need to make weird circular gestures to turn off the alarm, keeps you awake
Instant Setting (appstore) - toggles phone state mobile data, wifi, bluetooth, silent/vibrate etc.
launch gear (app store) - toggles apps before pulling out my slate, use? so that everything is loaded even before I open the tablet
although the gear 2 with it's tizen OS lacks app count, it is usable enough on a day to day basis,
turning off the wake up gesture will save the battery bigtime, last me 5 days in one charge only using it to respond to sms and to check time.
overall, a $200 investment is worth it especially to those who wield device like me

Enjoying mine to the max
after having the original Gear, and installing the Tizen update, I really thought that I wouldn't need a Gear 2.
Discovering one barely used on eBay for a bargain price in the UK, swayed me enough to take the plunge...and I'm so glad I did!
The Gear S took my fancy, but I was amazed at how much I had come to rely on the camera for quick pics and video. The fact that these appear on my phone, then, through dropbox, appear everywhere, means iMovie on my iPad mini is a doddle!
That is 'my' usage case anyway. I use the stock fitness apps a lot and with the heart rate monitor, which can be accurate enough, I find this little gem of a watch becoming more and more useful.
The IR blaster for the tv is cool, the odd occasion when your hands are full and your phone rings (yes, a well placed 'swipe' with your nose will answer that important call on your wrist, and I'm actually enjoying using S Voice(although its gone bloody quiet again) for its message replies, appointment creation and task/memo reminders has made me realise that this really is a neat little package!
Looking through the app store, I'm seeing a few good apps come through, like Gear Navigator, S Alarm, BeatObox, Notepadd ++ and Notifications Wear style(alought this last one is still a WIP), there seems to be people willing to invest time in this device.
Now it is true that I am intrigued by the Apple watch (I am platform agnostic, owning both iOS and Android), but I know for a fact that if CES 2015 brings a Gear 3 with upgraded features, or the hint of a Gear S2 with a camera.....I'd stick with Android!
The only thing to date that has kept me from jumping on the Android Wear platform is the lack of sound/feedback/ no external speaker!
Well thats my thoughts on the watch....anyone else?
actually...thats not all...Has anyone else lost Fleksy messenger etc since upgrading Gear manager....they just dont seem to exist any more on the app store???

Zeuserx i REALLY APPRECIATED your post!!!
i am in a difficult moment. i own gear 1 but i NEVER modded it...... and BLOCKED the tizen update because i don't want tizen.
in my future i would find the time and skills to put a custom rom... why? just 2 things..... to use a record video with unlimited time...especially using a SPY app like SecretVideoRecorder that record/take picture while SCREEN IS OFF!!!
but............... i recently found a used gear2 and:
1) i prefer that do have CHANGEABLE bands, because what if i RUIN my gear 1 band? i noticed replacement parts are not so cheap.
2) it's more compact, but i have to ask you if the SPEAKER PERFORMANCE is the same of the gear 1. i ask it because i think gear 2 uses less space and SMALLER HOLE to thespeaker compared to gear 1
3) i REALLY.....(and really!) like the IR blaster feature!! i'm a native PRANKSTER.... i like jokes.... and i would use the ir blaster lots of time and ok, sometimes just to really use it at my home.
but really.....................i could buy the gear2 only for THIS FEATURE!!!!!
but..... i find just 1 cons:
does not have a ROM with full android. just like nullrom. is it a big problem? i don't understand if with tizen i CAN INSTALL my preferite app/apk ( secretvideorecorder for example......) or not.
if i CAN install secretvideorecorder..... i'm in!

Speaker is fine. I can have a decent conversation on the phone in most enviornments except those which are just REALLY too loud, like a bar.
IR blaster is not only fun but also useful. As in my post: if you don't like what's on TV at a bar, just a few presses and you'll have total control of the TV. and since it's on your wrist, it's pretty stealth. Not to mention that the average joe just doesn't know that you can change TV channels with a watch. hehehe. I use it at home too. "Time to go to bed!", I just swipe 3 times, click the remote app, click power. "Awwww!!!!!" . "I said: bed time !"
I use the camera all the time when shopping. I take snaps of items to research, barcodes etc. Sometimes even videos. And I do this even when my phone is nowhere nearby. YOU CAN'T DO THIS WITH AN APPLE WATCH!

Still the best smart watch on the market
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Shame Samsung only start great ideas but never finish them

Went to the Apple store to buy my sister a Watch as a present, so pretentious and whats with the you cant actually buy a watch in store and have to book an appointment to try one on ???
Third time playing in store with the Apple Watch - i don't like it, small screen, too busy, crap battery life and expensive.
Then it dawned on me, unlike bloody Samsung, Apple won't abandon this model and already updating it and building up more apps.
I still like not love my Gear 2, but really getting sick of Samsung's ditch the product after 12 mths, less in some cases (thats mobiles and wearables).

I had gear 1, and returned it. Just last week got gear 2 over gear s. Like it, but the experience would be better if s voice was more robust (faster and more features) and there were good apps.
I remember the gear 1 had snapchat, and I thought I was able to share pics. This was a good watch, samsung should of kept the OS
The best thing about gear 2 right now is that it's better battery and lot more responsive than gear 1...
Who cares about android on my wrist? Actually I do because that is were the development market is. This is why apple watch is going to be a killer in about 1 year.
I may return the gear 2? It's frustrating to not have s voice working. Google voice is soooo much better. I'm tempted to try to get android wear on my gear 2 if the camera works
---------- Post added at 02:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:12 PM ----------
Zeuserx said:
I got the gear 2 just a few months ago and prior to that I had the Galaxy gear 1, which I still think is good. The Gear 2, not the Neo, got a lot of things right. I'll go over several of the reasons why I'm keeping the Gear 2 and why it's my preferred wristwatch, even moreso that my Rolex Submariner.
1 - It's a watch, not a cellphone. Most people expected "smartwatch" to be the same thing as "smartphone". Once you adjust your expectations to something more realistic, you find out that it's really a great watch.
2 - The Gear 2 is much lighter than my Rolex, Suunto and even my Patek Philippe.
3 - It's a more accurate watch than all my other watches. Even though Rolex may say "officially certified chronograph", It's actually not that accurate. Any Seiko quartz watch is more accurate. Read up on that if you don't believe me! Mechanical watches have a way bigger margin of error over 24 hours than most quartz watches. Quartz technology is VERY accurate. Not too sure about the oscillator in the Gear 2 but I bet it's a pretty good one which is far better than any mechanical ones.
4 - Price; I got mine for $250 CDN. Some people may say that's pricey. Sure, if you compare that cheap digital watches. My Suunto which I use for freediving is $400! My Casio G-shock is $118 and doesn't do 1/3 of what the Gear 2 does. And don't even ask about the price of the Patek Philippe. Thank god I won that one during the president's club competition. Even most mid-range watches are in the $200-$300 range these days and don't have the prestige of the luxury swiss watches or the features of the Gear 2. You get a lot of "bang for the buck" from the Gear 2.
5 - Battery vs. winding. My swiss watches are mostly self winding "perpetual" watches. Yes, they keep going and going... so long as you wear them. If you put it down for 2 days, it runs out of energy and you can't tell time. Surprisingly, my gear 2 still has some power left over after 2 days of inactivity and it can still tell time... accurately. Given that my swiss watches cost hundreds of times more and do far less for a modern connected person like myself; it's a much better choice if you can put aside the luxury watch snob factor. I really like showing off my Patek Philippe and it's spinning balance wheel at the bottom. It impresses a lot of people. But after a day where I couldn't check my messages, make messages, phone calls and so on, I really miss my Gear 2.
6 - The changeable wristband is a godsend. I have 3 wristbands besides the original; a large rubberized one which I wear when going skiing, my el-cheapo just to prove the point that for $15, you can class it up and a really nice stainless steel (heavy one) which I just got. It's so easy to change wristbands on this watch. Much easier than any other wristwatch I have, even my cheap plastic ones. Kuudos Samsung
7 - Button on the front. This is one area where samsung has it right and Apple will get it wrong. The Gear 1 had it on the right side which is just wrong. Not too bad when you use your right hand to press but for those who like the watch on the right wrist, you find yourself putting your hand over the screen when pressing the button or using your thumb instead of your index finger; which doesn't work quite as well. As a golfer I can tell you that a crown on the right side of a watch is a pain! This is where Apple will really get it wrong. When you swing and you pronate and supernate, you'll find the crown snags on your glove. That's why most left handed golf watches are built with the crown on the left. Samsung go it right by putting the button on the front.
8 - Size, this thing is smaller than most Breitlings and even smaller than my Patek Philippe. So while it is larger than most watches, even the square and rectangular ones, it's by now means unwieldly.
9 - Camera; It takes decent pictures and for really quick snapshots, it's far faster than reaching for your phone. I just double press the front button to get to camera mode and then I can snap. Great for those "did you see that?" moments
10 - Heartrate monitor; not as accurate as the HR monitors on my gym equipment or even those blood pressure monitors but it does the job pretty well most of the time.
11 - IR blaster; ok, this thing is really cool! I was changing the TV at a bar and nobody knew it was me. It's very discreet. I even have the "power off" app which is great when there's just too much noise. As far as I know, the gear 2 is the only one with such a thing. I don't even need my phone to use it either.
12 - Built-in apps; this thing comes with so many right from the factory it's really good value. Think about it: Dial the phone, call a contact, check the weather, get notifications, for almost any app on the phone, play music and videos directly from the watch, control the media player on the phone, record voice memos, voice controls, pedometer, heart rate, sleep tracker, exercise tracker. reply to text messages, check my schedule for the day, tomorrow etc, stopwatch, timer. That's a LOT of things that you can do from your wrist.
13 - Autonomous apps; A lot of people get this part wrong. They think the watch has to be constantly tethered to the phone. This is not the case. Many apps require the phone to work because of internet connectivity or GPS but there are lots of apps which don't. Once you're paired with your phone, power off your phone and try some of these: Pedometer, Heart rate, Exercise (except hiking and biking which require GPS), camera, Gallery, music player (and videos), sleep tracker, stopwatch, timer, IR remote, voice memo and of course, the watchface itself. That's a lot of things that regular watches can't do.
14 - Lots of apps; Yeah so there isn't 1 Million apps in the app store. But like I said before: this is a smartwatch, not a smartphone. You don't really need an app store that has 50,000 different variations of a LED powered flashlight. Yes. I wish there were more apps but given that the gear 2 hasn't even been around for a year, the samsung app store gives a pretty decent choice of apps. Lets not forget that some apps just aren't suited for your wrist. Do you really want to play angry birds on this thing? I already have a solitaire game and I barely use it because it's just not right for my wrist. Developpers are still trying to figure out what works and what doesn't on a wrist.
15 - Some apps, really work well though. Some of my favorites: anti-sleep alarm which is really useful for late night driving. Meternome which I use all the time when playing guitar. Calculator, I mean duh right? Casio had it back in the '80s. Alarm, especially the vibrate part so I don't wake up my wife. Swing by Swing golf; this is actually pretty damn good for us golfers. Runtastic, strava, bike computer, bike; all apps that are really handy for a cyclist. I just can't choose which one is the best for me. xbmcGear to control my media boxes (goes really well with IR remote), Expedia, which I always use when travelling. It knows everything about my bookings. DSLR remote, comes in handy with my Nikon 300. Calendar, of course! If you've got a clock, this is the next logical choice. A lot of these apps can work autonomously as well!
I could go on and on. The only downsides to this watch are that I have to plug it in about every 2 days and I need to press the button to see the time. I turned off the "wake on gesture" to save the battery. Still, charging is really fast; it's usually fully charged in 30-45 minutes. Nice!
As an owner of many watches, from high end Swiss luxury watches to cheap plastic digital quartz, I can tell you that this is currently my favorite for everyday use. And since I "get it" that this is a WATCH and not a "PHONE ON MY WRIST", My expectations were REALISTIC when I got the Gear 2 and I've been pleaseantly surprised by the Gear 2 and everything it can do.
How do the others stack up? Well, the Android wear ones seem to be lacking a lot of what the Gear 2 has; no camera, no speaker, no IR blaster etc. The Apple watch? Well the whole "you must ABSOLUTELY be tethered to an iPhone for ANYTHING to work" is a turn off for me. Not to mention the stupid crown AND button on the right side which will piss off many people wearing it on the right wrist and any golfer wearing it on their left. The Gear S? Well, the simm card thing is cool but deleting the camera and IR seems like it's taking away some useful tools I've gotten used to. The Gear 2 isn't the best, but it's really hard finding others which have better functionality and features. All the "better" options out there always seem to be missing something that the Gear 2 has.
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Click to collapse
It's 2015, we need to do more from our wrist.
The limitations right now appear to be software related. And developers drive the innovation if they get excited and see market. Samsung has killed their gear 1 start by abandoning android.... Android wear on gear s with a camera would of been great progress.

Actually, I like my gear2 is because it can run on android wear. although the porting is not so perfect enough

I'll go over several of the reasons why I'm keeping the Gear 2 and why it's my preferred wristwatch...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Amen to all the reasons mentioned. In addition, I like the scratch proof glass. I can't avoid bumping/hitting hard objects with my Gear 2 but the glass is still smooth. I also love the contrast of the amoled screen.
With Watch styler and some tweaking on the json file while the watch is connected to my laptop, I can mimic any watch face or design my very own.
What I hate with this watch is the very low resolution display and the absence of ambient sensor that is needed to automatically adjust the brightness of the screen.

Review: BlitzWolf Virtual Reality Glasses (Cardboard)

Virtual Reality is becoming more and more easily accessible. These VR glasses make it super easy to be somewhere you’re not!
The box comes with: a microfiber cloth, the VR headset, and instructions.
VR was proven to be easy to achieve thanks to Google Cardboard, which is a VR headset made from basic materials like cardboard, magnets and rubber bands. This headset is an improved and sturdier version of Cardboard since it’s made out of hard plastic.
To use this product, you will need a smartphone. Any smartphone will do, but it is recommended that you use one that is up to date and can downloaded the latest apps, since that’s one of the most important things here.
Apps I tested: Google Cardboard app, Vrse, Google StreetView and Discovery VR.
Note: These apps don’t come with the product and must be downloaded separately, depending if you’re using Android or iOS. They’re all free, but you must understand that the apps are about half of what you need to make this work.
Thoughts on the product:
I’ve used Google Cardboard so I had previous knowledge of how VR works. You can say this is an upgrade from that since it feels like a real headset, it’s made from hard plastic, and it even has cushions for your face. There are two adjustable settings: one to adjust the focus of the glasses themselves and the second one is to set how far away your phone is from your eyes.
Let's start with customization and comfort. You can adjust pretty much every feature of the glasses. From the straps to the focal length and distance between the lenses. Truly a "one size fits all" product.
Regarding performance, the lenses are extremely clear. Once you have them on, you can adjust the lenses to get the best quality of image. If you haven't tried the VR experience before, you are in for a ride. The image quality is fantastic.
The way the the phone goes into the goggles is awkward at best. Yes, it will fit a phone up to 6" screen size, but not comfortably. I tried using it with my Nexus 6P and i struggled getting the phone in there (did not fit with the case on). When i finally got the phone in, the braces were touching the buttons causing it to not function properly. What i did is i took out the the bracket that is supposed to hold the phone in place and it works great now. little hack that made this very functional with my phone case on and everything.
Another negative aspect I found for these glasses is that if you are in a very bright location, some light does get in through the side slats. This does not happen often and not really a deal breaker for me. It is also something that can be fixed quite easily with tape.
Here is my list of pros and cons:
Pros:
- Adjustable.
- Comfortable on your face. Nice padding.
- Quality materials. Not too heavy.
- Works with most phones.
- Nice additional items such as stylus and microfiber cloth.
- Image quality. Great lenses.
- Easy to use and set up with your phone.
Negatives:
- Side slats allow a bit of light in.
- No way of interacting with touch screen when phone is in the VR goggles (google cardboard Star wars edition had something to touch the screen). would really like if i didn't have to take the phone out of the goggles every time i wanted to change what i am doing
- Fitting larger phones (nexus 6P, LG V10) are awkward
See pictures for details (will post pictures when i get home from work)
I received this at a discount for my review, but my review is completely honest in what is stated.
Please let me know if you have any questions guys. I am more than happy to answer them.
The Glasses can be purchased here:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AJSKIDG?redirect=true&ref_=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_0

Thanks for the review. I am very interested in VR I have no experience with it and just ordered my first VR headset today. However I went with the freefly VR (about 85 bucks). I'll report back on my impressions. Although a bit more costly I have read a lot of good things about them.

Tfast500 said:
Thanks for the review. I am very interested in VR I have no experience with it and just ordered my first VR headset today. However I went with the freefly VR (about 85 bucks). I'll report back on my impressions. Although a bit more costly I have read a lot of good things about them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am in no way affiliated with blitzwolf, but the freefly vr looks like just a more expensive version that ultimately does the same thing. Neither of the goggles have additional sensors in them the way the gear vr or oculus do. I'd save about $50 and order the blitz vr (or any of the ones that look identical on Amazon)
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

steveo17 said:
I am in no way affiliated with blitzwolf, but the freefly vr looks like just a more expensive version that ultimately does the same thing. Neither of the goggles have additional sensors in them the way the gear vr or oculus do. I'd save about $50 and order the blitz vr (or any of the ones that look identical on Amazon)
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally get what you are saying and I honestly debated spending this much... vs something 1/3 the price, I was also looking at the vrbox v2 or the blitz vr; However, I have read many good reviews about users already owning other vr headsets and still think the freefly is worth the extra cost. Supposedly it has 120 FOV which is more than the gear vr and any other phone vr headset.
I will be receiving this tomorrow so if i am not totally impressed ill get something cheaper or nothing at all.

Tfast500 said:
I totally get what you are saying and I honestly debated spending this much... vs something 1/3 the price, I was also looking at the vrbox v2 or the blitz vr; However, I have read many good reviews about users already owning other vr headsets and still think the freefly is worth the extra cost. Supposedly it has 120 FOV which is more than the gear vr and any other phone vr headset.
I will be receiving this tomorrow so if i am not totally impressed ill get something cheaper or nothing at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
gotcha. i will be interested in hearing your results.
btw: check out this website to analyze the reviews that you see on Amazon
http://fakespot.com/

Bluetooth Controller
steveo17 said:
Negatives:
- No way of interacting with touch screen when phone is in the VR goggles (google cardboard Star wars edition had something to touch the screen). would really like if i didn't have to take the phone out of the goggles every time i wanted to change what i am doing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course, there is a way to interact with screen without taking the phone out of the goggles. It's a worthwhile investment to get an inexpensive bluetooth controller.

Schmoopdawg said:
Of course, there is a way to interact with screen without taking the phone out of the goggles. It's a worthwhile investment to get an inexpensive bluetooth controller.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i have come across those, but out of the box there is no way to interact with the screen

Gear VR 2018

Hello to all
i am thinking about buying the Gear VR 2018 for the note9.
is it worthit buying it or should i choose other option?
what are the advantages about gear VR? maybe exclusive features for samsung users?

mclaudio said:
Hello to all
i am thinking about buying the Gear VR 2018 for the note9.
is it worthit buying it or should i choose other option?
what are the advantages about gear VR? maybe exclusive features for samsung users?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IMO even the latest VR is still pretty bad regarding being very pixelation and bad clarity. The only real time I can see myself using it is on a airplane to watch a movie and very occasionally playing a game. I really wish the experience was better but seeing how you're putting this phone half inch away from your face I don't see how it couldn't look bad.

mclaudio said:
i am thinking about buying the Gear VR 2018 for the note9.
is it worthit buying it or should i choose other option?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know about exclusive features, I guess just some stuff like Samsung Internet working on it or, Gallery app..
But for mobile VR in general it is nice.
I was divided between getting an Oculus Go or the Gear, but, the Go has the 64GB storage while my Note 9 offers 512gb, so more games and movies on it while not worrying that much about space. Also, it cost me 1/3 of the price.
Then from what I have read, both options (Note 9 Gear, or Oculus Go) run the same games/apps from Oculus Store. That was the deciding factor for me. No Oculus Go exclusives, so why bother.
One could argue that while my Gear and/or Note 9 will be left behing in a near future, when I change phones, or a new/better mobile VR solution is released like the Oculus Quest etc. At that time the Oculus Go as a standalone product would still have some use, even if just gifting it away to someone or storing is for future nostalgia. But idk.. I just don't care about that with this specific niche (first gen mobile VR).
One thing though.. I had a Dome glass cover perfectly installed, and ruined the bottom part of it (small 1mm x 10mm area on the bottom center). Because I used my Note 9 with the old adapter, as I have not yet gotten the new, proper adapter, so it forced the screen a bit. Be sure to use the proper adapter, even though it works without it.

thanks a lot for the feedback.
it helped me a lot... i think that maybe it is not yet the time to invest in this tech

Got the Gear VR free with my Note 9 last month. It works well, tracks well and is immersive. Main thing I have to worry about it the wife taking pictures of me with it on and posting to my friends and family

I also have gear vr headset and here in Poland there is very big troble in getting that proper connector, no one here knows anything about that connector, when we will gets it and if it will be available here. So for now for me there is no VR experience with Note9. And on the other hand i am still waiting for some "magician" build device that can have it`s own 2k resolution screens (one for each eye) but device that can use power and other resources from phone. That would be great because phone manufacturers don`t have to mount 4k screens in their products just to have enough PPI density for best vr experience. I know, i know, dreams for now but maybe reality in future?