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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
---------- Post added at 10:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:33 PM ----------
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.
Click to expand...
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.
Hi,
I'm tempted to get a gear s2, initially I liked the moto 360 and even the LG Urbane was quite tempting, but the gear s2 is just the perfect smart watch design with the rotating bezel. My only concern is lack of apps at the moment. Sadly I can't seem to access the gear s2 app store without owning an S2 so I can't look at apps available. Also a shame google now isn't part of it despite it running tizen, is S-voice any good on the S2?
For those who own the S2, what apps are available at the moment and are apps like facebook, gmail etc available or at least a good alternative so that you can look at newsfeed or something? Also do you feel like apps are being developed quite quickly or do you reckon developers wouldn't bother with the gear s2?
Best reason to have this watch is its look, especially Classic variant with its interchangeable bands. Rotating bezel is also a great feature which makes this watch unique.
Battery is much good comapred to its rivals, you can be sure it will last full day with very high usage. I charge my watch once per 2 days. appstore is poor for now though.
Some find this watch small, but it`s matter of taste.
For those who own the S2, what apps are available at the moment and are apps like facebook, gmail etc available or at least a good alternative so that you can look at newsfeed or something? Also do you feel like apps are being developed quite quickly or do you reckon developers wouldn't bother with the gear s2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Development pace is not as quick as I`d wish for now. You have few apps for news like CNN, Flipboard News Briefing and Bloomberg.
No social apps and to be honest, I don`t need them on my watch. You can always get notification form Facabook, Twitter, Gmail, etc.
Would you recommend this watch over an android wear watch?
I have had the pebble, lg g watch, and moto 360 but i enjoy my gear s2 the best
I tried the S2 Classic, Moto 360 2nd Gen, LG Urbane and the Huawei Watch and the Huawei is BY FAR My Favorite Watch...
I still prefer the Gear 2.
Samsung do the basics well but S Voice is useless. App wise Samsung are much the same bet I think these watches are just for key notifications not dozens of clumsy apps.
I have Moto 360, Huawei Watch and just ordered Gear S2 (dont tell the wife!) I love the Huawei Watch but the rotating bezel is the killer function for me.
Sent from my SM-N9208 using Tapatalk
Yeah the Huawei watch looks nice, only thing bad about it is the way it charges, moto360 and gear s2 is how a smart watch should be charged. But agreed the gear s2's rotating bezel is the best smart watch control shame it doesn't run android wear like a custom version of it so it works well with the bezel. Just hope app developers see the potential in the gear s2 over the previous gear watch as compared with android wear watches and the apple watch, I'm not sure developers are going to see any point in spending time and money developing for a watch that isn't going to sell. So I'm hoping the rotating bezel is enough to get people to buy it and get developers wanting to develop apps for it.
I bought a Huawei watch at the same time I got my Gear S2 Classic, and I returned the Huawei a few days later. My feelings are much the same as they were a year and a half ago when I was choosing between the original Pebble and the LG G Watch: while Android Wear might have more developer support and therefore more apps, it is a horrible OS. Google has put all its faith into a combination of voice control and automated content; most of the time you're relying on what Google Now decides you want to see, rather than what you actually want to see, and getting anything else without using voice control means hunting through a menu system that is downright irritating - an impression that's made worse by the swiping every whichway on notifications, which often doesn't work how you'd expect. Tizen doesn't have a lot of developer support yet and if you don't have a Samsung phone it's even worse since you can't get paid apps at this point, but it is a much better OS, hands-down. And really, what is a smartwatch for? Do you need to be able to browse eBay and swipe people on Tinder from a tiny screen on your wrist? I don't. I want a smartwatch to eliminate all the times in a day I would otherwise pull my phone out of my pocket for ten seconds or less, and that means showing me notifications, letting me send quick responses, displaying my calendar and the weather, and maybe other useful watch tools like timer/stopwatch. The Gear S2 does all that perfectly well, with a better OS and better hardware than any Android Wear device. With all the coverage this watch is getting apps may come in larger numbers, but if they don't, I'm happy.
To each his own, I love Android Wear. For me the Rotating Bezel is cool and all, but APP support is the HUGE issue. I think by the time Developers make APPS the S2 Classic will be obsolete. I have both and the one thing I notice is that the display (to me) is a lot clearer and I love the fact that you can change watch faces. I'm keeping the S2 Classic to see what the future has in store for it. For now the Huawei Watch is my Daily Driver.
So far I'm thinking no its not. Hardly any apps mostly just watch faces. My battery makes it half a day and I think that's because it's always lighting up even when I'm not looking at it. No social apps. Ebay only works if connected by bluetooth so no notifications on an item ending soon if your away from your phone. I just don't see it as a stand alone device if I can't text or use apps without my phone nearby. O and there is no browser at all which is weird seeing as how it has 3g connection.
I moved from a 360 to the S2 because sometimes I don't want voice commands. No regrets. I love the build quality, bezel and how Samsung decided to manage access, notifications to the left and apps the the right then widgets more to the right. It does most of the things I want on my wrist and a great job of passing off to my phone. I would like a search and loyalty card app. More important than tizen apps is getting continuing to improve the Gear app so it hooks in better with non Samsung watches and iPhones.
Sent from my SM-T710 using Tapatalk
I've had the gear S2 (sport) for about 1 week.. I really like the watch, but i'm wondering if the model is right.
I've been a smart watch user for long time. Pebble classic, Sony SW2, Pebble Steel, LG G Watch R, Pebble Time.
I've run into a few instances where my phone is tied up in the car with a six year old playing a gaming or streaming Netflix when i run into a store only to come out and have my wife go did you get my text about getting.... Granted This happens maybe one a month or every other month.
Gear S2 3G.... I don't run so i doubt the GPS would add that much... I might be wrong.
Gear S2 Classic... I do like the idea of being able to use any watch band and the classier look.
Who else has opinions on the Plus/minuses of the 3 models.
If you need call capabilities on your watch without your phone being connected via bluetooth, then go with the 3g model. Same if you want a watch with a speaker. Otherwise the Gear S2 sport or classic models should work fine. I prefer the Classic because of the look, plus I love the customization options that come with being able to use regular 20mm straps. Some prefer the sporty look instead. So basically decide if you need/want 3g/speaker. If not, then choose the look you want (sport or classic). My two cents
sefrcoko said:
If you need call capabilities on your watch without your phone being connected via bluetooth, then go with the 3g model. Same if you want a watch with a speaker. Otherwise the Gear S2 sport or classic models should work fine. I prefer the Classic because of the look, plus I love the customization options that come with being able to use regular 20mm straps. Some prefer the sporty look instead. So basically decide if you need/want 3g/speaker. If not, then choose the look you want (sport or classic). My two cents
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Click to collapse
Honestly i could care less about the call ability.. The Ability to receive text messages when i don't have my phone i can see.. I have had a handful of times were i could see it beneficial.
I was ultimately wondering if the extra sensors/data of the 3G model provided something more that i wasnt' thinking about.
I bought the S2 Classic for the dressier look. I also like that it is easy to find other watch bands. I have switched to a black metal mesh band that goes very well with the watch. I also like that the bezel is textured and easy to operate.
Unless you plan to wear it while you workout get the classic. No brainer IMHO.
Got the 3G after 2 weeks with wifi version.
Having owned the original Gear S, there were somethingsome that I was expecting from a smart watch. For example a speaker, something the wifi version was lacking. After nothat having it, I realized just how much I missed it. Plus, not being able to detach from my phone and still have the ability to make and take aND take a phone call from my wrist. I'm really happy with it now.
I'm actually own tmobile 3g version. It is one fun watch. Now I can leave my phone in the pocket while driving and answer phone call from the wrist. Also quick look on Gmail, text, incoming call without need to reach for the phone is very useful. I only wish for more apps available for that watch. If LG Urbane 2 watch wasn't recalled I would have hard time to choose one.
At the time I bought my s2 I was actually looking at getting the 4g from tmobile but the cost was over double what I paid for my wifi sport. I just couldn't justify paying that much,.
I bought the 3g model because it had the speaker. I will not be adding it to my plan because I don't need a separate line just for my watch. But coming from the gear s, also without a separate line, I have become very used to being able to answer a call from my watch. Being able to do so is one of the most useful features of a smart watch. I wish the classic model was larger and also had a speaker. Maybe the second edition will be larger for all models as that seams to be the number one complaint, it's just too small (all models) but as someone who jumps on the "newest" and "greatest ", I bought it even though it's too small. That being said, once AW adds speaker support, I'd switch back to AW as it is a lot more useful, mainly due to Google now and app integration
persichini said:
Gear S2 3G.... I don't run so i doubt the GPS would add that much... I might be wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Something you might not know about the S2 regarding GPS (I didn't until I got the watch -- it's not a well-advertised feature): There is a feature called, "Send SOS Message". You can configure it so that when you press the home button quickly 3 times, the watch will immediately start recording your voice for a brief message ("chest pains! help!"), and then send an SMS to up to 4 people with the recording attached, and text saying "help" (or something similar, not configurable, tested it but don't remember) with your location (lat/lon).
Even if you're a young whippersnapper with no health issues ("get off my lawn, ya damn kids!"), accidents happen. And for us older youths (I'm 53), it's definitely some peace of mind while hiking alone, for example.
I prefer the 4g model I got from tmobile. Just love being able to answer my phone from my wrist and not having to have an ear piece.
Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk
dcpyro1394 said:
I bought the 3g model because it had the speaker. I will not be adding it to my plan because I don't need a separate line just for my watch. But coming from the gear s, also without a separate line, I have become very used to being able to answer a call from my watch. Being able to do so is one of the most useful features of a smart watch. I wish the classic model was larger and also had a speaker. Maybe the second edition will be larger for all models as that seams to be the number one complaint, it's just too small (all models) but as someone who jumps on the "newest" and "greatest ", I bought it even though it's too small. That being said, once AW adds speaker support, I'd switch back to AW as it is a lot more useful, mainly due to Google now and app integration
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some people claim that 3g classic version was already released in Korea
dcpyro1394 said:
I bought the 3g model because it had the speaker. I will not be adding it to my plan because I don't need a separate line just for my watch. But coming from the gear s, also without a separate line, I have become very used to being able to answer a call from my watch. Being able to do so is one of the most useful features of a smart watch. I wish the classic model was larger and also had a speaker. Maybe the second edition will be larger for all models as that seams to be the number one complaint, it's just too small (all models) but as someone who jumps on the "newest" and "greatest ", I bought it even though it's too small. That being said, once AW adds speaker support, I'd switch back to AW as it is a lot more useful, mainly due to Google now and app integration
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Funny, I thought the gear s2 classic was indeed too small when I bought it...but after a few months I realize the real problem: my other watches are too big lol. I've been wearing big watches because that's where the style was headed, but after getting used to a standard size like the gear s2 classic I'm all about the smaller watches now. My uncle's omega and Rolex are even smaller (38mm). It all depends on your wrist size and personal taste too of course. I hope the next gear is no larger than 40mm personally. Ok maybe 42mm max
sefrcoko said:
Funny, I thought the gear s2 classic was indeed too small when I bought it...but after a few months I realize the real problem: my other watches are too big lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^This :good:
My reaction was the same. I like my Huawei, but it really is a giant hockey puck on my wrist compared to any other watch I've ever had (and like many here, I'm a "watch guy" -- got many).
FWIW, the big size of AW watches is one of the more common complaints in the blogosphere.
It's a tough challenge for a smartwatch: A display big enough to be practical and useful (it's a smartwatch!), yet physical size to be stylish and attractive as a piece of attire.
We're getting there. The way this will be solved is with refinements to the UI. The display doesn't need to be biggger -- the design of the UI needs to show information in a clean, uncluttered, big-enough-to-easily-read manner. The S2 with the rotating bezel and circular UI elements is a good step forward -- expect this exact (through licensing) or something similar to become more mainstream.
Well today I returned the sport version for a classic.. I gave up on the 3g... added cost for uses I'll only use once and a great while.
persichini said:
Well today I returned the sport version for a classic.. I gave up on the 3g... added cost for uses I'll only use once and a great while.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can totally understand
For a bit different perspective, I'm on a 4-line, 18GB shared data plan with 4 smartphones for my family. Given what we spend for our Verizon bill monthly, an extra $15/mo for the additional line on the watch seemed rather trivial, given the added capability.
dwallersv said:
I can totally understand
For a bit different perspective, I'm on a 4-line, 18GB shared data plan with 4 smartphones for my family. Given what we spend for our Verizon bill monthly, an extra $15/mo for the additional line on the watch seemed rather trivial, given the added capability.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is only $5 with Tmobile
darekz said:
It is only $5 with Tmobile
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Click to collapse
Checked my bill, same at Verizon. I'd really like some of whatever I was smoking
So I am a first gen moto 360 user till this day. Unfortunately the battery, fragile band and overall watch is seeming to show its age to me finally. I am currently using a nexus 6p and have no intention of jumping over to a samsung device as I dont quite enjoy touchwiz or the update cycles outside of direct google devices. While shopping around for options I keep finding myself drawn to this watch which doesnt seem out of the ordinary since they are pretty difficult to come by outside of ebay here in the states at the moment. I do have some questions since I do use a few of what I consider the basics of the google ecosystem daily and the samsung reps at the few bestbuys I visited were less than helpful in solving my problems (surprising I know).
- I am a big google now user with my moto 360 and phone, I know s voice doesnt come close but how does it react with commands like "what time is **** open until" or "call **** on 123 main street". Specifics like that are what I love. Or simply the reminder feature based on location and not simply time.
- I am also worried about how it will handle or if it can even handle the notifications and controls for my google music or google messenger since from what I gather anything outside of samsung apps can be a bit spotty.
- I just read in another thread that google maps does exist on the samsung app store so if thats true would it sync up with my phone navigation or work independently (I dont plan to get the lte model or if I do, I dont plan on using it stand alone since I am on verizon).
I find myself at a crossroad since I really enjoy the idea of samsung pay on my watch since that is one of if not the main feature I am jealous of the samsung devices for, but to give up all the other android wear features I seem to live with seems like more cons than pros at this time. I dont seem too thrilled with any of the other android wear watches and with their future looking grim I fear the pickings are becoming more and more slim as time progress'.
My first smart watch was the original Moto 360 as well. Like you, I was hesitant to move to a Tizen based smart watch. After owning the Fro tier for almost a month now, I can say this watch is a significant upgrade over the Moto 360, and the Tizen operating system has several advantages over Android Wear.
1. Battery life is significantly better. I can get two days with AOD on, and 3-4 days with AOD off.
2. Samsung Pay alone is worth the upgrade.
3. The UI and rotating bezel are superior to Android Wear.
Cons:
1. S Voice isn't as good as Google Now. I am not able to to the things you like to do with Google Now. To be honest, I didn't use Google Now as much as you do. While I may not be able to find out when a particular place closes, it is adequate enough to send a text or call someone using my voice. As a side note, I changed my command to respond to "Hey Google." I wanted to make it different than my phone, so I wouldn't trigger both.
2. Boy, I can't think of anything else. Just get the Gear S3. You won't regret it.
ttown said:
My first smart watch was the original Moto 360 as well. Like you, I was hesitant to move to a Tizen based smart watch. After owning the Fro tier for almost a month now, I can say this watch is a significant upgrade over the Moto 360, and the Tizen operating system has several advantages over Android Wear.
1. Battery life is significantly better. I can get two days with AOD on, and 3-4 days with AOD off.
2. Samsung Pay alone is worth the upgrade.
3. The UI and rotating bezel are superior to Android Wear.
Cons:
1. S Voice isn't as good as Google Now. I am not able to to the things you like to do with Google Now. To be honest, I didn't use Google Now as much as you do. While I may not be able to find out when a particular place closes, it is adequate enough to send a text or call someone using my voice. As a side note, I changed my command to respond to "Hey Google." I wanted to make it different than my phone, so I wouldn't trigger both.
2. Boy, I can't think of anything else. Just get the Gear S3. You won't regret it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Appreciate the input. How about the maps navigation connection? Also I see they are just now getting Spotify to work but it seems more stand alone. Know if other apps like Google play music work well enough with controls?
NyPlaya513 said:
Appreciate the input. How about the maps navigation connection? Also I see they are just now getting Spotify to work but it seems more stand alone. Know if other apps like Google play music work well enough with controls?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google maps doesn't work (at least not right out of the box), but there is an app you can download. I thought I would miss this since I use my phone for navigation, but I haven't missed it one bit. Now that Android Auto works on the phone, I have been using that. I think I used the Motorola 360 for navigation while I was walking twice in two years.
I haven't tried Spotify because I use Google Play Music. The controls for GPM work the same they do on the Moto 360. The music is played through the phone, not the watch just like in the Moto 360.
One more thing that was a concern for me before buying. I use Verizon Messages+ instead of the Samsung Messages app and was concerned I wouldn't be able to reply to messages. I am able to reply and create texts from the watch using Verizon Meaages+ without an issue. I created a thread walking you through how to make this work. It is very easy.
Alright well you talked me into it. Luckily today Best Buy got both models back in stock. I ordered the classic to be here on Friday and although I like the grip on the bezel for the Frontier Model better, I do like the stylish and more professional look in my opinion of the classic Model. Luckily if I don't like the classic after a few days I am a silver member and can simply swap with the frontier LOL.
Coming from a Moto360 1st gen too.
Owning a Nexus 6p too!
Heavy Google Now user too!!!!
So I guess we share something.
I was also hesitant but finally decided to buy it. So now I own a Gear S3 Frontier.
1- S Voice? Almost useless. I am so disappointed about this. My only hope is that software related issues eventually get a solution.
2- Notifications and control handling is superb. Not only for Spotify (recently added to Tizen market) but Google Play music or whatever you may be streaming to your Chromecast.
3- Maps? I still don't see the point using a map on the wrist. Never used it on my Moto360 (probably due to the overwhelming battery drain issue).
That's what I can tell after a month.
Sorry if I am late and I hope you find my comments useful.
flasflus said:
Maps? I still don't see the point using a map on the wrist.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As wrist based GPS for pedestrian use is very useful for directions when waking around on foot. It's better than walking around holding your cellphone out in front of your face in order to refer to directions.
I'm using Gear S3 Classic for 1 month. I regret. There is no apps or no update or good watchfaces for this smartwatch.
1) When will Tizen 3 arrive?
2) Is there any developer who is currently porting Android Wear 2 at the moment?
3) What applications do you use?
3) What watchfaces do you use?
4) Are you satisfied with this watch?
1) When will Tizen 3 arrive?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Later...
Maybe as Xmas "gift" in late December or in 2018.
Tizen 3 is not the Holy Grail... see SM-R600 User feedback...
2) Is there any developer who is currently porting Android Wear 2 at the moment?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
NObody
Best Regards
for watch face you can use watchmaker and s3 companion of it
Hmm.. you REALLY need to search more. Watch Faces alone.. wow TONS!
When Tizen 2 (or whatever shipped with the S3) arrived, I got the update on my S2 sport last December. Mid to late, can't remember for sure. I'm guessing 3 will come about the same time. And, as another said, don't expect it to give you everything you want and change your mind. The lack of new features/s-health upgrades is pretty astounding.
I only use s-health and timer. As for apps, I have weather, schedule, workout, steps, heart rate, and barometer/altimeter widgets set. There aren't any apps worth anything to me. The exercise apps are bad and pretty much non-existent, and nothing else stands out to me.
The watch itself is pretty secksay. I love the look as well as the UI. I briefly went to android wear, and I really missed the Samsung UI. But, that's where it ends. I need the health app to do WAY more. And Sammy doesn't seem to give a s##t about what the consumers want. As long as people are buying them, who cares? So, personally, after an android wear watch comes out that catches my eye, I'm out. But, my opinion doesn't mean you or whomever else won't love it.
My $0.02
Zeblade said:
Hmm.. you REALLY need to search more. Watch Faces alone.. wow TONS!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL, I agree, there are tons but my observation, Gear Store does a poorer job of properly showcasing its catalog than the Watchmaster app, so, I installed the watchmaster app and will browse there catalog, find something I like, then search for it in the Gear shop and Buy it from the Gear shop
Designer Kang got some good ones!
---------- Post added at 04:11 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:58 AM ----------
tosunkaya said:
I'm using Gear S3 Classic for 1 month. I regret. There is no apps or no update or good watchfaces for this smartwatch.
1) When will Tizen 3 arrive?
2) Is there any developer who is currently porting Android Wear 2 at the moment?
3) What applications do you use?
3) What watchfaces do you use?
4) Are you satisfied with this watch?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just bought it too and am in Australia. I had mixed feelings before making the purchase. Wanted;
-Samsung Gear Pay
-A watch that received regular security updates
-Looked nice
-Software
What I got was;
Cons:
-Samsung Gear Pay intermittently works..., so much so, that I have to still have to carry a wallet on me... and because of that, Samsung Pay is utter rubbish! (or at least here in Australia it is.)
-A watch that never receives regular security updates (bizarre to me because its a watch thats facilitates banking transactions or should)
Pros:
-Looks nicer than I had originally expected especially with the ceramic steel band I added
-Samsung Health; which surprisingly, is pretty awesome! I like to jog and spin class, so, this watch is really a lot of fun for people who want to be active.
So yes, despite not having Samsung Pay and the rubbish support, it's a nice looking watch and Samsung Health is actually a lot of fun, so, I keep it.
Plus, it has the wheel and Android Wear does not.
tosunkaya said:
I'm using Gear S3 Classic for 1 month. I regret. There is no apps or no update or good watchfaces for this smartwatch.
1) When will Tizen 3 arrive?
2) Is there any developer who is currently porting Android Wear 2 at the moment?
3) What applications do you use?
3) What watchfaces do you use?
4) Are you satisfied with this watch?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) No one knows, last announcement was a month ago in October, it was a vague and no solid date was mentioned. Hopefully soon!
2) The kernal was leaked and it's possible now to root and use Android Wear. To my knowledge the dial hasn't been made to work with it, and rooting permanently disables Samsung Pay.
3) Find my phone is the single most useful part of the watch, that and the warning when it disconnects from your phone. No more losing the damn thing! It's defaultly installed.
My first click to the right takes me to my music controller. It works with virtually any music or video playing app and I use it when driving and listening to Amazon Music. Allows me to next songs from my wrist and I don't have to take my eyes off the road. Also useful with Bluetooth headphones while walking or jogging. You can see the song dial up and down sound, next, back and pause. Weather channel app is my third screen, calandar and step app come next. I use the timer all the time via voice, two taps lower button "set timer for 25 minutes" done.
Samsung pay is sweet, press and hold the top button, dial to your credit card, and swipe. Works with legacy credit card readers which is basically magic to me.
My Nest thermostat works with it. Worth the 2$ app fee, I can control my thermostat from my wrist... Over the internet.
My watch face, all in one carbon has weather, heart rate, date and time neatly displayed and easily read (also a paid app of $2).
Find My Car is great for tagging your car on GPS in a parking lot.
Taking calls on my wrist makes me feel like **** Tracy.
4) Am I satisfied with this watch? Emphatically yes, it makes my life more convenient in that I can use it for a number of things without touching my phone. Music controls and find my phone alone would make it worthwhile. Plus it's taken some good dings on my wrist and although the black paint is a bit scuffed, the watch face is immaculate. I've also taken it kayaking and it's been submerged pretty good so it's been solid in water.
However here's my complaints about the watch, it is not without some flaws.
1) when I got this thing the s-voice was totally unusable. It still is pretty awful. "Sure man" being translated as Sherman has become a running joke among my friends. I've had limited success in launching apps in a quiet environment, with any background noise forget about it. Even since the major update it's still awful compared to Android voice. While we're on the subject... Bixby also blows.
2) The nest app lags, occasionally my weather will stop updating to my main watch face for no reason, and other annoying bugs pop up now and again.
3) There is a shortage of apps. A new weather app would be so awesome. I personally am not a fan of the weather channel app and it's inability to display hourly information, instead choosing to do 4 hour chunks.
4) it can be super hard to get dirt out if the bezel.
5) It does not integrate with any other message app other than Facebook and Samsung messenger. This really bugs me because I love the Google messenger app. If you have another model phone, return it, it doesn't play nice with others.
In short. It does a lot very well, but there's room for improvement. I still think this is the best watch you can get, and I'm hopeful for some updates and new apps. But as it is after 6 months of daily use, I can say it will be on my wrist for years... It's far too useful.
Hope this helps.