It's coming. In fact, if LG hadn't run into a problem with some custom hardware, the Urbane Second Edition, with full 3G/4G/LTE capability, would be in direct competition with the S2 right now.
My Huawei AW watch has a speaker. So it's ready to become a BT tethered calling device when that's released. It won't be long before AW watch manufacturers release a full LTE version like the S2.
So, when that happens, what does the S2 have over AW? One thing for sure is a better UI, including the clever rotating bezel. However, in terms of any other really significant features/capabilities, AW leaves the G2 in the dust.
I've got a G2, and it's my "daily driver" at the moment, but only because I can make and recieve calls on it. The 3G is simply an extension of that for me, but not critical; it's a nice feature.
Unless Samsung really steps up to the plate and fixes some serious problems with the G2 (S-Voice accuracy and capability tops the list), I'll be going back to AW when I can use my watch for calls.
Don't get me wrong... I really like the S2. But the edge it has right now -- UI design and 3G -- will evaporate quickly probably this year, and the main deal-breaker will once again be app availability and developer support. Something Samsung doesn't have a prayer of competing with Android on, especially considering the apparently meager resources and investment they're making to compete.
dwallersv said:
It's coming. In fact, if LG hadn't run into a problem with some custom hardware, the Urbane Second Edition, with full 3G/4G/LTE capability, would be in direct competition with the S2 right now.
My Huawei AW watch has a speaker. So it's ready to become a BT tethered calling device when that's released. It won't be long before AW watch manufacturers release a full LTE version like the S2.
So, when that happens, what does the S2 have over AW? One thing for sure is a better UI, including the clever rotating bezel. However, in terms of any other really significant features/capabilities, AW leaves the G2 in the dust.
I've got a G2, and it's my "daily driver" at the moment, but only because I can make and recieve calls on it. The 3G is simply an extension of that for me, but not critical; it's a nice feature.
Unless Samsung really steps up to the plate and fixes some serious problems with the G2 (S-Voice accuracy and capability tops the list), I'll be going back to AW when I can use my watch for calls.
Don't get me wrong... I really like the S2. But the edge it has right now -- UI design and 3G -- will evaporate quickly probably this year, and the main deal-breaker will once again be app availability and developer support. Something Samsung doesn't have a prayer of competing with Android on, especially considering the apparently meager resources and investment they're making to compete.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. I love my Gear S2 3G but I would ditch it quickly once AW watches with speakers & 3G/4G and a true always-on mode come out with compelling designs.
Sent from my SM-G925P using Tapatalk
I really miss the call function from my Gear 2 - once again Samsung has a great feature and drops the ball only for a competitor to pick it and improve it
If Samsung keeps making devices as compelling as the S2 I will hang around. They need to keep building off the app market they started with the S2 so it becomes robust and not an issue for future iterations. The only other thing I feel needs real improvement is S-voice. Pretty happy overall with the S2, could see myself grabbing another one in a couple years.
obsydian said:
I really miss the call function from my Gear 2 - once again Samsung has a great feature and drops the ball only for a competitor to pick it and improve it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why not just get the 3g version if you wanted to make calls on the Gear S2?
That version is not for sale in my region and i really just wanted the same basic function as the Gear 2 - as in not 3G but the ability to take calls on the watch (tethered to the mobile via BT or WIFI)
IMO I think it will survive, just for the simple fact that there has to be more than just me that thinks making a phone call from the watch is silly..... gimmicky, maybe a bit "cool".....but still silly.
Me personally would not buy A Watch that has that option, I can only imagine the battery life. I see these "smart watches" as an extension of my phone, not a replacement. YOMV
bamfsig45 said:
IMO I think it will survive, just for the simple fact that there has to be more than just me that thinks making a phone call from the watch is silly..... gimmicky, maybe a bit "cool".....but still silly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are certainly more than you (indeed, I've encountered many )
However, keep in mind there are a lot of people out there. And there are plenty like me too, that not only do not find it silly, but find it a very useful, helpful feature in their lives. Indeed, this was the capability that tipped me over into spending the $$ and getting the S2, just a month after dropping bank on a Huawei AW watch (which I still have, and am not ready yet to give up; it has a speaker, so when calling capability comes to AW, it should be supported on the Huawei).
I haven't worn my Huawei for a month. First month I had the S2 I went back and forth, and truly had an opportunity to weight the pluses of AW (Google NOW, app selection) against the pluses of the S2.
S2 is winning at the moment. However, as soon as I can make calls on the AW watch, we'll be going back and forth again evaluating.
Right now, I think the S2 is still gonna win, but it's going to be very close for me. The UI on the S2 is superior, but there may be apps on AW that I "need".
I'll have more to say in this thread after AW supports calling. The S2 will still have a big edge for me because of it's 3G capability, making standalone. We'll see...
dwallersv said:
There are certainly more than you (indeed, I've encountered many )
However, keep in mind there are a lot of people out there. And there are plenty like me too, that not only do not find it silly, but find it a very useful, helpful feature in their lives. Indeed, this was the capability that tipped me over into spending the $$ and getting the S2, just a month after dropping bank on a Huawei AW watch (which I still have, and am not ready yet to give up; it has a speaker, so when calling capability comes to AW, it should be supported on the Huawei).
I haven't worn my Huawei for a month. First month I had the S2 I went back and forth, and truly had an opportunity to weight the pluses of AW (Google NOW, app selection) against the pluses of the S2.
S2 is winning at the moment. However, as soon as I can make calls on the AW watch, we'll be going back and forth again evaluating.
Right now, I think the S2 is still gonna win, but it's going to be very close for me. The UI on the S2 is superior, but there may be apps on AW that I "need".
I'll have more to say in this thread after AW supports calling. The S2 will still have a big edge for me because of it's 3G capability, making standalone. We'll see...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I absolutely respect your opinion. But I'm hard pressed to think the speaker wont be load enough unless your in a quiet environment.
I also had the Huawei watch, Moto 360 2nd gen, and Asus zen watch 2. I've returned all of them because after trying so many I realized it wasn't the watch I didn't like. It was the software. I too think the Tizen UI is superior to AW...at least at the moment.
bamfsig45 said:
I absolutely respect your opinion. But I'm hard pressed to think the speaker wont be load enough unless your in a quiet environment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again, nothing to argue about. You like chocolate, I like coffee. There is no "best" flavor of ice cream.
For the record, I've been using a smartwatch for calling since the original Gear 1 running Android. So I've had plenty of time and experience to learn whether or not the feature is useful to me, when/where/how, etc. Of course, in very noisy environments, or places where I'm concerned about privacy, I pull out my phone. However, in those cases more often than not I answer immediately with my watch, tell the person to "wait a sec, I'm on speaker", then get the phone out.
The vast majority of the time, I don't need to do this. Calls are often short (daughter calling to update me on her plans, when coming home, for example), nothing personal enough that I care if anyone overhears.
The convenience is just huge. Phone is usually in my pocket. Watch rings, I look at who's calling, either send it to vmail with a swipe or say, "answer" and have the quick conversation.
However, I well recognize that is is highly personal, like food tastes. It works very well for me, and my life, and has become nearly indispensable. I find that when I don't have my smartwatch and only my phone, it's like a thousand cuts of annoyance.
So, for me, the introduction of standalone 3G was a ginormous feature leap. I've left the house several times now without my phone to run an errand -- few unintentionally and then, after that great experience, deliberately a few times -- and I'm hooked.
If I was in your situation, I certainly would not have paid the extra $$ for 3G, and would only care about the speaker for things like alarms, notification sounds, etc.
I'd have been perfectly happy with a non 3G version that at LEAST had built in GPS. That's the only feature i'm sorely missing from the 3G version...so much so that i'm exploring buying a used 3G from any carrier with no intention of using the 3G, just so that I can have GPS.
GPS plus cellular functionality sold me on the Gear S a year ago. Before that, I could not see the point of smartwatches. As a runner, being able to leave my large and heavy phone behind and still be reachable and have a way to track my runs and communicate seemed invaluable. I was happy with the Gear S, but frustrated with the desert that is the Tizen app store, Samsung's non-support and the constantly breaking charging cradles. Nevertheless, the Gear S served me well.
Then the LG watch urbane 2nd edition LTE came along and I never looked back. I sold my Gear S, and have a much nicer watch, better UX, more mainstream apps, the knowledge that even more apps will work with AW, global functionality, and a crazy long battery life. If this is representative of other upcoming AW watches, Tizen watches are in trouble.
I own three smartwatches atm: gear s, gear s2, huawei w1. The gear s is the SMARTER watch. The S2 is much better looking than original and much much polished OS but is so small. The huawei is the one I am wearing avery day now. Every one of them has something special. It's a matter of personal taste.
By nou I had all the samsung watches, moto 360 and lg watch r. I ALWAYS RETURNED TO TIEZEN. But if the next update will implement calling from the watch the Android wear will be closer to tiezen. Gear S has it's own place in the market and it's the smarter watch of all.
me and my wife have a few smartwatch, such as sony SW1 SW2, the G watch, and the S2, base on our experience the best is still sony SW1 SW2 due to have lot of app, and between S2 and Android watch, I prefer AW, just best it is better intgergrate with android, my wife S2 still need a few tweak such as a fast voice command respsonse, more app, and be more compatible with different IM.
The samsung app store and sony app store is really good when compare to google which is hard to look for watch specific app, but samsung app store currently cannot access in canada, I still able to access few weeks ago when in HK, and sony already phase out its own watch OS.
I myself own a 3g tmobile version of the watch. If LG didn't run into hardware troubles then I would have to make a choice and LG would probably be a winner
xendula said:
Then the LG watch urbane 2nd edition LTE came along and I never looked back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You must be one of the lucky 3 people or so that got one before they were pulled from the market?
If it hadn't been, I wouldn't even be posting in this group at all.
DummyPLUG said:
me and my wife have a few smartwatch, such as sony SW1 SW2, the G watch, and the S2, base on our experience the best is still sony SW1 SW2 due to have lot of app, and between S2 and Android watch, I prefer AW, just best it is better intgergrate with android, my wife S2 still need a few tweak such as a fast voice command respsonse, more app, and be more compatible with different IM.
The samsung app store and sony app store is really good when compare to google which is hard to look for watch specific app, but samsung app store currently cannot access in canada, I still able to access few weeks ago when in HK, and sony already phase out its own watch OS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm in Canada and the samsung app store works fine with my note 4 and gear s/s2.
darekz said:
I myself own a 3g tmobile version of the watch. If LG didn't run into hardware troubles then I would have to make a choice and LG would probably be a winner
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same. I really liked the looks of that watch, the big battery and I would have given AW a try with cellular capability.
sefrcoko said:
I'm in Canada and the samsung app store works fine with my note 4 and gear s/s2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem is related to region, that's means a S2 with asia region firmware will not work in other place, same apply for NA region. (at least for current firmware/app)
I had solve the problem by using a asia sim and vpn back to hong kong, but this is not something accecptable.
It might but Samsung just love churning out hardware and software is an after thought. Normally within 6 months of launch and product support is dead.
Related
With the Moto 360 just around the corner, and the round LG R just announced, do you think the Gear 2 will take a price dump? I'm disappointed with the lack of Tizen apps compared to Android Wear, don't really use the camera, make phone calls on it, or use the IR, so is it time to sell now?
If it's more technology than you need, why not? Sell it and get something better suited to your needs.
JimSmith94 said:
With the Moto 360 just around the corner, and the round LG R just announced, do you think the Gear 2 will take a price dump? I'm disappointed with the lack of Tizen apps compared to Android Wear, don't really use the camera, make phone calls on it, or use the IR, so is it time to sell now?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After months of use, I can say I'm pretty disappointed by the Gear2. The notifications are great, but using it for responding/calls/etc is just too cumbersome and slow. The response time of the voice recognition is pretty much unbearable, the store is dead, the apps are severely lacking, and Samsung has pretty much forgotten about it. I'll hold onto it until it dies, or until a model much more improved comes out, which I'm thinking is quite a few years away.
The Gear S will reportedly have a Sim card, which should free it from the cellphone tether that current models require.
RiverCity.45 said:
The Gear S will reportedly have a Sim card, which should free it from the cellphone tether that current models require.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just read about this yesterday and am looking forward to it's release! I'm going to pass on the moto 360, a device a was very interested in at one point, because of it's lack of phone capabilities and camera. I luv those two features of my gear 2.
RiverCity.45 said:
The Gear S will reportedly have a Sim card, which should free it from the cellphone tether that current models require.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wouldn't that require a separate phone plan? I'm on Sprint, which is CDMA, so I wouldn't even be able to use a SIM card. I don't really care for the looks of the Gear S anyway. The curved screen might be nice, but at least from the mockups, there is way too much dead space between the display and the bezel, plus it doesn't look like the band is replaceable.
With the latest round of smart watches launching now or coming soon, I am curious as to what type of people are buying the latest products. Since this is in the Samsung Gear S3 forum, I would imagine most, if not all of you, are interested in Samsung's latest offering. So my question is are you upgrading to this watch or would this be your first smart watch?
I currently have the first gen Moto 360. What drew me to the Moto 360 is the fact that it had a circular screen and Android Wear intrigued me. I've been happy with the Moto 360, but it is starting to show its age. I didn't think I would consider the Samsung Gear S3, but the looks and 3-4 days battery life definitely peaked my interest. I am not 100% sold on the Tizen OS yet, but from what I have seem so far there is a very good chance this will be my next smart watch.
Please post your response in the poll and share your thoughts below including your current smart watch.
3 or 4 days battery life but with screen Off like all other wear watch no ?
I have also the Gear S (first) it say also 3 or 4 day but in reality more one day than ..... or more if you do not use the watch
I get a full day with Screen always on with my S2. The S3 should give a few hours beyond that.
Upgrading from LG Watch R to Samsung Gear S3 Frontier
ttown said:
With the latest round of smart watches launching now or coming soon, I am curious as to what type of people are buying the latest products. Since this is in the Samsung Gear S3 forum, I would imagine most, if not all of you, are interested in Samsung's latest offering. So my question is are you upgrading to this watch or would this be your first smart watch?
I currently have the first gen Moto 360. What drew me to the Moto 360 is the fact that it had a circular screen and Android Wear intrigued me. I've been happy with the Moto 360, but it is starting to show its age. I didn't think I would consider the Samsung Gear S3, but the looks and 3-4 days battery life definitely peaked my interest. I am not 100% sold on the Tizen OS yet, but from what I have seem so far there is a very good chance this will be my next smart watch.
Please post your response in the poll and share your thoughts below including your current smart watch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would be upgrading from a Gear S2 3G. I like the Gear S3's design better and its improvements to AOD. Also, the inclusion of Samsung Pay MST.
With Always-on activated from 6 am to 11 pm, I finish the day with about 35% battery left. The Gear S3 should be even better.
Sent from my SM-G935U using Tapatalk
My Huawei watch is at 50-60% by the time I put it on the charger about midnight each night. I wear it from 7am until midnight. So pretty darn good battery. I am interested in the GS3 because it seems to be more on the premium level finally. I had bought the S2 a couple months after having the Huawei, but returned it. The reason I didn't like the S2 was the cheap feel of it compared to the Huawei and I couldn't use other apps for text/email other than stock Samsung apps. Definitely interested to gety hands on the S3. My biggest reason for wanting Samsung is the e-sim. Not having to have a phone along could be a really nice option at times.
Sent from my SM-G935F using XDA-Developers mobile app
I've stopped wearing my Moto 360 afer not seeing any benefit wearing it. Oh and the menu was also very laggy.
But I'm very interested in a new smartwatch which could replace my phone during sports with GPS and a heartrate sensor, so hardware wise the S3 seems like a good fit but the software was holding back the previous Samsung watches in the past from what I've read.
I'll probably wait for the first reviews / sofware updates and then decide if it's worth another try....or wait for the Gear Fit 3
I've been in the market for a smart watch since the first iWatch. So much so, I've debated jumping ship just to get a half-decent smart watch. I just simply couldn't justify locking myself down into a cookie cutter phone, no matter how stable and fluid it is, just for a watch. So, I've been trolling here, other sites, and all developments of wearables. When I found out the S3 is featuring MST, and that it doesn't depend on the phone to have it (Looking at you S2), I just knew I had to have it. Then with the later reported music streaming apps, a true map app for the wearable, and how sleek and casual, yet classy, the S3 is, I just KNEW I had to get it. I didn't even hesitate.
On 24 hours now with it and besides the lack of music streaming apps (December can't come fast enough. I hate spotify, but hey, streaming is streaming) and FULL support for Google Messenger (stock texting sucks ass, even more so for group messaging) i absolutely LOVE this watch. I've tried Samsung Pay, it works. It's amazing. I think it's silly you can only do 5 transactions when in standalone mode, but I can kind of understand the reasoning behind it, to a degree even though it is still silly in my eyes (security issues).
If you've thought about getting this watch for ANY reason, stop thinking about it and go get it. You will love it. I'm SO glad I waited for the s3 and didn't rush into any other wearable.
Upgrading from the Gear S
Sent from my SM-N930T using XDA-Developers mobile app
I was interested in the Gear S2 when I read it had Samsung Pay, but found out it was not MST capable so I decided against it. Then I stumbled upon the Gear S3 details and anxiously awaited until its release. Now I feel safer using it to pay because I don't have to pull out my phone or my wallet.
Naturesretard said:
I've tried Samsung Pay, it works. It's amazing. I think it's silly you can only do 5 transactions when in standalone mode, but I can kind of understand the reasoning behind it, to a degree even though it is still silly in my eyes (security issues).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you actually triggered the 5 transaction limit? What does it say when it happens?
First smart watch and will probably return it next week for a refund as:
1. Basically it does not work as a watch as the turn on gesture is not sensitive enough. I do not want AOD as that will kill the battery and lessen the screen life / burn in.
Looking at a blank screen instead of the time is frustrating I suspect this is true for all smartwatches though with wake up gesture not just the S3.
2. Notifications are too unreliable.
3. Samsung Pay is not available in the UK - I knew this before I purchased but Samsung will not state when it will be available if ever.
This will be my third. Had a galaxy gear and currently wearing the gear 2. Still 1 week to wait here in the Netherlands.
I enjoy the notifications on my watch and don't really expect much else. So I'm easy to please
Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-G928F met Tapatalk
This will my 4th upgrade. I missed 2 things from the Gear S2: a speaker to let people know I'm fumbling to get my phone out; and Samsung Pay. I love how strong the vibration setting is on the S2 and hope it will be just as great on the S3.
Now what REALLY bothers me though is that this watch is completely geared for males. I don't mind the size - but goodness gracious Samsung - do we just count for nothing???? I will not rock the robust look of the Frontier. So I'm just left with a silver Classic Bluetooth only version and very masculine bands with the original order. I have the S2 in Rose Gold and a white leather band and LOVE the look!
afblangley said:
Have you actually triggered the 5 transaction limit? What does it say when it happens?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have not, I was merely reporting documentation I've come across.
"Make at least 5 payments on your Gear S3 without a Galaxy smartphone nearby after initial setup. Number of transactions varies by card network and bank. Reload payment capability by connecting to a Galaxy Smartphone via Bluetooth. Only compatible with select cards, carriers and Android smartphones; see the Samsung Pay Support page at www.samsung.com/us/ support/owners/app/samsung-pay#compatibility for compatibility information." Found at the bottom of this link denoted by the 2.
What this means is after you setup Samsung pay to the Gear s3, you can then depending on bank, make up to 5 or more* transactions without needing to sync your phone via bluetooth to the watch. After that, you apparently will be unable to make any more payments until the S3 is then resycned to the phone.
* denotes bank and card limitations, defaults to 5.
Naturesretard said:
I've been in the market for a smart watch since the first iWatch. So much so, I've debated jumping ship just to get a half-decent smart watch. I just simply couldn't justify locking myself down into a cookie cutter phone, no matter how stable and fluid it is, just for a watch. So, I've been trolling here, other sites, and all developments of wearables. When I found out the S3 is featuring MST, and that it doesn't depend on the phone to have it (Looking at you S2), I just knew I had to have it. Then with the later reported music streaming apps, a true map app for the wearable, and how sleek and casual, yet classy, the S3 is, I just KNEW I had to get it. I didn't even hesitate.
On 24 hours now with it and besides the lack of music streaming apps (December can't come fast enough. I hate spotify, but hey, streaming is streaming) and FULL support for Google Messenger (stock texting sucks ass, even more so for group messaging) i absolutely LOVE this watch. I've tried Samsung Pay, it works. It's amazing. I think it's silly you can only do 5 transactions when in standalone mode, but I can kind of understand the reasoning behind it, to a degree even though it is still silly in my eyes (security issues).
If you've thought about getting this watch for ANY reason, stop thinking about it and go get it. You will love it. I'm SO glad I waited for the s3 and didn't rush into any other wearable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
for the only being able to do 5 transactions with the s3 on standalone. With the phone if you have no service I believe you can only do 10 transactions. Because it stores tokens to use with s-pay, and once those are used you have to replenish them
---------- Post added at 07:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:47 PM ----------
I upgraded from the Huawei watch, to the s3. The Huawei looks plain and boring compared to it.
Started with pebble from Kickstarter, then pebble steel, then pebble time then pebble time steel.
Moved to Apple watch when I was issued an iPhone for work.
Also played with most of the FitBit range with a fit bit on one writs and either a pebble or apple watch on the other.
Recently trialling a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge phone for work and have now move the the Gear S3 Frontier as a companion
So Android Wear 2.0 on the LG Watch Sport is a big improvement over Wear 1.5, it has a slick interface that appears to perform very well. The darker color scheme, new icons, dedicated play store on the watch, better fitness tracking and the ability to run apps from the watch (untethered) are just some of the improvements.
How do you think Tizen (on the S3) stacks up against Android Wear 2.0?
Are you planning to switch?
I just bought my Gear S3 Frontier BT a couple of weeks ago. Looking at the new LG Watch Sport, I think perhaps I should have waited a bit longer. (Buyers remorse?)
I like the overall design of LG's new sports watch. I like the fact that it has a larger, higher resolution display and the embedded sim with unlocked modem for use on any carrier. I also like the improvements to the Android Wear 2.0 user interface and the fact that there is a much larger app ecosystem. (Well at least as developers update their apps for Wear 2.0 compatiblity)
Finally, I like that all features of the watch will work across different brands of Android phones. (unlike Samsung where some features only work on Samsung phones.)
I will keep my S3 for a while longer to see whether Samsung releases some decent updates but if nothing much from Samsung, I may well jump ship in a couple of months when the LG Watch Sport is more widely available.
The S3 is clearly more capable than the current crop of AW watches. I bought my S3 before the new LG watches were announced. The LG Style is less capable than the S3, perhaps it will compete with the S2. I think the LG Sport will be a serious threat to the Frontier LTE.
The LG uses a physical SIM instead of an eSIM, allowing greater flexibility in carrier selection. There will be more 3rd party apps available. It will have better integration with Android phones for notifications like email and Hangouts. It appears to be less dependent on a companion phone, but we'll have to see how much functionally it actually has when untethered.
The S3 has some advantages over the LG. It looks better, like a regular analog watch, and has the ability to be customized with any standard watch band. The UI is better, a rotating bezel is superior to a rotating crown. Samsung Pay has MST, making it usable in vastly more POS terminals. Lastly, it's likely to have better battery life.
I don't plan on switching anytime soon, the S3 is handling my use case scenario just fine. But I want Android Wear watches to sell well because we consumers benefit from the competition. The Apple watch is the 800 pound gorilla. I hope the smartwatch segment is large enough to support Tizen, AW, and the upcoming FitBit smartwatches.
Byte_76 said:
So Android Wear 2.0 on the LG Watch Sport is a big improvement over Wear 1.5, it has a slick interface that appears to perform very well. The darker color scheme, new icons, dedicated play store on the watch, better fitness tracking and the ability to run apps from the watch (untethered) are just some of the improvements.
How do you think Tizen (on the S3) stacks up against Android Wear 2.0?
Are you planning to switch?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Style version has nothing, not even HRM. It is like a pebble and if the reviews are correct, Sport version's battery life barely even make it a day. At this point I happy with my frontier
When I heard about Android Pay on the watch will also NOT work if you have an unlocked bootloader, the Gear S3 wins by a mile in my book.
I am really on the fence between the Gear S3 Frontier and LG Sport. Had an original moto 360 in 2014 but didn't stick with it long (originally with a Note 2 then with a Note 4). Didn't like battery life at the time so ended up with a martian Notifier (in all very satisfied with that Notifier).
Ended up getting an iPhone 6S plus when it came out so after I broke the Notifier really only had Apple Watch as a real smartwatch option, though I did try a few garmins that were mainly good for exercise with phone notifications thrown in for good measure (but great battery life). Tried an Apple watch (1st gen) and felt it was nice but just not great nor worth the price (pre OS 3). Returned it. Now I have an Apple Watch Series 1 (42") that I got for a little over $200 and with the updated processor and OS 3.x it is a better experience. I guess I am one of the lucky ones with very good recognition from Siri, and I use it a lot.
But I don't intend to stay with an iPhone so really wanted a smartwatch that wasn't married to one smartphone platform. I love the look, feel, battery life (as smartwatches go) and display on the Gear S3 F, and that it at least (now) has token iOS support. But I'd be giving up a lot by being on iOS, and even if I switched back to an Android phone I'd only have S voice for voice recognition. I do not like S Voice. Still a week or so ago I was ready to pull the trigger on the S3. Then I saw the LG Sport.
After saying all that, besides the iOS thing (which can easily be changed) is there anything that I should consider in favor of the S3 frontier?
Mike
The S3 is a better engineered watch in every way. It's shortcoming is the Tizen app library. The only advantage that the LG Sport has is that it runs AW 2. If battery life is important to you, I doubt you'll be happy with the Sport, based on reports.
I bought my S3 in December. I was anxiously looking forward to the new LG. It would be easy for me to switch since I will be selling my AT&T model and buying a model from Verizon soon. But the S3 is the best watch on the market. There are several AW watches that will be released over the next few months, LG is first but hopefully not the best to come.
Yea I am really wanting the S3. I don't even mind the apps since I'm good with S health and notifications mostly. But that danged S voice.... at least on my Samsung phones I could use Google instead. But on the watch no can do.
Does anyone here use s voice on th s3?
Mike
I have S3F, AppleWatch S1&2, Huawei,Moto360.. And S3 is/was my favorite, but with Aw2.0 things start to change tho
S3 have few things i miss, SVoice is 200% crap and even if you can use SHealth to sync with Strava it´s not 100%.
I waited for LG, but the new SPort was not a "wow" watch for me. But good part was the Lg Urbane 2 LTE did come back around here so i could get one.
Urbane 2 Lte is my favorite watch in Size,weight and design from the day 1, but could never get one where i live befor they reroll them.
ANd even did pay few bucks more for my Urbane than i did for the S3, but gues with Aw2.0 the Urbane will be very solid.
That is what I expected about svoice. Ugh. I really use Siri and even Google voice recognition a lot and it's one of those little things that for me adds to the pro side of owning a smart watch (Google Now worked well for me on my 1st gen moto 360). Just last night as I was making dinner with my hands wet and iPhone in pocket I dictated a few reminders via my Apple Watch, and added something to my grocery list. I love that stuff.
Has anyone here tried the S3 with an iPhone? I'm thinking it's not great but was hoping it gets better.
Looks like the LG sport is winning for me, even though I like the S3F's styling better. Damn.
Samsung is good on hardware, god-awful on software. Personally I wish Samsung would consider making a wear 2.0 device with the bezel control taking the place of wear 2.0 twisty-wheel navigation.
I shall continue to watch for reviews of the Gwatch Sport as well as the new Huawai Watch 2 my fear is poor battery life - I easily get 3 days from the gear S3.
My problem with my S3 is the utter dearth of any decent apps, and the fact that some of the features in the watch don't work properly. The main features that don't work are:
- Samsung pay (not available outside the US), and the MST will never work in Europe as we did away with mag strip readers eons ago in favour of chip and pin.
- The remote connection to the phone does not work properly, if I turn off bluetooth, the watch connects to wifi, but the remote connection does not work despite being enabled
- S-Voice is hit/miss usually miss - its a poor excuse for a voice assistant compared to google now or google assistant.
- Cant see old text messages - eg cant see a 'conversation' - can only see notifications (Samsung scuppered the watch for non Samsung smartphone users here).
- Cant see emails on the watch (requires a Samsung Phone to do this)
On the plus side, the battery life is great, notifications clear, and it works great making/taking calls from the watch.
Samsung needs to incentivise developers to create for the Tizen platform with major offers of £££ if they wish it to succeed longer term.
Nigel
warpgatex said:
When I heard about Android Pay on the watch will also NOT work if you have an unlocked bootloader, the Gear S3 wins by a mile in my book.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is NOT true. I have both the S3 and LG. The LG's android pay DOES work on my unlocked, rooted Pixel. Interestingly, AP on my phone (still) does not work. However, I have successfully used my LG to pay at a few places now.
soundneedle said:
This is NOT true. I have both the S3 and LG. The LG's android pay DOES work on my unlocked, rooted Pixel. Interestingly, AP on my phone (still) does not work. However, I have successfully used my LG to pay at a few places now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats really cool!
Someone needs to correct this post
https://www.xda-developers.com/andr...f-your-smartphone-has-an-unlocked-bootloader/
Tinmania said:
Yea I am really wanting the S3. I don't even mind the apps since I'm good with S health and notifications mostly. But that danged S voice.... at least on my Samsung phones I could use Google instead. But on the watch no can do.
Does anyone here use s voice on th s3?
Mike
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use SVoice on my S3 Classic, and find it better than expected...accurate recognition of words is very good - I rarely find it makes a mistake on what I'm saying. I do hold the watch near my face and speak clearly, but it works well.
Where SVoice falls down is doing things that Google Now/Google Assistant excels at, handling random questions and searches. But that's not really what it is intended for on the watch. (I don't use SVoice on my phone - S7 Edge - at all, so I have no idea how functional SVoice is on a phone compared to Google.)
But for normal watch commands, etc., I can find little fault w/SVoice. I'd like my S3 to have Google Assistant on it, but don't expect that to happen.
soundneedle said:
This is NOT true. I have both the S3 and LG. The LG's android pay DOES work on my unlocked, rooted Pixel. Interestingly, AP on my phone (still) does not work. However, I have successfully used my LG to pay at a few places now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm having the same thing with my V20. Unlocked and custom ROM. Although, the ROM dev did make a special kernel to work with Root Switch to pass SafetyNet, and I did enable that before setting up AP on the watch. But since, I've had no issues.
Redflea said:
I use SVoice on my S3 Classic, and find it better than expected...accurate recognition of words is very good - I rarely find it makes a mistake on what I'm saying. I do hold the watch near my face and speak clearly, but it works well.
Where SVoice falls down is doing things that Google Now/Google Assistant excels at, handling random questions and searches. But that's not really what it is intended for on the watch. (I don't use SVoice on my phone - S7 Edge - at all, so I have no idea how functional SVoice is on a phone compared to Google.)
But for normal watch commands, etc., I can find little fault w/SVoice. I'd like my S3 to have Google Assistant on it, but don't expect that to happen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks much for the feedback.
I really really wanted to like, or even tolerate, svoice on the S3 but in the end, after testing it as realistically as possible in stores, I just couldn't do it. It's a shame as I really love the amazing display and look of the S3.
I ended up using two AT&T promos to get an LG V20 for half price and an LG Watch Sport for $50 (for buying a V20). Still getting used to the watch.... so far the battery life is worse than expected. I'll see how it goes. Google Assistant works surprisingly well, and it was easy to get it to work with my Hue lighting with even needing to do anything on my phone. I do like the watch feels like it could almost be used on its own. I really don't understand why Google didn't at least make a basic Gmail app for it.
Really liking the V20!
Mike
NickWhit1992 said:
I'm having the same thing with my V20. Unlocked and custom ROM. Although, the ROM dev did make a special kernel to work with Root Switch to pass SafetyNet, and I did enable that before setting up AP on the watch. But since, I've had no issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Should mention I'm on stock Android and stock kernel. I'd added my cards before I ever unlocked or rooted my pixel. Maybe that's why I'm able to use it now with the LG watch. I certainly can't add any cards using AP on the Pixel.
That said. I'm returning this dreadful LG watch. Google should be embarrassed to have this as their flagship AW2. So many reasons why it sucks, but the nail in the coffin is the battery life. Such an enormous watch, and Google engineers still couldn't manage to make their code efficient. Had to turn off everything including always on. Sorry, but a watch should always have always on. Period. Biggest reasons I'm sticking with S3---battery, always on, floor/stairs counting, and superior activity tracking in general. Plus, removable band, LTE that works without killing the battery (even more)...and now, WatchMaker is available.
WatchMaker on the S3 is the game changer for me. Now, I have my Tasker integration. So happy.
soundneedle said:
Should mention I'm on stock Android and stock kernel. I'd added my cards before I ever unlocked or rooted my pixel. Maybe that's why I'm able to use it now with the LG watch. I certainly can't add any cards using AP on the Pixel.
That said. I'm returning this dreadful LG watch. Google should be embarrassed to have this as their flagship AW2. So many reasons why it sucks, but the nail in the coffin is the battery life. Such an enormous watch, and Google engineers still couldn't manage to make their code efficient. Had to turn off everything including always on. Sorry, but a watch should always have always on. Period. Biggest reasons I'm sticking with S3---battery, always on, floor/stairs counting, and superior activity tracking in general. Plus, removable band, LTE that works without killing the battery (even more)...and now, WatchMaker is available.
WatchMaker on the S3 is the game changer for me. Now, I have my Tasker integration. So happy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did you get tasker integration! Let me know!!!!
Watchmaker allows me to add buttons and Tasker variables to a watch face. You need the WM app from the play store and also gear store.
soundneedle said:
Watchmaker allows me to add buttons and Tasker variables to a watch face. You need the WM app from the play store and also gear store.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you share an example of doing that in the WM app?
Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
Title sums it up, just curious what those most familiar with the device thinks? Seems to me to be pretty solid device still but I would hate to buy one in the next couple of months and the the S4 drop.
If there is a thread on here like this I missed, my bad. I did search and didnt find one.
Samsung introduced a new model a few weeks ago at IFA rather than update the Gear S3. So the Gear S4 may be a year away. Not much is happening on the Android Wear front, the iWatch still isn't compatible with non Apple devices, the new Fitbit looks like a bust. So there isn't much competitive pressure for Samsung to update it's flagship watch.
After wearing the watch everyday for almost a year, I don't think there is much Samsung can do to improve the hardware, except increase battery life. They could add enhancements to Tizen, encourage more 3rd party app development, improve Gear Manager. But none of this requires new hardware. I don't have a crystal ball, Samsung could do something shocking with the S4 like give it a rectangular screen or make it AW compatible. But I doubt they will do anything along those lines. I think improvements in the S4 will be a minor.
Sounds spot on. Ordering one in the next few weeks....thank you!
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
I had the same dilemma, until I was lucky to discover a weekend offer at Samsung UK online, that had the S3 discounted by 100 pounds. There was the answer for me. So far, absolutely no regrets! BTW, I fully agree with afblangley's post above (#2).
I just got a used S3 frontier with LTE for $190 from eBay ... so I would say now is a good time as the price is coming way down.
Looking into the LTE vs Bluetooth only version. Read several threads and since I have never had the option not to take my phone and stay connected its hard to say if it would be worth it for me personally. The slower or non-existent software upgrades (I am speculating) from AT&T would be a concern. I am not sure I would want to be stuck with bugs and less features as a trade off to have LTE.
If you have the BT version, do not have your phone with you, and are not near a wifi will you get any messages you missed while disconnected the next time you attach to wifi? Im guessing not and the only way you will know about those messages is the next time you have your phone and check...is this correct?
gocats7 said:
Title sums it up, just curious what those most familiar with the device thinks? Seems to me to be pretty solid device still but I would hate to buy one in the next couple of months and the the S4 drop.
If there is a thread on here like this I missed, my bad. I did search and didnt find one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want a good smartwach, buy it. You can wait for s4, s5 and still are without a smartwach. Bought mine yesterday. Was not sure if it is the right decision had s3, s sport and fitbit ionic in mind. Now, after one day I am pretty sure s3 is the right choice.
Gesendet von meinem SM-G955F mit Tapatalk
I was concerned about this as well. Luckily I was given $150 in giftcards to Macy's and I used it on the watch at $299. I gave up wearables when I sold my Series 2 Apple Watch because there was nothing that interested me. Let me tell you, people say the Apple Watch is king, but no no....the S3 is so nice. I've had it less than a week and I LOVE it. It looks great, does all and more than the AW does. I am mostly sad that I didn't get the watch during the 8 months or so I had the S8+ because I think it pairs better with Samsung phones. I have it connected to a V30. It gives all I want it this way though.
Taking into consideration the s3...After selling my trustworthy gear s...
But the gear 2 and neo were launched at mwa at the beginning of the year...February. ..its already November. ..
What are the chances of a s4 launch in February?
According to most reviews gear sport is not a follower of s3..but a part between the gear s and gear fit..
Sent from my GT-N5120 using Tapatalk
Buy a watch with android wear from a brand that care about their customer more than their business plan from their board room.
this laggy ****ty watch need a mayor overhaul. me needed to remind it constantly to connect to simple things like wifi and bluetooth earplugs is making me feel like a retard.
Samsung phones is a no go from S3/S4 cause of the poor quality, now this.
I hate companies making ****, dropping beta software into it and start developing the next gen **** to put beta software into.
Well just bought the Gear S3 Wifi BT. Went to bed 98% woke up 94%. Before I went to bed I turned off the AOD. Then back on during the day. I don't keep wifi on. No clue what "Redman77" is talking about. I LOVE this thing. I have a Android Ware v2. I can understand why some would want Aware vs Samsungs. But "laggy"? I cant see it at all. Customer care.. please.. one can say that about ANY company. So far.. not a problem at all. I feel for those that do have problems.
Android ware v2 didnt offer what I wanted. Walking running driving "speed" sleeping.. yeah.. kicks right in. LOVE THIS watch. Best I have ever had.
And be sure that all of your devices now and future have supported apps ready to roll on tizen.
Realy anoying to find out that android wear have all the goodies and you stuck with old/no supported apps at best, and no app support on others.
Redman77 said:
And be sure that all of your devices now and future have supported apps ready to roll on tizen.
Realy anoying to find out that android wear have all the goodies and you stuck with old/no supported apps at best, and no app support on others.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What kind of goodies? I came from AW 2. Never looked back. The whole UI is much better. And the apps I used are also on tizen. Any specifics? See if I can look into AW in future.
First thing comes to mind is Sonys camera app. And of course a Samsung rep would blame Sony.
But that changes nothing. Software that fewer customers use will always be prioritized last if ever.
---------- Post added at 10:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:06 PM ----------
My wifi connection is not seamlessly going to different networks.
Spotify hangs, need restart of watch.. Not enough to close app from reason apps. Probably related to wifi.. But should start when wifi gets going
First of all, thanks again so much to all of those who helped me with my question of whether I should upgrade from my Gear S3 - your input was greatly appreciated, and my ultimate decision in no way invalidates it - I agree with all of the points you made. But after finally pulling the trigger and picking up a GW4 Classic 46mm, all I can say is... meh.
Nothing about the watch 'wowed' me. In fact, there wasn't even anything that I really liked, unlike my Gear S3. OK, maybe having Google Maps is cool, and I'm sure once we get Google Assistant - but right now, out of the box - meh. Plus, there were too many things that irritated me.
This watch is expensive - even with a $100 Best Buy discount - and that skinny, cheap @$$ed band (in only one size too!) really irritated me (although, TBF, it is comfortable). I've realized the health features are more of a gimmick to me than actually useful features (and the main ones aren't even natively available in Canada).
I hated the look of the Wear interface. I hated that the number pad is not optimized for a round watch like in Tizen. I couldn't find one watch face I really liked. Not one. (And what's with that stupid initial that's always present on the stock watch face, even when you customize your initials??)
I love the punchy, blue Frontier face on my Gear S3 - those mostly greyscale stock GW4 watch faces don't do anything for me. Sure, I might be able to find one from a dev, make one, etc. - but I shouldn't have to, and when I shell out big $$ for a piece of tech, I expect it to have at least something I love, and a few things I really like.
The GW4, at least in it's current state, does nothing (or perhaps more accurately, nothing that I need) that my Gear S3 doesn't do. My Gear S3 will continue to suit my needs just fine for the foreseeable future.
I completely understand why others might like it's design, features, etc. - but, for me, I realize now I was just eyeing it and buying it because it's new and shiny and, for my money, it's got to do more than that. It should at least impress me, 'wow' me somehow, in some way - and it doesn't. It's going back. Sorry guys.
*UPDATE* OK, so - I decided to keep it after all. Well, I did return the first one, but then they went on sale for a lower price in addition to the $100 trade-in discount, so I couldn't resist at that price. And I figured I should give it more time, and see how things go. Not gonna lie, I tried out the Google Maps navigation on the bike today, and was thoroughly impressed, with the directions on my wrist and voice turn-by-turn through my Galaxy Buds - so, finally a 'wow' feature.
*UPDATE #2* GBoard is a treat too - the swipe typing and voice input are so much better/easier to use than T9.
Anyway, thanks again everyone for all the advice, your experiences etc. - let's see how Samsung and Google do with this thing.
Have you heard of paragraphs? I don't think anyone is going to read that unformatted wall of text.
shawkes said:
Have you heard of paragraphs? I don't think anyone is going to read that unformatted wall of text.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, sorry - I guess I'm not used to writing such long posts, and it's kinda hard to break up a rant - but good point, fixed that.
Thanks for the writeup.
Interesting to see everyone's reviews, quite a few have your take on it. Personally, I upgraded from a gen 1 Moto 360 so I this was a definite nice upgrade.
While it would be nice to have Google assistant, I rarely use it (and don't see using Bigby either) so it's not a game changer for me. Love being able to use Gpay on it though. I was having issues with Riru and being able to use Gpay on my phone for a while so being able to pay with the watch was a life saver.
Having upgraded fro Gwa2 to gw4c, I must say that the watch is indeed an upgrade, save for the battery life though. I was charging my Gwa2 every 3 4 days for the first 1.5years of ownership and once every 2 3 days the last months before it died on me while swimming.
Considering tho that I only spent 75euros to get the gw4c 46mm (I got a credit from Samsung for the cost of the Gwa2, instead of them repairing it, which was WAY too perfect for me since it happened one month before the gw4 official release), I can only say good things for the watch; if I could only stretch the battery to charge it every two nights, for the time being it barely makes it.
rmiles7721 said:
Thanks for the writeup.
Interesting to see everyone's reviews, quite a few have your take on it. Personally, I upgraded from a gen 1 Moto 360 so I this was a definite nice upgrade.
While it would be nice to have Google assistant, I rarely use it (and don't see using Bigby either) so it's not a game changer for me. Love being able to use Gpay on it though. I was having issues with Riru and being able to use Gpay on my phone for a while so being able to pay with the watch was a life saver.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I was looking forward to using GPay (in addition to Samsung Pay) as I have a credit card linked to GPay that Samsung Pay won't accept - but it turns out that GPay can't use that card for tap payments either.
I do think Google Assistant will be useful for starting navigation, making calls etc., as it is simply so much better and accurate than Bixby.
thanito said:
Having upgraded fro Gwa2 to gw4c, I must say that the watch is indeed an upgrade, save for the battery life though. I was charging my Gwa2 every 3 4 days for the first 1.5years of ownership and once every 2 3 days the last months before it died on my while swimming.
Considering tho that I only spent 75euros to get the gw4c 46mm (I got a credit from Samsung for the cost of the Gwa2, instead of them repairing it, which was WAY too perfect for me since it happened one month before the gw4 official release), I can only say good things for the watch; if I could only stretch the battery to charge it every two nights, for the time being it barely makes it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know my rant may leave the wrong impression for a lot of folks, so I just want to be clear that there is no question that the GW4 is an upgrade over its predecessors, especially my old Gear S3 - what I was really trying to say is that my Gear S3 does all the basic things I need it to do (notifications and calls while my phone is in my daypack on the bike, and Samsung Pay, even with international phones that can't use Samsung Pay). And I like the look and feel of it and Tizen better.
But beyond that, the folks who provided advice as to whether to upgrade or not were absolutely right, the GW4 is definitely an upgrade - I just struggle with justifying the cost when the Gear S3 does what I need it to do already, and so many things about the GW4 bugged me. Samsung is imitating Apple more and more it seems, and being cheap as f*ck doing it, too (i.e., just compare the Gear S3 box to the GW4, the chargers, the straps - and for less money!).
I should add that battery life and charging times were two areas where I was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting the worst, but I found that the watch charged fairly quickly, and battery life wasn't as bad as I was thought it would be (although nowhere near the 3+ days I get on the Gear S3 of course).
You already know from my previous post I did the same transition and did have similar thoughts about the differences between the Gear S3 and the GW4 but for me it was worth the change. From reading across XDA and Reddit on the GW4 it is definitely not meeting everybody's expectations. There is a good deal of room for Samsung to improve the software (not unexpected for me given the Tizen journey) and this is an area it is not fulfilling expectations. Battery life is another as again there does appear room for better optimisation but I am not very optimistic about that.
More than happy with my transition, the benefits of working Samsung Pay, physical size and feel and fulfilling all the uses I put the Gear S3 to makes it a win for me. The only drawback thus far has been the slightly less (on average about 12 hours less than the Gear S3) battery life.
Getting a £115 trade in for the Gear S3 also tipped the balance in terms of overall value of the change.
Regards
spangelaregreat said:
You already know from my previous post I did the same transition and did have similar thoughts about the differences between the Gear S3 and the GW4 but for me it was worth the change. From reading across XDA and Reddit on the GW4 it is definitely not meeting everybody's expectations. There is a good deal of room for Samsung to improve the software (not unexpected for me given the Tizen journey) and this is an area it is not fulfilling expectations. Battery life is another as again there does appear room for better optimisation but I am not very optimistic about that.
More than happy with my transition, the benefits of working Samsung Pay, physical size and feel and fulfilling all the uses I put the Gear S3 to makes it a win for me. The only drawback thus far has been the slightly less (on average about 12 hours less than the Gear S3) battery life.
Getting a £115 trade in for the Gear S3 also tipped the balance in terms of overall value of the change.
Regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, thank you so much spangelaregreat, your posts were very helpful, especially your review under Review/Comparison (Gear S3) & Mods. I definitely wondered (and still wonder, as I haven't actually made the trek back to Best Buy yet) if I shouldn't give it more time. I may still change my mind, not least because I know you're right, the GW4 is still new, and will no doubt improve rapidly, and I know I might regret it if I take it back. I'll be sure to let folks know if I do. Thanks again!
No problem.
I just rec'd my GW4-44mm late yesterday afternoon. I quickly set it up and swapped out my GA2 for it. I'd agree there's very close to zero wow factor since they are so similar physically, and One UI makes them operate similarly too. I purchased the GW4 because of the things Tizen can't do...namely Google Maps (when you're out walking or biking), Google Pay (my cards aren't supported on Samsung Pay), Google Keep. The display also seems a bit blacker/sharper but it's subjective.
So, it does what I expected it to, but it's a point upgrade. Unlike with Tizen, the watch can actually get better if there are more and different apps.
mickliq said:
I just rec'd my GW4-44mm late yesterday afternoon. I quickly set it up and swapped out my GA2 for it. I'd agree there's very close to zero wow factor since they are so similar physically, and One UI makes them operate similarly too. I purchased the GW4 because of the things Tizen can't do...namely Google Maps (when you're out walking or biking), Google Pay (my cards aren't supported on Samsung Pay), Google Keep. The display also seems a bit blacker/sharper but it's subjective.
So, it does what I expected it to, but it's a point upgrade. Unlike with Tizen, the watch can actually get better if there are more and different apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed - and this is something I was very conscious of as I weighed my decision - that is, as much as I like Tizen, it's a dead end, whereas as much as I dislike Wear OS, it can only (hopefully) get better.
I will be very disappointed however if Samsung and Google don't sort out the bugs, and bring Google Assistant to the GW4.
mickliq said:
I just rec'd my GW4-44mm late yesterday afternoon. I quickly set it up and swapped out my GA2 for it. I'd agree there's very close to zero wow factor since they are so similar physically, and One UI makes them operate similarly too. I purchased the GW4 because of the things Tizen can't do...namely Google Maps (when you're out walking or biking), Google Pay (my cards aren't supported on Samsung Pay), Google Keep. The display also seems a bit blacker/sharper but it's subjective.
So, it does what I expected it to, but it's a point upgrade. Unlike with Tizen, the watch can actually get better if there are more and different apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did you get Google Keep to work, mine just keeps saying syncing?
I didn't do anything special. I went into the Watch Play store, picked "apps on phone", selected Keep (among others), and when I first launched it, it asked me what account I wanted to sync.
Returned mine Watch 4 as well. Not much improvement over my Galaxy Watch 3. It maybe has sharper display, but I would love slightly bigger display area.
carlitos66 said:
Returned mine Watch 4 as well. Not much improvement over my Galaxy Watch 3. It maybe has sharper display, but I would love slightly bigger display area.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would definitely hang on to a Watch 3 for a while - my Gear S3 is 5 years old! I have swapped out the battery though - not sure how easy that is to do on the Watch 3. Yearly upgrades are out of the question for me, regardless.
See my update in the original post above - decided to keep the GW4 after all, and see how it goes.
jtOttawa said:
*UPDATE* OK, so - I decided to keep it after all. Well, I did return the first one, but then they went on sale for a lower price in addition to the $100 trade-in discount, so I couldn't resist at that price. And I figured I should give it more time, and see how things go. Not gonna lie, I tried out the Google Maps navigation on the bike today, and was thoroughly impressed, with the directions on my wrist and voice turn-by-turn through my Galaxy Buds - so, finally a 'wow' feature.
*UPDATE #2* GBoard is a treat too - the swipe typing and voice input are so much better/easier to use than T9.
Anyway, thanks again everyone for all the advice, your experiences etc. - let's see how Samsung and Google do with this thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to agree with you on the Google Maps integration. I did not believe I would ever use this when I got watch. Without even thinking about this I was getting directions on my phone to a destination 3.2 miles from me in Chicago last weekend. I was walking. I was holding up my phone and walking and when I got to the street where I needed to turn at the watch vibrated. I looked at the watch and it showed that I needed to turn. I quickly realized I did not have to have my phone out at all. So nice to just walk along without holding up my phone glancing at my watch whenever it vibrated.
Thankfully there is option to turn off auto launch when driving. To me this is annoying as hell
fliptwister said:
I have to agree with you on the Google Maps integration. I did not believe I would ever use this when I got watch. Without even thinking about this I was getting directions on my phone to a destination 3.2 miles from me in Chicago last weekend. I was walking. I was holding up my phone and walking and when I got to the street where I needed to turn at the watch vibrated. I looked at the watch and it showed that I needed to turn. I quickly realized I did not have to have my phone out at all. So nice to just walk along without holding up my phone glancing at my watch whenever it vibrated.
Thankfully there is option to turn off auto launch when driving. To me this is annoying as hell
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks fliptwister - I'm thinking this will also be particularly useful when travelling and exploring a new city, etc. - not having the phone out in some cities would be a lot safer, as well as easier and less distracting.
BTW, I should receive that AliExpress watch band you posted about by Monday - when I do I'll be sure to upload a pic and let you know what I think in that thread about the bands. EDIT: Just got it, in fact - should be able to post about it in a few minutes.
carlitos66 said:
Returned mine Watch 4 as well. Not much improvement over my Galaxy Watch 3. It maybe has sharper display, but I would love slightly bigger display area.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is where I'm leaning. I'm tempted by the SpO2 sleep monitoring, so I may trial to see if that's accurate enough. But that seems to be the only improvement over GW3. Well, and I'm really interested to see if two of my WearOS apps work, except it sounds like most apps aren't compatible without some development tweaking to work with WearOS3.
So waiting to see if Google/Fitbit have cooked anything up. Otherwise, I guess maybe I'll wait for the GW5...