Help me choose! - Samsung Gear S2

I'm planning to buy a smart watch and I had two options... The Apple Watch and the Samsung Gear S2.
I've been a Samsung fan all my life despite the hiccups that you see every now and then.
After looking at some reviews I decided to go for the S2, BUT!... The fact that the watch doesn't have a speaker came like a shock to me. I don't want to use it to make calls from the watch itself, but I'm talking about notification sounds, alarms, etc... That when I started checking the 3G version of the S2 (which has a built-in speaker) but I can't find an international new one on Amazon.
When I checked Samsung's site, I found that the 3G version is sold by either Verizon, T-Mobile, or AT&T.
I don't live in the U.S. and in my country, the eSim is not supported yet but honestly I don't care about having an independent watch that can make calls without a phone. It would be nice to be able to accept/decline calls from the watch and then use the phone though.
Now that you heard my story, I want to know what to do to get a Gear S2 that has a speaker?
Thanks in advance.

Take the Gear S3

ThinkD said:
Take the Gear S3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought about it but its too big for my wrist... I'm kinda skinny.

zDr4g0n said:
I'm planning to buy a smart watch and I had two options... The Apple Watch and the Samsung Gear S2.
I've been a Samsung fan all my life despite the hiccups that you see every now and then.
After looking at some reviews I decided to go for the S2, BUT!... The fact that the watch doesn't have a speaker came like a shock to me. I don't want to use it to make calls from the watch itself, but I'm talking about notification sounds, alarms, etc... That when I started checking the 3G version of the S2 (which has a built-in speaker) but I can't find an international new one on Amazon.
When I checked Samsung's site, I found that the 3G version is sold by either Verizon, T-Mobile, or AT&T.
I don't live in the U.S. and in my country, the eSim is not supported yet but honestly I don't care about having an independent watch that can make calls without a phone. It would be nice to be able to accept/decline calls from the watch and then use the phone though.
Now that you heard my story, I want to know what to do to get a Gear S2 that has a speaker?
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey there! What phone do you have? If you have an iPhone, I suggest a product from the same company as the device. It's more expensive, but it will work perfectly. But if you have an Android phone, then I suggest the Gear S2 bluetooth, the Huawei Watch or the Moto 360 2gen. It doesn't have a speaker, but the vibration is pretty strong. I personally have a Samsung Gear S2 Bluetooth with a Galaxy S7 and it works perfectly. Also note that if you have an Android phone, you can't use the Apple Watch. Gear S2 is, I would say, for the sportier person. Apple Watch is for the more calm and "elegant" person. Also note that you have to get the 3G Gear S2 from a carrier, because it doesn't have a sim slot, but an integrated non-removable E-Sim, which is kind of a smaller chip than a normal Sim card.
So in the end, ios=Apple Watch and Android=Gear S2/Moto 360 2gen/Huawei Watch. I would highly suggest the Moto 360 2nd generation because you can customize it on Moto Maker. Also be aware that the Moto and Huawei run Android Wear whilst the Gear S2 runs Tizen. There are limitations though. If you want a Gear S2, you need Android 4.4.4 or higher and more than 1.5GB of RAM. If you want an Apple Watch though, it doesn't really do much. Also, Apple Watch runs Watch OS 2.
Hope I helped and I hope you make the right choice.
Fritz_Frigursson
---------- Post added at 10:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:12 PM ----------
zDr4g0n said:
I'm planning to buy a smart watch and I had two options... The Apple Watch and the Samsung Gear S2.
I've been a Samsung fan all my life despite the hiccups that you see every now and then.
After looking at some reviews I decided to go for the S2, BUT!... The fact that the watch doesn't have a speaker came like a shock to me. I don't want to use it to make calls from the watch itself, but I'm talking about notification sounds, alarms, etc... That when I started checking the 3G version of the S2 (which has a built-in speaker) but I can't find an international new one on Amazon.
When I checked Samsung's site, I found that the 3G version is sold by either Verizon, T-Mobile, or AT&T.
I don't live in the U.S. and in my country, the eSim is not supported yet but honestly I don't care about having an independent watch that can make calls without a phone. It would be nice to be able to accept/decline calls from the watch and then use the phone though.
Now that you heard my story, I want to know what to do to get a Gear S2 that has a speaker?
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please note that if you have an iPhone and wish to purchase an Apple Watch, You will need an iPhone 5 or higher. If you have an iPhone 4/4s/3/3gs/1, tough luck because it's not compatible. Sorry.
Hope I helped, Fritz_Frigursson

Fritz_Frigursson said:
Hey there! What phone do you have? If you have an iPhone, I suggest a product from the same company as the device. It's more expensive, but it will work perfectly. But if you have an Android phone, then I suggest the Gear S2 bluetooth, the Huawei Watch or the Moto 360 2gen. It doesn't have a speaker, but the vibration is pretty strong. I personally have a Samsung Gear S2 Bluetooth with a Galaxy S7 and it works perfectly. Also note that if you have an Android phone, you can't use the Apple Watch. Gear S2 is, I would say, for the sportier person. Apple Watch is for the more calm and "elegant" person. Also note that you have to get the 3G Gear S2 from a carrier, because it doesn't have a sim slot, but an integrated non-removable E-Sim, which is kind of a smaller chip than a normal Sim card.
So in the end, ios=Apple Watch and Android=Gear S2/Moto 360 2gen/Huawei Watch. I would highly suggest the Moto 360 2nd generation because you can customize it on Moto Maker. Also be aware that the Moto and Huawei run Android Wear whilst the Gear S2 runs Tizen. There are limitations though. If you want a Gear S2, you need Android 4.4.4 or higher and more than 1.5GB of RAM. If you want an Apple Watch though, it doesn't really do much. Also, Apple Watch runs Watch OS 2.
Hope I helped and I hope you make the right choice.
Fritz_Frigursson
---------- Post added at 10:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:12 PM ----------
Please note that if you have an iPhone and wish to purchase an Apple Watch, You will need an iPhone 5 or higher. If you have an iPhone 4/4s/3/3gs/1, tough luck because it's not compatible. Sorry.
Hope I helped, Fritz_Frigursson
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks Fritz, you really added a lot!
I have a galaxy s5 and I'm planning to maybe upgrade to s7 in the near future (I'm also thinking about the iPhone 7 when it is released) that is why I wana choose the watch first then decide what phone I will buy later.
Since you have a Gear S2, I need to ask you some questions that I hope you have the answers to...
1- I heard that there is a problem that occurs sometimes with daily alarms. Sometimes it won't go off, did that happen to you?
2- Same thing for apps notifications, sometimes it doesn't work on the watch.
3- Can you accept/decline calls in the Bluetooth version then use your phone or a Bluetooth headset to speak?
4- If I get the 3G version somehow while I don't live in the U.S., am I going to be able to use it normally or I'm gonna have troubles with un-needed payments and stuff like that?
Thanks again.

zDr4g0n said:
Thanks Fritz, you really added a lot!
I have a galaxy s5 and I'm planning to maybe upgrade to s7 in the near future (I'm also thinking about the iPhone 7 when it is released) that is why I wana choose the watch first then decide what phone I will buy later.
Since you have a Gear S2, I need to ask you some questions that I hope you have the answers to...
1- I heard that there is a problem that occurs sometimes with daily alarms. Sometimes it won't go off, did that happen to you?
2- Same thing for apps notifications, sometimes it doesn't work on the watch.
3- Can you accept/decline calls in the Bluetooth version then use your phone or a Bluetooth headset to speak?
4- If I get the 3G version somehow while I don't live in the U.S., am I going to be able to use it normally or I'm gonna have troubles with un-needed payments and stuff like that?
Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello again! If you have a Gear S2 with a Galaxy S5, it will work fine. Now, the alarms and notifications will work but you won't be able to visualize everything on your watch, so be aware that you will need to view most of the notifications on your phone. For example, if you have instagram or a social media account (twitter, facebook, ect..) it will say that you have a new notification. If, however, you get a text message (Whatsapp, messenger, hangouts, viber, ect..), you will be able to respond to it with emoticons, pre loaded quick messages or using a classic T9 keyboard (I prefer the T9). The main issue here is the calling. If you do not have a bluetooth headset, you won't be able to recieve or make calls. If you choose the previous Gear (Samsung Gear S), you will be able to insert a nano sim into the watch itself (it has a slot at the back) and make calls, browse the internet or even play games. It's practically a mini smartphone. Anyways, coming back to our Gear S2, if you get the 3G model without contract, you will probably be able to use it bluetooth, but I'm not sure about the calling feature...
Don't get the Apple Watch, but consider the Moto 360 2nd generation. It's roughly the same price but comes with Android Wear. But if you really want a Samsung wearable, consider the Gear S too. It's got a bigger screen, a bigger battery and a speaker so you can make calls. The only con here is that it costs a bit more than the Gear S2, but it has more features. If you want more features but more bulk, get the Gear S. If you want design, lightness but no calling, get the Gear S2. Always consider the Moto 360 2.
Hope I helped, Fritz_Frigursson
---------- Post added at 11:22 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:18 AM ----------
zDr4g0n said:
Thanks Fritz, you really added a lot!
I have a galaxy s5 and I'm planning to maybe upgrade to s7 in the near future (I'm also thinking about the iPhone 7 when it is released) that is why I wana choose the watch first then decide what phone I will buy later.
Since you have a Gear S2, I need to ask you some questions that I hope you have the answers to...
1- I heard that there is a problem that occurs sometimes with daily alarms. Sometimes it won't go off, did that happen to you?
2- Same thing for apps notifications, sometimes it doesn't work on the watch.
3- Can you accept/decline calls in the Bluetooth version then use your phone or a Bluetooth headset to speak?
4- If I get the 3G version somehow while I don't live in the U.S., am I going to be able to use it normally or I'm gonna have troubles with un-needed payments and stuff like that?
Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please also note that the Gear S3 will be launched in September, so look out for that too. That has 3G connectivity, GPS and Samsung Pay. If you want the Gear S2, it's a pretty good smartwatch, but the Gear S3 has more to offer. You can also make calls with the S3.
Also, it comes in 2 variants: Samsung Gear S3 Classic and Samsung Gear S3 Frontier. I would get the frontier, because it has 3G connectivity.
Hope I helped, Fritz_Frigursson

Related

Any sound When Getting Notifications ?

i really want to know from someone who using the Gear s2 watch.
since there is no speaker in the watch , what happen when you get any notification ?
only vibration or do you get a small sound like the apple watch ? or no sound at all
thanks
Only vibration.
that's a huge huge Minus !
warezhunt said:
that's a huge huge Minus !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just keep the audio notifications turned on your phone then.
Or don't get an S2.
Or get the 3g model that has a speaker on it.
Or get all hyperbolic about it.
3g model for sell somewhere ?
and no one knows for sure if the speaker can be used for notification
i am so disappointed from that , so bad
Next month.
does it vibrate notifications if your phone is not around? or does BT need to be available. I cannot figure out if the Gear S2 has WiFi.....
The watch is a disappointment, major step back in their advancements over the years. Was a leader, now a copy cat follower
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk
ld-runner said:
does it vibrate notifications if your phone is not around? or does BT need to be available. I cannot figure out if the Gear S2 has WiFi.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The gear does have WiFi. However I always have my phone so my WiFi is off to save battery.
Only the 3G model,has the speaker. The other models have a microphone for voice to text, voice memo etc.
slyjai said:
Only the 3G model,has the speaker. The other models have a microphone for voice to text, voice memo etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So how does the alarm sound on the watch? Or it doesn't?
Maybe it vibrate on your hand for wake you up , funny watch , why just why Samsung will never do something totally perfect and useful ?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
warezhunt said:
Maybe it vibrate on your hand for wake you up , funny watch , why just why Samsung will never do something totally perfect and useful ?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You mean the 3g version thats coming out next month that has all the missing features that are causing you so much drama?
warezhunt said:
Maybe it vibrate on your hand for wake you up , funny watch , why just why Samsung will never do something totally perfect and useful ?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know what you mean. A lot of their products seem to fall short by a bit. A shame really since Samsung has so much resources at their disposal.
Having a speaker on the non-3G would've been better and the S2 and S2 Classic would've been more wholesome.
I've had my S2 since Saturday & I'll definitely be returning it despite it being the first smartwatch I actually like.
I'll give it a try again when the 3G version comes out.
Sent from my SM-G925P using Tapatalk
JoganJani said:
So how does the alarm sound on the watch? Or it doesn't?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will vibrate, and make the alarm on your device go off. Gear S2 has basically 3 different models. There are many people that do not want to talk on their wrist during calls and can save some money and just get the Classic or Regular model. If you wanna shovel out a few more bucks get the 3G model. Or the original Gear S which I have and love. With those models you can choose to either connect it to your device for calls, or have a stand alone number and or have calls forwarded to the watch if you want. The 3G model is good for people that want to leave their phone at home at times during jogs and can have data on the go. I know a guy that uses his S as a 3G device because he can't bring a phone into his job but the Gear S allows him to receive calls and direct them to his Bluetooth headset if need be.
Been using Pebble before the S2 and the vibration was strong
For the S2, setting the vibration to maximum... I can barely feel it...
Well, to round up a bit, it does not have a speaker and conisdering that the previous watches had it, looks like a step backwards. At the end this market is evolving and both Apple and Samsung are trying to put the right features on their devices. I also have a Gear Neo 2 and frankly speaking you look pretty stupid talking thru a plastic watch on your wrist. It appears that talking over the watch is not a killer feature. I complained about it at the beggining but then I realized that is not natural to talk to your watch, besides you dind't got any privacy dureing your calls. I like the Gear S2 features better. Has a much better integration to the phone and a cleaned up and less buggy software than the Neo 2. The OLED screen is the best in the market for any smartwatch. Finally, regarding the wifi it has some very nice features. First of all it takes the wifi setup directly from your phone. If you set up your phone to access your wireless router, then your Gear S2 is ready to go. Second if you leave your phone at home and are in your office with the watch on wifi, you still get all your text messages, whatsapp, even email on your watch! Thats really cool and useful. Botom line, this reminds me when Palm ruled back in the 90's and declared that the keyboard was dead with their giraffe hand writing technology. Now, 20 years later, we still use these touch screen mini keyboards that force us to correct whatever we type over and over again. A step forward? Does anybody complaint about it? Maybe the same will happen with the idea of use your watch as a phone. Only time will tell...
jvcastel said:
Well, to round up a bit, it does not have a speaker and conisdering that the previous watches had it, looks like a step backwards. At the end this market is evolving and both Apple and Samsung are trying to put the right features on their devices. I also have a Gear Neo 2 and frankly speaking you look pretty stupid talking thru a plastic watch on your wrist. It appears that talking over the watch is not a killer feature. I complained about it at the beggining but then I realized that is not natural to talk to your watch, besides you dind't got any privacy dureing your calls...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I disagree. While using the speakerphone on your watch may seem silly in public, it is infinitely useful when you are driving. I don't use a bluetooth headset as it requires quite a bit of fiddling and keeping an additional device charged is just a pain. I have been using my Samsung Gear 2 for years primarily because of its speakerphone capability, and did not buy the Gear S2 primarily because it was missing the key feature for me.
find my watch use to make a sound when I first got it I know it did but now it does nothing. but vibrate. anyone know if they turned it off in the software and I just never realized it?

Anyone coming from Gear S

I am curious to try smart watch. I am not sure which one to get, gear S or gear S2, How want to know about software expernece. I am okay with Gear S's size and feel S2 is little bit small for me. Please let me know if you have used both.
Don't waste money on the s2 until development of software is. I better s right now is a better buy
Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk
Spend your money on the S2. It's fantastic.
Coming from my beloved Gear S and I love the S2, it's great looking, looks like an actual watch and doesn't attract the attention that the Gear S did, which I didn't mind in the beginning but then got pretty annoyed with, but it was also huge which again I didn't mind cuz I'm a pretty big dude, but it was just a lot of watch lol. I've had the S2 since launch day and love it, only thing I miss is the speaker capabilities, but I'm gonna remedy that by grabbing the 3G model when it drops, I had a phone line on my Gear S, so I'm just gonna swap it over. For me it was a great switch, the apps are slim but I never got into apps on a watch, the functionality built in are what attract me to the Gears and Tizen.
Im with Dmac....I love my Gear S but every morning I wake up and find myself reaching for the Gear S2. The feel of the watch on your wrist just feels right and the flow of the operating system is amazing. Im not a huge app person so what it has right now is enough for me (except I cant wait for Samsung Pay!!). The user friendly notifications and ability to use the rotating bezel to read them just feels right. I also love big watches (30 of 36 watches are 48mm and bigger) so I do love the size of Gear S but it did get annoying with people always saying how big and stupid it looks. Unlike most people I dont need the speaker on the watch so Im ok with always having my cell phone in hand. The only annoying thing with the Gear S2 is S Voice. Samsung needs to update the program to work better and have better voice recognition since it is very hit or miss (mostly miss). The last HUGE plus on the Gear S2 is the battery life. If you make a few tweaks you can make it through a whole day plus as second.....the Gear S is not the same case. I was lucky to make it through an entire day.
Oh I did get a perfect condition refurb Verizon Gear S for $150 so if you can get the same price I did then I would say get both!! LOL!!
Think people just need to figure out if they want a smartwatch or a smartphone on their wrist. Different strokes...
I an on my third Gear. I had the Gear 1, 2, and now the S. IMO, the S2 like the Note 5, went backwards. In the past, when Samsung upgraded those two, I blindly would buy the upgrade on the strength that it has everything the previous model has and more. Not so, with the Note 5 and Gear S2.
The first bad mark, the S2 went down in size..Now, I hear talk of no speaker, OMG. I will give the S2 3g model a try, and that is about it. My Gear S does everything, with it own sim, it really is great. I can leave my phone home, and still good to go. Plus, I can show off my pictures, browse, and all.
IMO, the S2 should have been 25% bigger, about the size of a normal high end sportwatch. All models should have speakers too.
Samsung saved me about $1100 that was money for a Note 5 and the S2.
Bought Gear S new one from ebay for $200. It still has manufactures warranty left on it, will see how it work outs or go get gear s2 in future.
Bought the S2 and I'm happy with it. Just want a round watch with notifications.
Been using the Pebble before that.
Only complain is the vibration is a little weak.
CehowardNote3 said:
I an on my third Gear. I had the Gear 1, 2, and now the S. IMO, the S2 like the Note 5, went backwards. In the past, when Samsung upgraded those two, I blindly would buy the upgrade on the strength that it has everything the previous model has and more. Not so, with the Note 5 and Gear S2.
The first bad mark, the S2 went down in size..Now, I hear talk of no speaker, OMG. I will give the S2 3g model a try, and that is about it. My Gear S does everything, with it own sim, it really is great. I can leave my phone home, and still good to go. Plus, I can show off my pictures, browse, and all.
IMO, the S2 should have been 25% bigger, about the size of a normal high end sportwatch. All models should have speakers too.
Samsung saved me about $1100 that was money for a Note 5 and the S2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. I have just bought a Gear S2 classic and on opening the box I just thought it really needs to be bigger and if that were so it would easily take the place of my Gear S. I don't care about having lots of apps or a speaker but I do care about the size. I probably won't be keeping it.
Sent from my SM-G928F using Tapatalk

Will Gear S2 survive against Android Wear with 3/4G?

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.

First Smart Watch or Upgrading

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

Tizen on the Gear S3 vs Android Wear 2.0 on the LG Watch Sport

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

Categories

Resources