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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.

Would you keep the Gear S3 over the Huawei Watch?

So I've had a Huawei watch since the end of June, and I love it. I just picked up a Gear S3 Classic yesterday, mainly because I was able to get it for $249. Despite the slightly smaller screen and lower resolution, i love how vivid the Gear S3 screen is.
I keep hearing people complain about the lack of apps for the Gear S3, and how it didn't really live up to their expectations as a whole. If you had the option, would you keep the Gear S3, or stick with the Huawei?

I have the Huawei watch and just ordered a Gear S3 Frontier. For me.... I am keeping both since both have different looks. One is more formal and the other more active (I also have the original gear S if I want to do some serious working out). Anyways for your case between the Huawei vs Classic is very subjective but for ME if I had to choose between them I would say the Classic. Its semi formal so can be used in different scenarios, plus Tizen is a solid system (altho not as customization as android). Tizen its got all you need and nothing more. Think of how many apps do you actually use on your huawei.

ISperfection said:
I have the Huawei watch and just ordered a Gear S3 Frontier. For me.... I am keeping both since both have different looks. One is more formal and the other more active (I also have the original gear S if I want to do some serious working out). Anyways for your case between the Huawei vs Classic is very subjective but for ME if I had to choose between them I would say the Classic. Its semi formal so can be used in different scenarios, plus Tizen is a solid system (altho not as customization as android). Tizen its got all you need and nothing more. Think of how many apps do you actually use on your huawei.
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I really don't use many apps. I'm just sort of bummed i can't use Watchmaker Premium for faces anymore.

I also own the Huawei watch and I'm very pleased with it.
But I've also ordered the Frontier (different design to the Huawei...), because of the rotating bezel and to test Tizen
Unfortunately, I can't get it work with my Huawei MediaPad X2, so I returned it
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=69870240&postcount=2
it seems, that other people/phones have the same problem
http://forum.xda-developers.com/gear-s3/help/setup-gear-s3-frontier-htc-10-t3505529
Maybe, it's possible to fix that by manipulating the build.prop, or similar in the phone, but I don't know, which parameters will be checked by Samsung GearApp for that

I have a Black Huawei since ordering it upon release last year. Walked to a TMo store and got a Frontier the weekend it released. Haven't worn the Huatch since.
I've owned 3 android wear watches, the original square Samsung, the 1st gen 360 and the Huatch. Android wear has not evolved much, and from the 2.0 bits we've seen so far it may not really. It's mostly been meh for me. I've owned all Pebbles and had 5 SPOT smartwatches (anyone remember those?). The Gear S3 wins hands down for me, in usability and watch-iness.
The bezel interaction is the best way to handle things (pun intended).Seriously, Samsung nailed it with this one. No swipe swipe or friggin 'digital crown' silliness.
Just a useable, great and practical UI. Don't care too much about lots of Apps. But Samsung Pay with MST paired with a non-Samsung V20, is the icing on the cake for me.
Sent from a TMo V20

Hello,
I'm very interesting by your feedback because i actually got the Huawei classic for 200€ and Monday I will be able to have the Gear S3 for 300€ + a free band.
The main point is : I have an iPhone 6S.
And actually it's impossible to use the standalone mode on the Huawei Classic (no apps available if you have an iPhone). So I want to get refund for the Huawei and buy the Samsung Gear S3 classic since it looks more beautiful and samsung is investing in iPhone App more than Android with AW2.0 and it's look more compatible.
Do you think it's a good idea ? Or should i abandon and wait for a good price for the Apple watch ?
Thanks,
Regards,

I had the original gear S I Liked it, then I went from that to the Huawei Watch, I liked it but didn't care to much fro android wear. I now have the Gear S3 and I am loving it.

Slash8915 said:
So I've had a Huawei watch since the end of June, and I love it. I just picked up a Gear S3 Classic yesterday, mainly because I was able to get it for $249. Despite the slightly smaller screen and lower resolution, i love how vivid the Gear S3 screen is.
I keep hearing people complain about the lack of apps for the Gear S3, and how it didn't really live up to their expectations as a whole. If you had the option, would you keep the Gear S3, or stick with the Huawei?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its a personal choice that no one else can make for you.. I learned 50 years ago when I got into watches you should buy what 'speaks' to you. In the world of horology their are millions of variations. Not so many smart watches but there is a choice. I didn't think I would like Tizen but after owning the S2 I would never return to Android nor Apple OS
I am sure you will enjoy whatever you purchase but be aware that nothing is perfect, there are always trade offs
Ryland

I own both. Love the Huawei watch for all its features and that I can choose any apps to be my default email and text, plus a lot more as the watch is the best Androidwear IMO. However, since I bought the Gear S3 I've only worn my Huawei once... And that was whole the S3 was charging. I like them both. If I could combine the two of them I would have all the features I'm looking for.

Now that I've experienced Samsung Pay on the Gear S3, I don't think I'll ever consider any other watch brands. The Gear S3 has been the perfect smartwatch for me. Great looks & design along with the cool rotating bezel, all the apps I need from a watch (voice reminders, calculator, weather, timer, notes, phone, messaging, music control), switchable bands, & Samsung Pay. Definite home run from Samsung!
Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

optimummind said:
Now that I've experienced Samsung Pay on the Gear S3, I don't think I'll ever consider any other watch brands. The Gear S3 has been the perfect smartwatch for me. Great looks & design along with the cool rotating bezel, all the apps I need from a watch (voice reminders, calculator, weather, timer, notes, phone, messaging, music control), switchable bands, & Samsung Pay. Definite home run from Samsung!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think I remember you from the old Nexus forums.
Are you using yours with a Nexus or Pixel? I'm planning on picking it up today and pairing with my Pixel. Just wondering what the experience is.

mjs2011 said:
I think I remember you from the old Nexus forums.
Are you using yours with a Nexus or Pixel? I'm planning on picking it up today and pairing with my Pixel. Just wondering what the experience is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good memory! But I no longer have any Nexus phones. Sold them already & I skipped the Pixel. I'm down to just one phone ATM, the GS7E.
Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

Owned a Gear s2 until last week I got the Huawei watch. So far loving how AW handles WhatsApp notifications that I use a lot; that was kinda messy on the s2. Miss the rotating bezel but so far I like the Huawei watch better. More customization; better battery life and while it's subjective; for me at least better looks
Enviado desde mi Nexus 6P mediante Tapatalk

So I bought a Huawei Watch used and cheap. Used it for about an hour and ran back to the Gear S3 so fast.
As annoyed as I am at the lack of continuity when pairing it with the Pixel XL it's just simply a superior product, and Tizen is much better than the mess that is Android Wear. The S8 suddenly looks enticing in a couple months.

AdrianR2016 said:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ROFL "we make a compare"
"three-hundred and eighty million powers"

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

what smartwatch?

Hi guys,
I'm in the market for a new smartwatch to pair with my note 9.I previously owned a gear s3 which i sold when i switched to iphone?.
I know there is the galaxy watch right now but i saw that there is not much of a difference with the old gear s3.
What do you guys reccomend?go for android wear or get the new galaxy watch?
Thanks

I never had a gear S3, but I have the Galaxy Watch. I've been using it for 13 hours and the battery is at 88%. I don't know if the S3 can hang like that. I've changed watch faces 50 times, downloaded a dozen and have been responding to texts and messing around with all day, etc. This is my first smartwatch, I'm beyond happy so far.

Semantics said:
I never had a gear S3, but I have the Galaxy Watch. I've been using it for 13 hours and the battery is at 88%. I don't know if the S3 can hang like that. I've changed watch faces 50 times, downloaded a dozen and have been responding to texts and messing around with all day, etc. This is my first smartwatch, I'm beyond happy so far.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the Galaxy Watch is capable of four days use before charging, sounds like that's holding up easily considering the heavy usage on opening day.
I'd consider it, but I still have a Gear S2 that's rollin' along & even further back, a Gear 2, the latter is my fave, what's not to like in a watch that has a camera & an I-R Blaster, LOL....
JMHO, Samsung rules the Android compatible smart watch world, I've had two Android/Google wear watches & both were a mess, hardware & software.
My main use for smart watches is notifications, beats the Hell outta reaching for the phone on every incoming text or email alert.
Enjoy the new watch.
Sent from my SM-N960U using XDA Labs

I had the s3 frontier until last week and then I purchased the new Galaxy watch on the day of release. I miss the ability to use Samsung pay on any pay terminal since the S3 had MST in it. The Galaxy does look a bit better ( I have the 46mm) but I am not certain it is a worth while upgrade from the s3. Also when they are back in stock at my local BB I will be returning mine due to a battery charging issue (is it ok now) as well a red dot that appeared on the screen after charging stopped. I am still deciding as to swap back to the s3 or give the galaxy watch another chance.

KOLIOSIS said:
I think the Galaxy Watch is capable of four days use before charging, sounds like that's holding up easily considering the heavy usage on opening day.
I'd consider it, but I still have a Gear S2 that's rollin' along & even further back, a Gear 2, the latter is my fave, what's not to like in a watch that has a camera & an I-R Blaster, LOL....
JMHO, Samsung rules the Android compatible smart watch world, I've had two Android/Google wear watches & both were a mess, hardware & software.
My main use for smart watches is notifications, beats the Hell outta reaching for the phone on every incoming text or email alert.
Enjoy the new watch.
Sent from my SM-N960U using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! Its now at 75% with no features turned off except screen timeout at 15 seconds. Wake gestures on and I'm at 75% battery after 24 hours. Still playing with it a lot more than normal once the honeymoon period wears off. I'd say with heavy use I'll get 4 days, maybe more with light use?

I have the Casio ProTrek WSD-F20 in White. Great watch nice and rugged loads of features

Question Galaxy Watch 5 who not be upgrading

So originally I bought the Active 2 44mm on launch this watch served me well, until i upgraded to the Watch 4 44mm again on launch mainly because of Wear OS.
Now with the Watch 5 just around the corner, I feel no compelling reason to upgrade again the Watch 4 does everything i need it to now & tbh once the novelty wore off, i just use the basic features of the watch like notifications & some health features, google pay every now & again & finally showing me the time nothing else.
Splashing the cash again just to use the same features on something that newer seem a waste of money, more so in this current economical climate, so I'll be sticking with my Watch 4 until it's no longer supported or the battery dies which ever comes first.

Same

What do others think of this?
Like you mentioned, once the novelty wears off, one tends to use the same basic functions – all the fitness stuff is put on the back burner.
Everyone and his brother sells a fitness smart watch. What about other users?
I had an interesting conversation with my parents. They are in their 80s. They mentioned a friend who is almost blind. He has watch that speaks the time – what a feature. My mother told me of her neighbor who fell and could not get up. The SOS function would've been great. How about pressing a button and saying: "Bixby, I need help".
The feature I use on my GW4 most, by far, is the alarm. I wish the vibrations were stronger. I could see having two or three vibration motors firing in parallel to make a super-duper strong vibration mode.
I think "fitness" is overdone. Once the novelty wears off – ehh. It would be nice to have a smart watch that targets the features that people actually need.

ixon2001 said:
So originally I bought the Active 2 44mm on launch this watch served me well, until i upgraded to the Watch 4 44mm again on launch mainly because of Wear OS.
Now with the Watch 5 just around the corner, I feel no compelling reason to upgrade again the Watch 4 does everything i need it to now & tbh once the novelty wore off, i just use the basic features of the watch like notifications & some health features, google pay every now & again & finally showing me the time nothing else.
Splashing the cash again just to use the same features on something that newer seem a waste of money, more so in this current economical climate, so I'll be sticking with my Watch 4 until it's no longer supported or the battery dies which ever comes first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here.

It depends. This is, by far my favorite smartwatch that I've owned, out of several. However, the watch is a tad laggy. I don't mind it too much, but I had a ticwatch pro 3 prior with the snapdragon wear 4100, and it had ZERO lag. That thing was just fast. But some things that I use on a smartwatch didn't work well on it, so, it had to go.
So, I guess it comes down to how the new processor behaves and what other features they introduce that maybe the watch 4 can't\won't have. I've read rumors of a thermometer, which would be cool, especially living in the post covid age (we've gotten sick a LOT since the mask mandates and such were lifted, not covid). But it would take a watch that flies, no lag, and something like that and maybe more to sell me for sure.
Another selling point, Samsung typically has great trade in values at launch for previous versions, so, if it were to come down to paying $50 to like $70 for the upgrade, that might sell me too. We'll see in two months!

Sticking with 4
Samsung will have to get their money from someone else, especially given the way they handled Google Assistant.....

I'm not this time around. Just don't foresee any features worth upgrading for. Will wait for the 6.

Depends on the upgrade offers. Upgraded from the Active 2 to Active 4 with very little out of pocket cost, so if I can find a similar deal I might jump on it. If not, I'm happy staying with my 4 until the next generation comes around.

Not planning on upgrading. Maybe the GW6 pro?

Probably check out the Pixel Watch instead...

Not going to upgrade for a while. I usually stay a bit behind to gain access to good deals. Got my galaxy 4 classic 46mm for just 200$

73sydney said:
Samsung will have to get their money from someone else, especially given the way they handled Google Assistant.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just in point. I am deeply dissapointed with GW4 compared to GW3. I expected that moving from Tizen to Wear OS will make new value. That did not happen.
App base for GW4 is much smaller. Assistant not working. Battery life significantly worse.
The other thing is where GW4 software development aims. It aims to develop sport/health features instead of developing smart features: Google Assistant, Whatsapp on watch etc. I mean it becomes more sportband than watch. That is not what I wanted. If I would like to have sportband I'd buy something from Xiaomi for fraction of the price.
I put my eye on Google watch and probably leave Samsung watches at all

I am with those that if I could get a great deal on an upgrade, I may be willing to get one, but otherwise I am happy with the Watch4 Classic I currently have. I have only had it for a few months.

I have an Active2 44mm Tizen and a Watch4 Classic. I was planning to buy Watch 5 Pro.
But latest leaks suggest No rotating bezel and instead big black ugly touch bezel just like the one on my watch active 2 44mm
Now this touch bezel thing seriously destroys the watchface looks because the watchface is not fully expanded to all corners of the screen
I bought a watch4classic 46mm due to this reason and am pretty happy except battery life
and was hoping to see watch 5 pro with rotating bezel.
If there is no rotating bezel. I would rather keep my watch4classic 46mm and buy the Google watch instead
Lately Samsung hasn't been even able to provide watch4 users simple method enough to install a watchface too many things broken on playstore the way app and watchfaces install works is far from satisfactory.
The market has no better option at the moment which is really disappointing

The watch faces for the Watch4 and the Google watch will work the same. They are both WearOS watches.

Well, the trade in after a few months of release makes it no big deal to me.
BUT, I've heard/read that the new 5 "pro" (classic is gone) WILL NOT have
the rotating bezel. Nope! No rotating bezel, no deal.

No rotating bezel is bad. What about reports that claim the watch is"ugly"?

I have a pawn Rolex watches that I pawned a year ago because I didn't have any money at that time, and I needed them urgently. Now I have money, but I don't want to buy my watch back, so I'm thinking about buying a smartwatch from any company. If there are people here who are well versed in smart watches, then I really need your advice. Namely, as a beginner in the world of smart watches, I need a good watch that is suitable for beginners and easy to operate. Every advice is important for me, so I am waiting for your answers. (P.S. I have a thousand dollars for this watch, so I would like to pick up a watch for this budget). Good luck!

Depends entirely on battery life. I can barely squeak out two days of use on the GW4 and that's just awful. If the GW5 can get me back to 3-4 days of use between charges like the GW then I'm totally in.

I am with y'all, if there is no rotating bezel, I would not want to upgrade.
Also, I do not see the point of paying high dollars for a titanium/sapphire watch which will be obsolete before I finish paying for it. It makes sense to pay for titanium/sapphire on an analog watch which will last for many years, but not for something which will have a useful life measured in months.