Gear S3 ROM / Apps on S2 - Samsung Gear S2

Hey Guys -
So it seems that unless I'm missing some massive software update, that the integrated app store and many new apps advertised with the S3 are not going to appear on the S2. I understand the "end of life" model, but not for products less than a year old. I don't even know how to install apps without their so-called app store, so it's not like APKs which can be exchanged.
Does anyone know how to get these S3 apps / upgrades on the S2? I wouldn't have asked, but after reading posts about getting Android Wear on the S2, figured mine wasn't as excessive.
Back to "end of life - most tech companies have this policy is some way, but look at iPhone / iPad. Each year, a new major OS version is released which is mostly backwards compatible with older devices unless they simply do not have the required hardware. I don't think this is a flaw they overlooked, but it just makes sense. Unless there is a hardware resource reason why S3's apps cannot be offerred on S2, them stating end of life for my 4 month old watch makes me want to go to a different brand - not upgrade. (not to mention it seems way too large)
So - anyone know if this is remotely possible, have any additional information on this, comments, or whatever else? Thanks!

Related

Getting Gear 2 to work on non Samsung phones

Now that the whole gear series has gone all Tizen on us.. what is the chance that they will work with non Samsung phones?
Is it going to be like now where you just get the Gear Manager apk working on the other phones and you are good to go? or is it going to be more complicated?
Anyone know anything about this Tizen crap at all?
Shouldn't matter. The thing holding back compatibility is that touchwiz is required on phone
so it should work on non samsung phones just like gear 1?
It already works, only a few thing are missing.
Check gear2neo qa subforum for the working gear manager apk !
It works with my nexus but I dont see the camera app on my Gear 2 Neo and I cant install any 3rd party apps on my watch like evernote and zite.
A little useless...
If you don't have a Samsung phone, why not wait on the Moto 360?
EVOme said:
If you don't have a Samsung phone, why not wait on the Moto 360?
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My sister got an s5 and got it for only $50. She just gave it to me for free.
EVOme said:
If you don't have a Samsung phone, why not wait on the Moto 360?
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Moto360 is one of those things that will one day come but no one can say battery will be good. No speaker phone on the Moto360 either.
idle0095 said:
Moto360 is one of those things that will one day come but no one can say battery will be good. No speaker phone on the Moto360 either.
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By the time that notification-only watch comes out, the Gear 3 Solo will land. It's rumored to have its own cellular/data radios.
BlackZenith said:
By the time that notification-only watch comes out, the Gear 3 Solo will land. It's rumored to have its own cellular/data radios.
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Samsung announced an "Android Wear" version of the gear coming this year as well... now I am second guessing this gear 2! =/ ...just after I took the Gear 1 back and waited for this! ...craaazy lol
GermanBrot said:
Samsung announced an "Android Wear" version of the gear coming this year as well... now I am second guessing this gear 2! =/ ...just after I took the Gear 1 back and waited for this! ...craaazy lol
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Based on this video, I wouldn't wait on that if you're wanting a "full feature" smart watch. Besides, I think the resale value of the Gear 2 should be decent when they release another successor. So you could sell the Gear 2 just like you did the Galaxy Gear...
BlackZenith said:
Based on this video, I wouldn't wait on that if you're wanting a "full feature" smart watch. Besides, I think the resale value of the Gear 2 should be decent when they release another successor. So you could sell the Gear 2 just like you did the Galaxy Gear...
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You sound a lot like myself and enjoy all those features that others call "gimmicks". A watch with all the features is exactly why I stuck with the Gear. I wouldn't put it past them to include a front facing camera (even for just the Smart Stay feature alone). But then again, sometimes you have to just stick with something and enjoy what you have. A watch with an IR blaster, Camera, and handling phone calls is a great start for my first... um.. watch? lol... thanks for the advice! =D
p.s. The video just lost some of my interest for Android Wear... thanks for posting that! Im glad Samsung took it to the next level already.
GermanBrot said:
Samsung announced an "Android Wear" version of the gear coming this year as well... now I am second guessing this gear 2! =/ ...just after I took the Gear 1 back and waited for this! ...craaazy lol
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Don't ask me why, but I believe that watch won't be a flagship product as Gear.
It would be like a WP-like device for Samsung. Samsung also makes WP devices, but they hardly give much attention to that compared to Galaxy devices. Why do you think that Samsung wants Android Wear devices to succeed? They have invested in Tizen, and they want to people to buy into that instead of Android Wear devices. This also gives them a big incentive to control the whole ecosystem with Tizen-based devices.
CLARiiON said:
Don't ask me why, but I believe that watch won't be a flagship product as Gear.
It would be like a WP-like device for Samsung. Samsung also makes WP devices, but they hardly give much attention to that compared to Galaxy devices. Why do you think that Samsung wants Android Wear devices to succeed? They have invested in Tizen, and they want to people to buy into that instead of Android Wear devices. This also gives them a big incentive to control the whole ecosystem with Tizen-based devices.
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Thats a good point, but on the other hand, the tables are turned in this case. WP has like what, 4% market share, while Android has around 54% or so? It makes sense not to put too much love into WP. In this case, its the opposite where Tizen is .001% (thats a random guess...lol) and Android is way in the lead.
Luckily they talk to each other nicely, and I am assuming Tizen relies mostly on HTML5 and CSS to run apps so its more widely compatible (correct me there if I am wrong). I just know as much time, money and development they have put into Tizen, I could guess (and this is a guess) that they have already spent at least double in android development. I cant see them dismissing this on the same level as WP.
You did make a good point though, we can all tell they really REALLY want Tizen to succeed. lol
GermanBrot said:
Thats a good point, but on the other hand, the tables are turned in this case. WP has like what, 4% market share, while Android has around 54% or so? It makes sense not to put too much love into WP. In this case, its the opposite where Tizen is .001% (thats a random guess...lol) and Android is way in the lead.
Luckily they talk to each other nicely, and I am assuming Tizen relies mostly on HTML5 and CSS to run apps so its more widely compatible (correct me there if I am wrong). I just know as much time, money and development they have put into Tizen, I could guess (and this is a guess) that they have already spent at least double in android development. I cant see them dismissing this on the same level as WP.
You did make a good point though, we can all tell they really REALLY want Tizen to succeed. lol
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NOTE: This discussion might be OT, but I feel it's important.
You bring up very valid points, I appreciate that. It's good to have such discussions. BTW, Android has around 81% market share (worldwide) according to last IDC numbers.
Yes, Tizen relies of HTML5 and CSS. You have the option to make web apps and also native apps. Gear will (atleast initially) use Web runtime.
The reason why Samsung is investing in Tizen is purely from future perspective. Android doesn't give them total control of the ecosystem. Just have a look at present Android -- Google control Android. If I am brutally honest - the best parts of Android are not open. Google services, apps, maps, youtube, search are not open. You just can't have app store without taking all other google services along with that. Samsung doesn't like that as it limits their chances to create a serviceline of their own. Samsung would love to have have users do everything within their ecosystem. Like after getting a Samsung phone, they would want the users to buy the apps from their store (not Google Play), purchase music from them, rent videos from them etc., So how they plan to do it? They have now tie-ups with Amazon for books, tie-up with Yahoo for various web apps, Nokia Here as default map applications, 7digital, Slacker etc., Samsung also have to think what happens if google decides to keep Android for themselves? or start putting strict conditions to use their services?
Check this Tizen Whitepaper. Some very interesting statements --
Tizen’s open governance – which is designed to prevent any single entity from controlling the platform – will help it avoid the pitfalls of previous broad-based industry initiatives, which ultimately suffered from perceived vendor control.
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Tizen is designed to fill an important gap in today’s smartphone landscape: namely the perceived need for an open platform free from control by a single entity.
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It's not Apple or Microsoft that they are targeting, Google/Android is the target.
Works with Sony Xperia Z Ultra
I can connect with My Sony Z Ultra which is Android 4.3.
But, some functions are not working.
I used Gear Manager from this thread.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2677686
CLARiiON said:
NOTE: This discussion might be OT, but I feel it's important.
You bring up very valid points, I appreciate that. It's good to have such discussions. BTW, Android has around 81% market share (worldwide) according to last IDC numbers.
Yes, Tizen relies of HTML5 and CSS. You have the option to make web apps and also native apps. Gear will (atleast initially) use Web runtime.
The reason why Samsung is investing in Tizen is purely from future perspective. Android doesn't give them total control of the ecosystem. Just have a look at present Android -- Google control Android. If I am brutally honest - the best parts of Android are not open. Google services, apps, maps, youtube, search are not open. You just can't have app store without taking all other google services along with that. Samsung doesn't like that as it limits their chances to create a serviceline of their own. Samsung would love to have have users do everything within their ecosystem. Like after getting a Samsung phone, they would want the users to buy the apps from their store (not Google Play), purchase music from them, rent videos from them etc., So how they plan to do it? They have now tie-ups with Amazon for books, tie-up with Yahoo for various web apps, Nokia Here as default map applications, 7digital, Slacker etc., Samsung also have to think what happens if google decides to keep Android for themselves? or start putting strict conditions to use their services?
Check this Tizen Whitepaper. Some very interesting statements --
It's not Apple or Microsoft that they are targeting, Google/Android is the target.
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Click to collapse
WOW ...kinda speechless on that white paper. It makes sense... so many are putting all their eggs in one basket. That was the semi beauty of Android... you dont like Samsung, and you can leave that brand and as long as your on Android, all the apps and etc you paid for follow you.
Do you think the entire reason Android Wear exists is because it (Tizen) scares the fire out of Google? I mean look at what all Tizen is capable of running from the G1 to G2/N ...the exact same CPU, and hardware... I think this even has a smaller battery than the previous with nearly double battery life. The dots are starting to connect! ...Let the content owners keep the data...(Amazon for books, tie-up with Yahoo for various web apps, Nokia Here as default map applications, 7digital, Slacker etc.,) and not depend on 1 "play/app store" ...regardless of OS...
I almost want to believe Android is so heavy on the resources that this is why they are wanting to "keep it simple"?
GermanBrot said:
WOW ...kinda speechless on that white paper. It makes sense... so many are putting all their eggs in one basket. That was the semi beauty of Android... you dont like Samsung, and you can leave that brand and as long as your on Android, all the apps and etc you paid for follow you.
Do you think the entire reason Android Wear exists is because it (Tizen) scares the fire out of Google? I mean look at what all Tizen is capable of running from the G1 to G2/N ...the exact same CPU, and hardware... I think this even has a smaller battery than the previous with nearly double battery life. The dots are starting to connect! ...Let the content owners keep the data...(Amazon for books, tie-up with Yahoo for various web apps, Nokia Here as default map applications, 7digital, Slacker etc.,) and not depend on 1 "play/app store" ...regardless of OS...
I almost want to believe Android is so heavy on the resources that this is why they are wanting to "keep it simple"?
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It's an interesting topic, but I sometimes feel it could get boring for other folks. But following are my own views in this topic:
1] Google would want all vendors simply following their guidelines and simply fighting on the basis of price (similar to laptop vendors). Just look at computers - everything runs Windows and with very little chance of customization. Vendors like HP/Lenovo/Dell simply compete on price or or make more powerful hardware. But look at the profit margin in that industry. Only Microsoft makes money from PC business! That's a cold hard fact. Google wants to do same in mobile space what MS did to desktop computers. Difference is that MS sold software, google wants to engulf everyone in their web services.
2] Samsung doesn't want to be a generic mobile vendor, say like those Chinese companies. The moment Samsung become like everyone else, why would you pay premium for Samsung phones?? That's exactly how Apple is able to always demand premium price for their hardware. At all times, they sold decent hardware with unique software. Samsung knows if you can't be different/unique in this market, you would be left to play the price game. And very soon, the profit margin will decrease to bare minimum.
On Tizen, I think it's pretty good foundation that they have. If you check Tizen 3.0 UI, you will see that they have also adopted flat UI design (Sept 2013 information). We will know which way this is going by Q2. First Tizen phone is supposed to come out by that time.
This is Tizen 2.2. 3.0 is supposed to be come by Q3.
Johnnynho said:
I can connect with My Sony Z Ultra which is Android 4.3.
But, some functions are not working.
I used Gear Manager from this thread.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2677686
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Click to collapse
Have you gotten 3rd party apps to work on your Gear 2? I mean do you have access on your device to Samsung Apps so you can download apps made for gear 2? I got Nexus 5 and all i can use are the default pre installed apps.
hawksking said:
Have you gotten 3rd party apps to work on your Gear 2? I mean do you have access on your device to Samsung Apps so you can download apps made for gear 2? I got Nexus 5 and all i can use are the default pre installed apps.
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No. Haven't got 3rd arty apps to work as I also don't have Samsung Apps on my Sony Z Ultra.
For me, some pre-installed apps are missing such as Call Log and Media Control. Do you have on your Gear 2?

[Q] Is Note Pro 12.2 Dead?

I like my Note Pro 12.2 but it seems to me that Samsung has given up on this device? Any thoughts?
What makes you believe that?
Sent from my SM-P900 using Tapatalk
No updates or anything new about this device. Just my perception...real or otherwise.
dodo99x said:
What makes you believe that?
Sent from my SM-P900 using Tapatalk
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First off it has always been my experience that samsung tablets get fewer updates than their phones do, and that it's worse with US carrier variants of a Samsung tablet.
With Google updating their core applications via play store updates these days the frequency of device updates doesn't concern me much. This tablet is stable and quick so I'm satisfied with what I have for now. I'm looking forward to an update to touchwiz but that won't likely happen until well after Android L comes out.
I don't know if this is obvious to everyone but many manufacturers tie significant software updates to product releases to give the new products some thunder. I wouldn't expect an update to the rest of the Note line until the Note 4 is out on the street. The same thing happened to the Note 10.1 2014 which saw a stall in updates while this tablet was being released and got its KitKat update after the Note Pro hit the streets.
This thing already ships with 4.4.2. There is no newer Android version. And there is no point in an update if there is nothing to add and nothing severe to fix. It's that simple.
4.4.3 won't come out until the Note 4 ships with it. After that, it's the S5 first, then the Note 3 and S4, and then the rest. And unless 4.4.3 adds something special for tablets, don't expect it to be rolled out to any tablet immediately.
Samsung's 4.4.2 is a pretty mature build, no big updates are needed. We probably won't see an update till Android L (5.0?) rolls out. And yes all Exynos 5420 devices will get upgraded. My suggestion is to stop worrying about updates and just enjoy your device.
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dodo99x said:
And yes all Exynos 5420 devices will get upgraded.
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I'd never use the words all or definitely in anything having to do with Samsung. The N10.1-14, Pro's, and S's are all using near identical h/w yet all are running different versions of TW with different feature sets and varying versions of Samsung's s/w (EG: My Files, S Note, etc.) Lately, updates seem to be focused on the OS rather than bringing newer or more current functionality to older devices. The Note II didn't get any of the Note 3's enhancements, the N10.1 any of the N10.1-14's, and the N3 didn't get any of the SGS5's; even though they are all running 4.4.2. Hell, Samsung's rolling the updates they do provide out at a snail's pace with the N10.1 and N10.1-14's 4.4.2 update still missing from many markets even though the initial release was months ago.
The N12 was most likely always intended to be a niche device. All the market analysis says 8-9" tablets are now the sweet spot going forward with sales slowing down considerably across all sized tablets based on phablets being bought (especially in Asia) as alternatives. Samsung's tablet strategy over the past year has been bizarre. The N10.1-14 was announced and shipped in November of last year without nary a leak of its impending arrival. Then the Pro's were announced with much fanfare and the less than four month old N10.1-14 never mentioned again by Samsung. Then four months after that the S' orphaned the Pro's.
So it doesn't seem Samsung's tablet sales strategy is that solid and now between Wi-Fi, 3G, and LTE versions of multiple 8ish", 10.1" and 12.2" tablets all running different versions of s/w they've created a quagmire when it comes to updates; especially considering each of those tablets is also running different s/w across God knows how many regions each.
It would certainly make sense based on its selling price that the N12 would be a front runner for updates but its sales volume is well below other newish Samsung tablets. Samsung's logic appears random (did anyone expect the over two-year old N10.1 to receive 4.4.2?) hence avoiding terms like all and definitely.
Thank goodness the software and hardware these days is better than the first couple of generations of tablets.
Sent from my SM-P900 using Tapatalk
BarryH_GEG said:
It would certainly make sense based on its selling price that the N12 would be a front runner for updates but its sales volume is well below other newish Samsung tablets. Samsung's logic appears random (did anyone expect the over two-year old N10.1 to receive 4.4.2?) hence avoiding terms like all and definitely.
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And nordic one, N8000, is still missing that update - it is still running 4.1.2 - althought 4.4.2 came already on may in Germany.
There is no logic with Samsung. And im not going to follow that illogical train anymore...
Sent from my phone - Note 10.1 (N8000)
BarryH_GEG said:
I'd never use the words all or definitely in anything having to do with Samsung. The N10.1-14, Pro's, and S's are all using near identical h/w yet all are running different versions of TW with different feature sets and varying versions of Samsung's s/w
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Google has already released Linux 3.10 kernel config files for Exynos and Qualcomm SOCs. Work has already started to bring Android L to our devices.
http://www.xda-developers.com/android/google-experimental-3-10-defconfigs-msm-exynos-tegra/
Sent from my SM-P900 using Tapatalk
dodo99x said:
Google has already released Linux 3.10 kernel config files for Exynos and Qualcomm SOCs. Work has already started to bring Android L to our devices.
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Google releasing s/w Samsung could use in their development has nothing to do with the update schedule for existing devices. Exynos 5433 is already out. It's more likely to appear with Android L first and in a new device. The results of Samsung's access to new Android code and the timing of existing devices receiving it via an update has always been piss poor. What's changed?
BarryH_GEG said:
Google releasing s/w Samsung could use in their development has nothing to do with the update schedule for existing devices. Exynos 5433 is already out. It's more likely to appear with Android L first and in a new device. The results of Samsung's access to new Android code and the timing of existing devices receiving it via an update has always been piss poor. What's changed?
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This is why I have never believed the rumors of the Nexus line being discontinued. I can't imagine android development continuing without a vanilla device build out in the wild unencumbered by all of the bull$h!t antics of not wanting the updates of software on one device to affect the initial sales of a new one. At least that's the impression samsung puts off; for all I know there's only a couple of developers on staff and they aren't allowed to develop for anything BUT the next device.
Sent from my SM-P900 using Tapatalk
muzzy996 said:
At least that's the impression samsung puts off
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I agree. Add to the business practice of forcing people to buy new devices to get the latest OS and/or Samsung features that they couldn't have possibly created a more complex s/w eco-system for they themselves to maintain. They release a slew of devices back-to-back in hopes that some "hit" and sell in droves. In the wake of that strategy are hundreds of devices, in Wi-Fi, 3G, and LTE, each with regionalized s/w.
Using the 12.2" tablets, with and without S Pen, as an example, there are probably hundreds of s/w versions to support. So business practices aside rolling out a world-wide update to a single tablet line becomes a nightmarish process. They did it to themselves and it's going to bite them in the ass some day. As an example, I'd normally be first-in-line for the Note 4. As it stands, my N3 and N10.1-14 have pretty common s/w between them which makes bouncing and sharing between them pretty easy. I'm not getting a Note 4 because the odds of my N10.1-14 every being common with it s/w wise is a million to one. And performance wise there's nothing wrong with either of them. Maybe if there's a N10.1-15 that's common with the Note 4 I'll get both but unlike in the past where there were huge gains to be had in moving to Samsung's "next big thing" there really aren't anymore. And with the high-end in tablets and smartphones maturing people thinking like I do will kill Samsung's earnings. Love the products; particularly the Note-series. Becoming less and less a fan of the company every day.
Say it ain't so Barry . . . I'm waiting on the Note 4 to switch to from my Nexus 4. You really think I may have issues between the two (Note 4 and my Note Pro?). Truth be told other than having synced dropsync folders for Lecturenotes I'm not entering into the Note 4 with the expectation of sharing things between the two devices. BTW I have no intention of ever getting rid of the nexus 4 at this time LOL. I'll switch between the two phones.
BarryH_GEG said:
Google releasing s/w Samsung could use in their development has nothing to do with the update schedule for existing devices. Exynos 5433 is already out. It's more likely to appear with Android L first and in a new device. The results of Samsung's access to new Android code and the timing of existing devices receiving it via an update has always been piss poor. What's changed?
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Click to collapse
Well I remain hopeful that the update will occur. However, I don't understand the need to be on the very bleeding edge of Android versions. With my experience with my Nexus 7, Nexus 10 and Nexus 5, they usually introduce more bugs than they fix.
As long as Samsung fixes any current bugs in 4.4.2, my device can keep chugging along with this version. Going to 5.0 might open up a can of worms that may make the device much less stable and a pain to use.
http://www.techradar.com/news/phone...l-5-0-release-date-when-can-i-get-it--1257804
Sent from my SM-P900 using Tapatalk
muzzy996 said:
Say it ain't so Barry . . . I'm waiting on the Note 4 to switch to from my Nexus 4. You really think I may have issues between the two (Note 4 and my Note Pro?). Truth be told other than having synced dropsync folders for Lecturenotes I'm not entering into the Note 4 with the expectation of sharing things between the two devices. BTW I have no intention of ever getting rid of the nexus 4 at this time LOL. I'll switch between the two phones.
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Click to collapse
Everything will probably still be compatible but newer versions (EG: S Note, My Files, TW) will have different interfaces, menus, and controls. I don't want (personally) to have to jump between different products that more than likely do the same thing. My N3 and N10.1-14 still have menu capacitive buttons which I'm use to. Having one device with a task capacitive button and the other a menu button would drive me crazy. I'm a productivity user and having to think about doing the same thing differently across my devices would drive me nuts. So I'll upgrade in pairs or not at all. Think about the N10.1-14, Pro's, and S'. With the exception of M-UX being omitted from the N10.1-14, they all are functionally equivalent. Yet all are running different versions of TW with different (by age) versions of stock s/w. What bothers me may not bother others but intentionally leaving older (but still current) devices behind feature wise doesn't strike me as a way of retaining customers. How many people will ditch a $600ish tablet and buy a new one just to get a newer version of s/w? Especially when 95% of what both do is common? Samsung's logic baffles me some times.
Anyone figured out rooting
anyone figured out rooting i got this device 1 week ago cause i liked my note 3 allot but can i use the same method to root it like my note 3 i used towelroot for my note will this also work on my pro 12.2:good:
Is it dead? far from it. If anything, the recent and continued price drops are building the market share for this device. I ddon't think it has even begun to come close to what it's eventual user installed base is going to be. Dont let the lack of Samsung updates worry you
Not a chance
This thing is way too powerful and just plain awesome to be dead. The bloat ware is a resource hog but fix that and you have one of the best devices I have been lucky enough to call myself an owner of.
There are always updates that we want but what issues are you facing specifically that have you waiting for an update. Just curious because mine has really been impressive from day one, and i have owned all 3 note phones and now the Pro so I wasn't expecting to be too impressed.

Future of Gear S series and Tizen

So my question is basically will the future watch (or watches) from Samsung will be also using the Tizen system and will Samsung continue to support and the devices?
Or will it be like in other experiments where after a couple of versions the company moved to a different system and abandoned the old one.
I am asking this because i have been burned before with the HTC HD2 (LEO) that came with win6.5 and lost support after about a year (give or take) luck would have it that it could be outfitted with android and be used for a few more years but i don't think that this will be the case with watches.
So do you guys think that there is a future to Tizen and that the app store will continue to grow and improve and Samsung will continue to update the software? or will it switch for example to androidware next year and we might be stuck with a 400$ unsupported outdated watch that gets no new apps what so ever. (windows even closed down the app store for the win 6.5 at some point)..........
Hope to hear your thoughts o the matter before I go and buy one
It's tough to say... We're in a very weird spot. I would guess the Gear S3 is probably the best selling wearable, most desirable and IMO, most well rounded smartwatch. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like developers are knocking the door down to create apps. The scary part is, the S2 has been out for a while and it doesn't seem like much has been accomplished. Let's hope that these developers see the value in the S3 and we can get some basic apps added.
tnt2sniper said:
It's tough to say... We're in a very weird spot. I would guess the Gear S3 is probably the best selling wearable, most desirable and IMO, most well rounded smartwatch. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like developers are knocking the door down to create apps. The scary part is, the S2 has been out for a while and it doesn't seem like much has been accomplished. Let's hope that these developers see the value in the S3 and we can get some basic apps added.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tizen is an experiment - not much promotion by Samsung. The watch is a beautiful piece of hardware but as usual, Samsung is being devious - there is NOT 4 Gb of memory available but only 1.5 Gb - the rest is taken up by bloat - watchfaces that many won't use, S-Health that cannot be removed, etc.
Typical - they think they know what we want and never listen to customers - IMHO, these watches will (are?) not gaining market traction and are a solutoion looking for a problem to solve. Maybe some folks just want notifications, SMS, Email and not how many steps they walked today?
docfreed said:
Tizen is an experiment - not much promotion by Samsung. The watch is a beautiful piece of hardware but as usual, Samsung is being devious - there is NOT 4 Gb of memory available but only 1.5 Gb - the rest is taken up by bloat - watchfaces that many won't use, S-Health that cannot be removed, etc.
Typical - they think they know what we want and never listen to customers - IMHO, these watches will (are?) not gaining market traction and are a solutoion looking for a problem to solve. Maybe some folks just want notifications, SMS, Email and not how many steps they walked today?
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Click to collapse
I've had my S3 for a few weeks now and love it but I have to admit that after having several Android watches, the support for apps is so much better. With the S3, you are pretty much stuck using all Samsung apps which sucks.
docfreed said:
Tizen is an experiment - not much promotion by Samsung. The watch is a beautiful piece of hardware but as usual, Samsung is being devious - there is NOT 4 Gb of memory available but only 1.5 Gb - the rest is taken up by bloat - watchfaces that many won't use, S-Health that cannot be removed, etc.
Typical - they think they know what we want and never listen to customers - IMHO, these watches will (are?) not gaining market traction and are a solutoion looking for a problem to solve. Maybe some folks just want notifications, SMS, Email and not how many steps they walked today?
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Click to collapse
Unfortunately it is not just Samsung that does crap like that (forced apps etc). Even Pebble had watch faces that you couldn't remove if you wanted. Most every phone/tablet has bloat you can't remove. I don't understand this mentality and why they won't let the user make their own decisions, I guess they think we are all too dumb to know what we want. Maybe users aren't vocal enough and since no one complains they keep doing what they do thinking everyone likes it.
I have an issue with the S3 where when not connected to phone I get that distracting watch icon that ruins the look of watchfaces and can't be turned off. I guess Samsung never thought anyone would use the watch without being tethered to the phone constantly even though they allow it to be used standalone. I suppose they also never thought putting a big white icon over the 12:00 position on all faces would bother anyone, go figure.
As far as Tizen who knows I guess it depends on how easy it is to port to it from android and how popular it gets. Apple watch OS is only Apple and they succeeded being a separate OS.
I have been wondering the same. Whats the future of this platform? The gear s2 has been out for a while, and still pretty much the same. I mean not even google has any apps for tizen. What if this is a dying platform? What if once android wear gets next big release, samsung decides, oh we are done with tizen?
Sent from J's Droid
InfiniteDrag said:
I have been wondering the same. Whats the future of this platform? The gear s2 has been out for a while, and still pretty much the same. I mean not even google has any apps for tizen. What if this is a dying platform? What if once android wear gets next big release, samsung decides, oh we are done with tizen?
Sent from J's Droid
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Welcome to Blackberry OS10 and Windows Mobile!
That is exactly my point...
I mean the watch looks beautiful and I think it's one of the best looking smart watches out there, and I also love the bezel use.
I had experience with Windows Mobile and Windows 8 rt and this is why I am not buying the watch yet.
I don't buy and don't intend to buy a new watch every year, I replace watches only when needed or every several years and I am kinda of scared on spending almost 400€ ( I live in germany) on a watch that will become irrelevant and not useful in a year or less.
Just like the HTC hd2 was replaced by an android version after less then a year ....
A big problem I see is our community is very scattered. Basically, I migrate between xda and android central. I've had android wear and after having this watch, I really don't want to go back, but unfortunately will have to of the app selection doesn't grow. I use this watch as a standalone sometimes and I need certain apps.
Man i dunno. I guess we probably have to just wait and see. If samsung sees money in this thing, they might invest enough. And who knows. Wish we had a way to attract developers for tizen.
Thank you all for the answers
I guess that at least for now i will remain on the fence.....
I cant afford and nor do I want to spend almost 400Euro's on a watch that I will need to replace in a year because of lack of support and lack of development......

Is there any cutom ROM development for the Gear S3? If not, why not?

I have browsed around briefly in the Gear S3 section of the xda Forums but in general, there does not seem to be much activity in the area of ROM development for the Gear S3. (Just official ROMs?)
Is there such as a thing as "root" for the S3 and and any sort of development like we see on Android based phones?
It seems that Samsung has little interest in listening to their customers and bringing missing functionality to their Tizen based watches, or at least addressing some of the issues that some of us have.
It would be great to see custom ROM development for the S3 as this might allow Devs to bring additional functionality and also to address some of the issues that some of us have.
Byte_76 said:
I have browsed around briefly in the Gear S3 section of the xda Forums but in general, there does not seem to be much activity in the area of ROM development for the Gear S3. (Just official ROMs?)
Is there such as a thing as "root" for the S3 and and any sort of development like we see on Android based phones?
It seems that Samsung has little interest in listening to their customers and bringing missing functionality to their Tizen based watches, or at least addressing some of the issues that some of us have.
It would be great to see custom ROM development for the S3 as this might allow Devs to bring additional functionality and also to address some of the issues that some of us have.
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Click to collapse
There wasn't even any development for the original gear. The closest we got was getting a CM version of android on the watch. I doubt there will be any development for the s3.
Being a smartwatch, therefore having limited application compared to a smartphone, I don't expect much in terms of custom ROMs.
One thing I'm starting to ask myself is whether the hardware would support an Android Wear OS, considering that AW 2.0 has just been released.
Not that I'm unhappy with Tizen (I have the Gear S3 since three weeks only after all); the available apps satisfy my current needs, and I have no software issue at all. I'm just curious.
BTW what would a Tizen rooted smartwatch do, compared to a non-rooted one ?
sandrinopi said:
Being a smartwatch, therefore having limited application compared to a smartphone, I don't expect much in terms of custom ROMs.
One thing I'm starting to ask myself is whether the hardware would support an Android Wear OS, considering that AW 2.0 has just been released.
Not that I'm unhappy with Tizen (I have the Gear S3 since three weeks only after all); the available apps satisfy my current needs, and I have no software issue at all. I'm just curious.
BTW what would a Tizen rooted smartwatch do, compared to a non-rooted one ?
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Yeah, at some point people will start talking about android wear on the gear s3 but i doubt that kind of port will be successful. It hasn't been in the past and also consider that Google said that android wear 2.0 will not work with android pay "if you use nfc payments" if you have a rooted phone. Samsung Pay may not even work since it's baked into the Gear app and will probably experience syncing problems. Rooting Tizen wont give you much more than the capability of adding custom ringtones, nothing major at this point
We don't need a different rom for the gear s3, we need apps and at some point Samsung has to pay some attention to this because i'm tired of supporting this company and not being able to do some very basic things that a smart watch like this should be able to do.
sandrinopi said:
One thing I'm starting to ask myself is whether the hardware would support an Android Wear OS, considering that AW 2.0 has just been released.
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Click to collapse
I don't think anyone is going to invest the time trying to port AW into the S3, because it's easier to do the reverse- copy the S3 form factor. I predict one of the major watch manufacturers is going to release an AW 2.0 watch that looks like the S3, including the rotating bezel (since 2.0 easily accommodates that).
sandrinopi said:
Being a smartwatch, therefore having limited application compared to a smartphone, I don't expect much in terms of custom ROMs.
One thing I'm starting to ask myself is whether the hardware would support an Android Wear OS, considering that AW 2.0 has just been released.
Not that I'm unhappy with Tizen (I have the Gear S3 since three weeks only after all); the available apps satisfy my current needs, and I have no software issue at all. I'm just curious.
BTW what would a Tizen rooted smartwatch do, compared to a non-rooted one ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A rooted device would basically let the user do what they want with the watch. Basic annoyances could be corrected. Things like getting rid of pre installed apps/watch faces you don't use, get rid of standalone icon on watch faces, being able to re arrange ALL icons to where you want etc could then be done. So instead of Samsung dictating what and how things are installed you could have more flexibility to do what you want how you want.
That's all I want. Root, removal of stock apps, replace with the ones I want.

View apps without Gear S3?

Before I buy the Gear S3 I'd like to see the apps available to it.
I'd be disappointed if I spend 400 euro and find very few usable apps.
Is there a way to see them?
I tried within my browser, but it sends me to the Samsung Store.
I tried with the gear app, but I need to connect first.
Completely agree with the need to be able to see the apps from a computer's browser. I posted about this is another thread yesterday. At least in my Gear S3 app on my phone, the fonts are very light and wispy making it hard to read the descriptions. And sometimes the phone is elsewhere and I'm at the computer reading about apps and I would like to look for them.
In addition, I find it somewhat surprising that the Gear S store does not offer a refund within a reasonable time after purchasing if the app does not really meet my needs.
If your satisfaction is dependent on the app library, the S3 isn't the watch for you. There are a limited number of apps available. That's not really a problem because there are a limited number of functions that can be efficiently done on a 1" screen. Those who are happy with the S3 appreciate how well it performs those functions. Whether that's a result of the Tizen OS or Samsung's manufacturing skill is besides the point. AW watches have a potentially larger app library, but the hardware is less well executed. The smartwatch scene is evolving, if you want less compromise, check the market in 6 months.
afblangley said:
If your satisfaction is dependent on the app library, the S3 isn't the watch for you. There are a limited number of apps available. That's not really a problem because there are a limited number of functions that can be efficiently done on a 1" screen. Those who are happy with the S3 appreciate how well it performs those functions. Whether that's a result of the Tizen OS or Samsung's manufacturing skill is besides the point. AW watches have a potentially larger app library, but the hardware is less well executed. The smartwatch scene is evolving, if you want less compromise, check the market in 6 months.
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You couldn't say it better.
It isn't really the satisfaction, but if you can't do basic tasks with such device it isn't worth it.
But I'm wearing my S3 after its second charge already
afblangley said:
If your satisfaction is dependent on the app library, the S3 isn't the watch for you. There are a limited number of apps available. That's not really a problem because there are a limited number of functions that can be efficiently done on a 1" screen. Those who are happy with the S3 appreciate how well it performs those functions. Whether that's a result of the Tizen OS or Samsung's manufacturing skill is besides the point. AW watches have a potentially larger app library, but the hardware is less well executed. The smartwatch scene is evolving, if you want less compromise, check the market in 6 months.
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Click to collapse
I agree with most of what you said but I think there could and should be many more useful apps available. It's one of the few downsides to the Gear watch line. It's sad because it really doesn't have to be this way. I also think Samsung should let people view available apps through a PC or laptop like the Play Store does. Again, there is no good reason for not being able to do so.
afblangley said:
If your satisfaction is dependent on the app library, the S3 isn't the watch for you. There are a limited number of apps available...Those who are happy with the S3 appreciate how well it performs those functions.
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Sorry to dig up an old thread, but I would also like to know what apps I can use before I decide which device to purchase. Being limited may or may not be a problem. Hard to make a decision with no info...

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