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Hey everyone! First of all I didn't see a Q&A forum so if this is in a bad spot sorry about that.
So I have been wanting to get a smartwatch and i have been stuck on deciding between the Sony smartwatch 2 and the Pebble Steel.
I have been looking everywhere, reading and watching reviews, but no one ever gives a good opinion on which is better. It seems like they end up weighing them out as even. For the Sony sw2 with the metal wristband it is currently $199 with free shipping. The Pebble Steel is $249 with free shipping that takes several weeks (so the site says) and may include import taxes.
I am currently using a Nexus 4, enjoy some small development, mainly looking for practical use, with a nice look.
Currently I am leaning towards the pebble steel. I don't know guys. Please share some of your opinions and thoughts, it would be appreciated!
Thanks!
Sony Smartwatch 2 FTW
babanomania said:
Sony Smartwatch 2 FTW
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Whats your reason behind that? Have you used both? And do you have the metal or silicone band?
I have the SW2 and have tried the Pebble, and while the Pebble is a great device that lasts a good deal of time, I prefer the touchscreen and colorful display of the SW2. The app selection is not that great, but it has all that I need and then some. If you are using the Sony made Gmail notifier app, prepare for some battery drain on your phone. None of the other apps I have used really cause that much of a drain if any.
mikeydubbs said:
Hey everyone! First of all I didn't see a Q&A forum so if this is in a bad spot sorry about that.
So I have been wanting to get a smartwatch and i have been stuck on deciding between the Sony smartwatch 2 and the Pebble Steel.
I have been looking everywhere, reading and watching reviews, but no one ever gives a good opinion on which is better. It seems like they end up weighing them out as even. For the Sony sw2 with the metal wristband it is currently $199 with free shipping. The Pebble Steel is $249 with free shipping that takes several weeks (so the site says) and may include import taxes.
I am currently using a Nexus 4, enjoy some small development, mainly looking for practical use, with a nice look.
Currently I am leaning towards the pebble steel. I don't know guys. Please share some of your opinions and thoughts, it would be appreciated!
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a hard question to answer. Unfortunately, right now the Smart Watch market is in the very beginning stages in commercial availability and functionality.
For the most part, the Sony and the pebble do the same thing...and seem to do it well. In this case, the option really boils down to color or black and white screen. I have both the Pebble (1st edition) and the Sony SW2... The Sony quickly replaced the Pebble when it arrived. I loved the color screen, Android UI, and build quality. I felt that the pebble was outdated technology being in B&W and was a toy in comparison. I used the Sony for a few months...to be honest, I really wasn't impressed either. The watch face was really big and overwhelming. I did feel that the functionality was decent, but customization was very limited. Disconnects were prevalent every day and many times I missed notifs all together. I also experienced constant slow downs and extensive lag that could only be fixed by a restart.
Now...once I got the SmartQ Zwatch... my impressions and overall acceptance of the smart watch device changed. After a few firmware upgrades from SmartQ, the Z became my daily driver. Amazing considering I expected the LEAST from the Zwatch.
But this was almost 6 months ago now...for you the situation is different. Now we have devices like the Omate Truesmart, SimValley AW420/421.RX, and ZGPAX S5...dual core, full featured power houses. And with Google and Apple expected to release their stab at the Smartwatch...it's a tough time to commit to one.
My recommendation to you...is really try to figure out what your wishlist is for a SW. How will you use it? Will you need a full function device? I know this can be a difficult thing to do since you most likely don't know what your expectations are.
My advice is to start small. Buy something that has all the functionality you want....see if you like having a vibrating wrist. Some people hate it! Look at the Zwatch...it's only $99...fairly feature rich for that price with 4gb of storage, WiFi, BT, KitKat 4.4 and a great screen. With all the other possible devices hitting the shelves soon, it won't be long before you'll be looking to upgrade.
How this helps.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
I've had the same disconnect problem with sw2, but I fixed it by changing the oom values. You need a rooted phone to do that. Mine has 1gb of ram.
Sent from my LT30p using Tapatalk
mghtymse007 said:
This is a hard question to answer. Unfortunately, right now the Smart Watch market is in the very beginning stages in commercial availability and functionality.
For the most part, the Sony and the pebble do the same thing...and seem to do it well. In this case, the option really boils down to color or black and white screen. I have both the Pebble (1st edition) and the Sony SW2... The Sony quickly replaced the Pebble when it arrived. I loved the color screen, Android UI, and build quality. I felt that the pebble was outdated technology being in B&W and was a toy in comparison. I used the Sony for a few months...to be honest, I really wasn't impressed either. The watch face was really big and overwhelming. I did feel that the functionality was decent, but customization was very limited. Disconnects were prevalent every day and many times I missed notifs all together. I also experienced constant slow downs and extensive lag that could only be fixed by a restart.
Now...once I got the SmartQ Zwatch... my impressions and overall acceptance of the smart watch device changed. After a few firmware upgrades from SmartQ, the Z became my daily driver. Amazing considering I expected the LEAST from the Zwatch.
But this was almost 6 months ago now...for you the situation is different. Now we have devices like the Omate Truesmart, SimValley AW420/421.RX, and ZGPAX S5...dual core, full featured power houses. And with Google and Apple expected to release their stab at the Smartwatch...it's a tough time to commit to one.
My recommendation to you...is really try to figure out what your wishlist is for a SW. How will you use it? Will you need a full function device? I know this can be a difficult thing to do since you most likely don't know what your expectations are.
My advice is to start small. Buy something that has all the functionality you want....see if you like having a vibrating wrist. Some people hate it! Look at the Zwatch...it's only $99...fairly feature rich for that price with 4gb of storage, WiFi, BT, KitKat 4.4 and a great screen. With all the other possible devices hitting the shelves soon, it won't be long before you'll be looking to upgrade.
How this helps.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
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This is exactly what i was hoping for from a reply, thanks!
I dont think i would mind the black and white screen, and i feel like the steel would take away from the "toy" feeling. But as you said, it is still early for the smartwatch generation. All that im really looking for is an easy way to see notifications, flip through music, and as i would think/consider basic functionality. Ill have a look at some of the ones that you mentioned!
i have been watching reviews on youtube for these
honestly they seem pretty cool but i would probably wait until they get the technology up to speed with the vision.
they seem more like notification centers for you to then check your phone
and not as much SMARTPHONE
they are missing some key stuff
FULL COLOR
AND TOUCH SCREEN
camera
actual ability to talk on the phone and message back.
that is the major issues
i have with pebble.
sw2 seems slightly better to me
but both im sure are cool to play around with
I'm not really sure you want what you think you want. You'll never be able to put as much functionality on your wrist than you can in your pocket. It makes too much sense to let the wrist device extend the pocket device. It's still useful for situations like driving and shopping, even if you can't do everything with it. A microphone would be nice though.
Sent from my LT30p using Tapatalk
tacotester1 said:
i have been watching reviews on youtube for these
honestly they seem pretty cool but i would probably wait until they get the technology up to speed with the vision.
they seem more like notification centers for you to then check your phone
and not as much SMARTPHONE
they are missing some key stuff
FULL COLOR
AND TOUCH SCREEN
camera
actual ability to talk on the phone and message back.
that is the major issues
i have with pebble.
sw2 seems slightly better to me
but both im sure are cool to play around with
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are apps available for the pebble to send text messages
I don't know of an app that you can actually type a text from for the Pebble though. SW2 you can.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk
Testingchip said:
I don't know of an app that you can actually type a text from for the Pebble though. SW2 you can.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk
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Its called wrist ponder
mikeydubbs said:
Its called wrist ponder
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I think the writer above said that you write the sms with your watch, not preloaded sms, but actually you write the sms with your watch from the start. Doesnt Wristponder work on the way, that you have to write sms with you phone, like "ill be there in 5min" and use these preloaded sms to answer.
Sent from my Galaxy Note 10.1 (N8000).
The "which one should I get?" question is one that is difficult to answer and likely to get different answers depending on which form you asked. I am sure the folks in the Pebble will give you valid Pebble recommendations in their forum, same for Gear, AI, HOT, Onate, etc. Here, you will get SW2 recommendations.
I looked at all and chose the Sony obviously. There were/are things about each design I liked and disliked. I like the community aspect of the Pebble and the greater number of apps/extensions available to customize the watch, especially the watchface. I like the build quality and looks of the SW2, and the ability to use touch instead of buttons. Plus most of the functions I need are covered by the available extensions. My biggest gripe continues to be the limited number of watchfaces... I envy the complete customization available with the Gear (eg. recreating a high-end watch face like a Bell&Ross, Omega, Breiltling, etc). And even the Pebble offers way more and way more functional watchfaces... eg. one that shows time, weather, and notification counts).
Ultimately, I think the real winners will be the next gen of true "smart" watches. Whether its the gear 2, or something like the Omate. Where you can completely customize with ROMs and add functional apps from the Play Store. I don't know if cameras and calls are that big of a deal, but I really think the smartwatch has to be more than a notification window and more of a smartphone extension.
My two cents... discounted as usual.
I say the smart watch 2!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using xda app-developers app
mikeydubbs said:
Hey everyone! First of all I didn't see a Q&A forum so if this is in a bad spot sorry about that.
So I have been wanting to get a smartwatch and i have been stuck on deciding between the Sony smartwatch 2 and the Pebble Steel.
I have been looking everywhere, reading and watching reviews, but no one ever gives a good opinion on which is better. It seems like they end up weighing them out as even. For the Sony sw2 with the metal wristband it is currently $199 with free shipping. The Pebble Steel is $249 with free shipping that takes several weeks (so the site says) and may include import taxes.
I am currently using a Nexus 4, enjoy some small development, mainly looking for practical use, with a nice look.
Currently I am leaning towards the pebble steel. I don't know guys. Please share some of your opinions and thoughts, it would be appreciated!
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was in the same dilemma few days back and I chose Gear instead of SW2. Reason being simple. Now with the launch of Gear2, we can get Gear at the price of SW2 if not less. You get more features with Gear. And its cool too. If you check Gear forum, you can see the Null ROM which has added more features to Gear than the stock OS. With Null ROM, you can connect it to any device and not just Galaxy range. Check it out and decide. Try to see all 3 at the same time and see which one you like. End of the day, you are not gonna spend 24hrs of ur time seeing notifications. Its gonna act as your watch so check how comfortable are you wearing one and how it suits you. For the usage you mentioned, all 3 serves the purpose.
All the best! Gonna place my order for Gear next week
Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk
I used to have first Sony attempt to a Smartwatch and the experience was horrible (few years back).
Now, I played with Gear, SW2 and Pebble and, let's put it simple: my money went to Sony's SW2. Is far from perfect but, considering the price, is a very good quality/price ratio. If you ask me which smartwatch is the best nowadays I would say: TOQ ... it has by far the best display - but that is expensive.
Functionality wise - they are all the same: a simple notification extension to your smartphone.
When I was growing up my dad always wore a wrist watch. On the few occasions he ever took it off, it looked like he was still wearing something around his wrist due to the absense of the massive tan he got from working outside.
I think a wrist phone is a great idea, but wouldn't buy one unless it could actually function as a phone. I personally hate wrist watches, but would start to like them if I could remove the phone from my pocket, and I'm sure a lot of others would too.
Ha, I just got my Gear 2 and started wearing it when I take my daily walk. The first thing I thought of was that this was going to mess up my tan.
JimSmith94 said:
Ha, I just got my Gear 2 and started wearing it when I take my daily walk. The first thing I thought of was that this was going to mess up my tan.
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How shallow are you people...
They should hand these out at the park - save my eyes :laugh:
vulcanvillalta said:
As a Vulcan, I don't see the point of tanning, aside from fulfilling your human need for vitamin D. Tan lines are no indication of a man's character.
The usefulness of this watch clearly compromises the curiously vogue impression of the importance of attractiveness.
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The importance of attraction is different to people in this day and age, for some people, they feel a lot better mentally when they know they're looking good.
Don't Think It Is Possible
fuzzy7k said:
When I was growing up my dad always wore a wrist watch. On the few occasions he ever took it off, it looked like he was still wearing something around his wrist due to the absense of the massive tan he got from working outside.
I think a wrist phone is a great idea, but wouldn't buy one unless it could actually function as a phone. I personally hate wrist watches, but would start to like them if I could remove the phone from my pocket, and I'm sure a lot of others would too.
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I don't think this would be possible. With the moving parts and displays on the watch, it would be impossible for it to be tan through. But it is a great idea!
I too think that is a good idea.
JimSmith94 said:
Ha, I just got my Gear 2 and started wearing it when I take my daily walk. The first thing I thought of was that this was going to mess up my tan.
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Honestly I do not recommend you to use the smartwatch under the scorching sun for too long, I think that the screen may be affected
fuzzy7k said:
When I was growing up my dad always wore a wrist watch. On the few occasions he ever took it off, it looked like he was still wearing something around his wrist due to the absense of the massive tan he got from working outside.
I think a wrist phone is a great idea, but wouldn't buy one unless it could actually function as a phone. I personally hate wrist watches, but would start to like them if I could remove the phone from my pocket, and I'm sure a lot of others would too.
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Click to collapse
I don't understand so many things about this. You're right that this would be popular; I've read a lot of people making the same comment, but why?
A. Full Android watches with SIMs and everything have existed for years. If that's what you want why don't you have one already?
B. The whole point is to be able to to have a personal area network with a single control unit managing the experience across all of your contacted devices, not a series of independent devices each vying for your attention in a disjointed way. Think of the watch as an extension of your existing phone that you can access without having to pull the phone out of your pocket, enter your pin, find your app, and finally do an action. This also allows the watch to offload the heavy processing tasks to the powerful device you already have in your pocket 99% of the time. What good is having your phone, and a second, less powerful processor in your watch both running 100% of the operations in parallel?
Rather look pasty white than have skin damage, in the worst case skin cancer is not very attractive.
Incognitum said:
I don't understand so many things about this. You're right that this would be popular; I've read a lot of people making the same comment, but why?
A. Full Android watches with SIMs and everything have existed for years. If that's what you want why don't you have one already?
B. The whole point is to be able to to have a personal area network with a single control unit managing the experience across all of your contacted devices, not a series of independent devices each vying for your attention in a disjointed way. Think of the watch as an extension of your existing phone that you can access without having to pull the phone out of your pocket, enter your pin, find your app, and finally do an action. This also allows the watch to offload the heavy processing tasks to the powerful device you already have in your pocket 99% of the time. What good is having your phone, and a second, less powerful processor in your watch both running 100% of the operations in parallel?
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Click to collapse
The reason your logic isn't working is because you assume that people would still carry a second device. Not everybody wants a powerful device because not everybody plays games, or surfs the internet or other things that require a larger screen.
Another question similar to the one you are asking is, why would people buy a tablet when their phone can already do everything and more than it can do.
If there was a choice between a pocket phone with an optional wrist device, or a wrist phone with an optional reading device, a lot of people would go for the smaller, highly mobile wrist phone.
It wouldn't interfere with mobility and it would be readily available.
Something else that may be bogus, but would probably factor into some people's decisions is that it would distance the RF source from reproductive organs.
Ziago said:
Honestly I do not recommend you to use the smartwatch under the scorching sun for too long, I think that the screen may be affected
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will it really be affected? i mean all the gears are out there... and there are to be worn and designed most of the time and probably under scorching sun?
I also thought this seemed like a good idea, Android on your wrist. So I bought a cheap one to see.
I got one from Chinavasion(can't posts links yet obviously). The one I got was the "3G Android Watch Phone 'FineWatch' - MTK6577 Dual Core 1GHz CPU, 2 Inch IPS Screen, 4GB ROM, 8GB Additional Memory" because it seemed to have be biggest screen and the best hardware of the no-name ones.
But the android version is horrible on the device, and I kinda wanna install a new one. Watch can't log on to my google account, due to it not understanding the 2-step vertification procedure. And it has no Google play, browser doesn't show any images when browing play.google.com etc. All-in-all horrible, is there a way to fix this by installing a more normal version of Android? Like without bricking it or using the old version?
Can someone point me in the right direction to make this watch the best I ever wore?
I got the gear 2 just a few months ago and prior to that I had the Galaxy gear 1, which I still think is good. The Gear 2, not the Neo, got a lot of things right. I'll go over several of the reasons why I'm keeping the Gear 2 and why it's my preferred wristwatch, even moreso that my Rolex Submariner.
1 - It's a watch, not a cellphone. Most people expected "smartwatch" to be the same thing as "smartphone". Once you adjust your expectations to something more realistic, you find out that it's really a great watch.
2 - The Gear 2 is much lighter than my Rolex, Suunto and even my Patek Philippe.
3 - It's a more accurate watch than all my other watches. Even though Rolex may say "officially certified chronograph", It's actually not that accurate. Any Seiko quartz watch is more accurate. Read up on that if you don't believe me! Mechanical watches have a way bigger margin of error over 24 hours than most quartz watches. Quartz technology is VERY accurate. Not too sure about the oscillator in the Gear 2 but I bet it's a pretty good one which is far better than any mechanical ones.
4 - Price; I got mine for $250 CDN. Some people may say that's pricey. Sure, if you compare that cheap digital watches. My Suunto which I use for freediving is $400! My Casio G-shock is $118 and doesn't do 1/3 of what the Gear 2 does. And don't even ask about the price of the Patek Philippe. Thank god I won that one during the president's club competition. Even most mid-range watches are in the $200-$300 range these days and don't have the prestige of the luxury swiss watches or the features of the Gear 2. You get a lot of "bang for the buck" from the Gear 2.
5 - Battery vs. winding. My swiss watches are mostly self winding "perpetual" watches. Yes, they keep going and going... so long as you wear them. If you put it down for 2 days, it runs out of energy and you can't tell time. Surprisingly, my gear 2 still has some power left over after 2 days of inactivity and it can still tell time... accurately. Given that my swiss watches cost hundreds of times more and do far less for a modern connected person like myself; it's a much better choice if you can put aside the luxury watch snob factor. I really like showing off my Patek Philippe and it's spinning balance wheel at the bottom. It impresses a lot of people. But after a day where I couldn't check my messages, make messages, phone calls and so on, I really miss my Gear 2.
6 - The changeable wristband is a godsend. I have 3 wristbands besides the original; a large rubberized one which I wear when going skiing, my el-cheapo just to prove the point that for $15, you can class it up and a really nice stainless steel (heavy one) which I just got. It's so easy to change wristbands on this watch. Much easier than any other wristwatch I have, even my cheap plastic ones. Kuudos Samsung
7 - Button on the front. This is one area where samsung has it right and Apple will get it wrong. The Gear 1 had it on the right side which is just wrong. Not too bad when you use your right hand to press but for those who like the watch on the right wrist, you find yourself putting your hand over the screen when pressing the button or using your thumb instead of your index finger; which doesn't work quite as well. As a golfer I can tell you that a crown on the right side of a watch is a pain! This is where Apple will really get it wrong. When you swing and you pronate and supernate, you'll find the crown snags on your glove. That's why most left handed golf watches are built with the crown on the left. Samsung go it right by putting the button on the front.
8 - Size, this thing is smaller than most Breitlings and even smaller than my Patek Philippe. So while it is larger than most watches, even the square and rectangular ones, it's by now means unwieldly.
9 - Camera; It takes decent pictures and for really quick snapshots, it's far faster than reaching for your phone. I just double press the front button to get to camera mode and then I can snap. Great for those "did you see that?" moments
10 - Heartrate monitor; not as accurate as the HR monitors on my gym equipment or even those blood pressure monitors but it does the job pretty well most of the time.
11 - IR blaster; ok, this thing is really cool! I was changing the TV at a bar and nobody knew it was me. It's very discreet. I even have the "power off" app which is great when there's just too much noise. As far as I know, the gear 2 is the only one with such a thing. I don't even need my phone to use it either.
12 - Built-in apps; this thing comes with so many right from the factory it's really good value. Think about it: Dial the phone, call a contact, check the weather, get notifications, for almost any app on the phone, play music and videos directly from the watch, control the media player on the phone, record voice memos, voice controls, pedometer, heart rate, sleep tracker, exercise tracker. reply to text messages, check my schedule for the day, tomorrow etc, stopwatch, timer. That's a LOT of things that you can do from your wrist.
13 - Autonomous apps; A lot of people get this part wrong. They think the watch has to be constantly tethered to the phone. This is not the case. Many apps require the phone to work because of internet connectivity or GPS but there are lots of apps which don't. Once you're paired with your phone, power off your phone and try some of these: Pedometer, Heart rate, Exercise (except hiking and biking which require GPS), camera, Gallery, music player (and videos), sleep tracker, stopwatch, timer, IR remote, voice memo and of course, the watchface itself. That's a lot of things that regular watches can't do.
14 - Lots of apps; Yeah so there isn't 1 Million apps in the app store. But like I said before: this is a smartwatch, not a smartphone. You don't really need an app store that has 50,000 different variations of a LED powered flashlight. Yes. I wish there were more apps but given that the gear 2 hasn't even been around for a year, the samsung app store gives a pretty decent choice of apps. Lets not forget that some apps just aren't suited for your wrist. Do you really want to play angry birds on this thing? I already have a solitaire game and I barely use it because it's just not right for my wrist. Developpers are still trying to figure out what works and what doesn't on a wrist.
15 - Some apps, really work well though. Some of my favorites: anti-sleep alarm which is really useful for late night driving. Meternome which I use all the time when playing guitar. Calculator, I mean duh right? Casio had it back in the '80s. Alarm, especially the vibrate part so I don't wake up my wife. Swing by Swing golf; this is actually pretty damn good for us golfers. Runtastic, strava, bike computer, bike; all apps that are really handy for a cyclist. I just can't choose which one is the best for me. xbmcGear to control my media boxes (goes really well with IR remote), Expedia, which I always use when travelling. It knows everything about my bookings. DSLR remote, comes in handy with my Nikon 300. Calendar, of course! If you've got a clock, this is the next logical choice. A lot of these apps can work autonomously as well!
I could go on and on. The only downsides to this watch are that I have to plug it in about every 2 days and I need to press the button to see the time. I turned off the "wake on gesture" to save the battery. Still, charging is really fast; it's usually fully charged in 30-45 minutes. Nice!
As an owner of many watches, from high end Swiss luxury watches to cheap plastic digital quartz, I can tell you that this is currently my favorite for everyday use. And since I "get it" that this is a WATCH and not a "PHONE ON MY WRIST", My expectations were REALISTIC when I got the Gear 2 and I've been pleaseantly surprised by the Gear 2 and everything it can do.
How do the others stack up? Well, the Android wear ones seem to be lacking a lot of what the Gear 2 has; no camera, no speaker, no IR blaster etc. The Apple watch? Well the whole "you must ABSOLUTELY be tethered to an iPhone for ANYTHING to work" is a turn off for me. Not to mention the stupid crown AND button on the right side which will piss off many people wearing it on the right wrist and any golfer wearing it on their left. The Gear S? Well, the simm card thing is cool but deleting the camera and IR seems like it's taking away some useful tools I've gotten used to. The Gear 2 isn't the best, but it's really hard finding others which have better functionality and features. All the "better" options out there always seem to be missing something that the Gear 2 has.
Oh! forgot to mention this: Music player on the go!
I use the music player with connected Bluetooth headphones all the time. The Gear 2 has 4GB of storage so lots of room for plenty of music when I work out. I retired my iPod shuffle once I got the bluetooth headphones (Beats). That note 3 is just too big when I'm out jogging or at the gym.
I do this 2-3 times a week and having the music player secured on my wrist, where it can't fall off, and no wires to get caught up in, is much better at the gym. SO MUCH BETTER!
Have to agree.. I also love my Gear 2. Currently the best available iteration of smart watch rather than the recent set of Android wear smart watches without speaker or IR.
The speaker feature is great when you are alone driving in the car. Even playing the songs from gear 2 in low volume while sleeping really works for me. Hope it had a sleep timer thought
I have to say, i miss my gear 2. I went and traded mine for the gear s and there are days where I really wish I still had the gear 2.
Then I remember:
Every recent up date to gear manager I had to reset the watch.
Every time I really needed the camera to work
(Taking a pic of our parking spot at WDW, couldn't even do that because it was stuck in macro mode)
Drop the watch from my wrist taking it off and boom it quit working (This happened to 2 watches)
The gear s has not had any of these problems.
I definitely will keep my gear 2 once I upgrade to the gear s just for the camera alone. Only smart watch avaliable with a camera! Awesome sauce!
Started on the Neo, then tried various Android Wear watches, was waiting for a deal on the Gear S but then got a deal on the Gear 2 do happy, excellent battery life, looks super cool, love the call and camera functions.
For me it is the right balance of apps and notifications. I feel others try to almost make your mobile redundant with apps.
I find with the Gear 2 I barely take my phone out of my pocket. For me only annoying bits are S Voice is too limited and would be perfect with some WhatsApp quick reply function.
Sent from my SM-G900F using XDA Free mobile app
I love my Gear 2 and even with the Gear S available, I'll still stick with gear 2, unless they make a gear S 2 with a camera LOL
Pro's - well, almost everything has been said by the OP so let's keep it that way
Usage:
Fleksy Messenger - no need to pull up my huge slate Tab S 8.4 to read/reply to messages
Music App - paired up with Gear Circle, I could be on the go with music.
Gear alarm (app store) - does what it says. vibrates and does not wake up the one sleeping beside you lol
Stay awake( app store) - useful when driving during the night, you need to make weird circular gestures to turn off the alarm, keeps you awake
Instant Setting (appstore) - toggles phone state mobile data, wifi, bluetooth, silent/vibrate etc.
launch gear (app store) - toggles apps before pulling out my slate, use? so that everything is loaded even before I open the tablet
although the gear 2 with it's tizen OS lacks app count, it is usable enough on a day to day basis,
turning off the wake up gesture will save the battery bigtime, last me 5 days in one charge only using it to respond to sms and to check time.
overall, a $200 investment is worth it especially to those who wield device like me
Enjoying mine to the max
after having the original Gear, and installing the Tizen update, I really thought that I wouldn't need a Gear 2.
Discovering one barely used on eBay for a bargain price in the UK, swayed me enough to take the plunge...and I'm so glad I did!
The Gear S took my fancy, but I was amazed at how much I had come to rely on the camera for quick pics and video. The fact that these appear on my phone, then, through dropbox, appear everywhere, means iMovie on my iPad mini is a doddle!
That is 'my' usage case anyway. I use the stock fitness apps a lot and with the heart rate monitor, which can be accurate enough, I find this little gem of a watch becoming more and more useful.
The IR blaster for the tv is cool, the odd occasion when your hands are full and your phone rings (yes, a well placed 'swipe' with your nose will answer that important call on your wrist, and I'm actually enjoying using S Voice(although its gone bloody quiet again) for its message replies, appointment creation and task/memo reminders has made me realise that this really is a neat little package!
Looking through the app store, I'm seeing a few good apps come through, like Gear Navigator, S Alarm, BeatObox, Notepadd ++ and Notifications Wear style(alought this last one is still a WIP), there seems to be people willing to invest time in this device.
Now it is true that I am intrigued by the Apple watch (I am platform agnostic, owning both iOS and Android), but I know for a fact that if CES 2015 brings a Gear 3 with upgraded features, or the hint of a Gear S2 with a camera.....I'd stick with Android!
The only thing to date that has kept me from jumping on the Android Wear platform is the lack of sound/feedback/ no external speaker!
Well thats my thoughts on the watch....anyone else?
actually...thats not all...Has anyone else lost Fleksy messenger etc since upgrading Gear manager....they just dont seem to exist any more on the app store???
Zeuserx i REALLY APPRECIATED your post!!!
i am in a difficult moment. i own gear 1 but i NEVER modded it...... and BLOCKED the tizen update because i don't want tizen.
in my future i would find the time and skills to put a custom rom... why? just 2 things..... to use a record video with unlimited time...especially using a SPY app like SecretVideoRecorder that record/take picture while SCREEN IS OFF!!!
but............... i recently found a used gear2 and:
1) i prefer that do have CHANGEABLE bands, because what if i RUIN my gear 1 band? i noticed replacement parts are not so cheap.
2) it's more compact, but i have to ask you if the SPEAKER PERFORMANCE is the same of the gear 1. i ask it because i think gear 2 uses less space and SMALLER HOLE to thespeaker compared to gear 1
3) i REALLY.....(and really!) like the IR blaster feature!! i'm a native PRANKSTER.... i like jokes.... and i would use the ir blaster lots of time and ok, sometimes just to really use it at my home.
but really.....................i could buy the gear2 only for THIS FEATURE!!!!!
but..... i find just 1 cons:
does not have a ROM with full android. just like nullrom. is it a big problem? i don't understand if with tizen i CAN INSTALL my preferite app/apk ( secretvideorecorder for example......) or not.
if i CAN install secretvideorecorder..... i'm in!
Speaker is fine. I can have a decent conversation on the phone in most enviornments except those which are just REALLY too loud, like a bar.
IR blaster is not only fun but also useful. As in my post: if you don't like what's on TV at a bar, just a few presses and you'll have total control of the TV. and since it's on your wrist, it's pretty stealth. Not to mention that the average joe just doesn't know that you can change TV channels with a watch. hehehe. I use it at home too. "Time to go to bed!", I just swipe 3 times, click the remote app, click power. "Awwww!!!!!" . "I said: bed time !"
I use the camera all the time when shopping. I take snaps of items to research, barcodes etc. Sometimes even videos. And I do this even when my phone is nowhere nearby. YOU CAN'T DO THIS WITH AN APPLE WATCH!
Still the best smart watch on the market
---------- Post added at 10:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:33 PM ----------
Shame Samsung only start great ideas but never finish them
Went to the Apple store to buy my sister a Watch as a present, so pretentious and whats with the you cant actually buy a watch in store and have to book an appointment to try one on ???
Third time playing in store with the Apple Watch - i don't like it, small screen, too busy, crap battery life and expensive.
Then it dawned on me, unlike bloody Samsung, Apple won't abandon this model and already updating it and building up more apps.
I still like not love my Gear 2, but really getting sick of Samsung's ditch the product after 12 mths, less in some cases (thats mobiles and wearables).
I had gear 1, and returned it. Just last week got gear 2 over gear s. Like it, but the experience would be better if s voice was more robust (faster and more features) and there were good apps.
I remember the gear 1 had snapchat, and I thought I was able to share pics. This was a good watch, samsung should of kept the OS
The best thing about gear 2 right now is that it's better battery and lot more responsive than gear 1...
Who cares about android on my wrist? Actually I do because that is were the development market is. This is why apple watch is going to be a killer in about 1 year.
I may return the gear 2? It's frustrating to not have s voice working. Google voice is soooo much better. I'm tempted to try to get android wear on my gear 2 if the camera works
---------- Post added at 02:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:12 PM ----------
Zeuserx said:
I got the gear 2 just a few months ago and prior to that I had the Galaxy gear 1, which I still think is good. The Gear 2, not the Neo, got a lot of things right. I'll go over several of the reasons why I'm keeping the Gear 2 and why it's my preferred wristwatch, even moreso that my Rolex Submariner.
1 - It's a watch, not a cellphone. Most people expected "smartwatch" to be the same thing as "smartphone". Once you adjust your expectations to something more realistic, you find out that it's really a great watch.
2 - The Gear 2 is much lighter than my Rolex, Suunto and even my Patek Philippe.
3 - It's a more accurate watch than all my other watches. Even though Rolex may say "officially certified chronograph", It's actually not that accurate. Any Seiko quartz watch is more accurate. Read up on that if you don't believe me! Mechanical watches have a way bigger margin of error over 24 hours than most quartz watches. Quartz technology is VERY accurate. Not too sure about the oscillator in the Gear 2 but I bet it's a pretty good one which is far better than any mechanical ones.
4 - Price; I got mine for $250 CDN. Some people may say that's pricey. Sure, if you compare that cheap digital watches. My Suunto which I use for freediving is $400! My Casio G-shock is $118 and doesn't do 1/3 of what the Gear 2 does. And don't even ask about the price of the Patek Philippe. Thank god I won that one during the president's club competition. Even most mid-range watches are in the $200-$300 range these days and don't have the prestige of the luxury swiss watches or the features of the Gear 2. You get a lot of "bang for the buck" from the Gear 2.
5 - Battery vs. winding. My swiss watches are mostly self winding "perpetual" watches. Yes, they keep going and going... so long as you wear them. If you put it down for 2 days, it runs out of energy and you can't tell time. Surprisingly, my gear 2 still has some power left over after 2 days of inactivity and it can still tell time... accurately. Given that my swiss watches cost hundreds of times more and do far less for a modern connected person like myself; it's a much better choice if you can put aside the luxury watch snob factor. I really like showing off my Patek Philippe and it's spinning balance wheel at the bottom. It impresses a lot of people. But after a day where I couldn't check my messages, make messages, phone calls and so on, I really miss my Gear 2.
6 - The changeable wristband is a godsend. I have 3 wristbands besides the original; a large rubberized one which I wear when going skiing, my el-cheapo just to prove the point that for $15, you can class it up and a really nice stainless steel (heavy one) which I just got. It's so easy to change wristbands on this watch. Much easier than any other wristwatch I have, even my cheap plastic ones. Kuudos Samsung
7 - Button on the front. This is one area where samsung has it right and Apple will get it wrong. The Gear 1 had it on the right side which is just wrong. Not too bad when you use your right hand to press but for those who like the watch on the right wrist, you find yourself putting your hand over the screen when pressing the button or using your thumb instead of your index finger; which doesn't work quite as well. As a golfer I can tell you that a crown on the right side of a watch is a pain! This is where Apple will really get it wrong. When you swing and you pronate and supernate, you'll find the crown snags on your glove. That's why most left handed golf watches are built with the crown on the left. Samsung go it right by putting the button on the front.
8 - Size, this thing is smaller than most Breitlings and even smaller than my Patek Philippe. So while it is larger than most watches, even the square and rectangular ones, it's by now means unwieldly.
9 - Camera; It takes decent pictures and for really quick snapshots, it's far faster than reaching for your phone. I just double press the front button to get to camera mode and then I can snap. Great for those "did you see that?" moments
10 - Heartrate monitor; not as accurate as the HR monitors on my gym equipment or even those blood pressure monitors but it does the job pretty well most of the time.
11 - IR blaster; ok, this thing is really cool! I was changing the TV at a bar and nobody knew it was me. It's very discreet. I even have the "power off" app which is great when there's just too much noise. As far as I know, the gear 2 is the only one with such a thing. I don't even need my phone to use it either.
12 - Built-in apps; this thing comes with so many right from the factory it's really good value. Think about it: Dial the phone, call a contact, check the weather, get notifications, for almost any app on the phone, play music and videos directly from the watch, control the media player on the phone, record voice memos, voice controls, pedometer, heart rate, sleep tracker, exercise tracker. reply to text messages, check my schedule for the day, tomorrow etc, stopwatch, timer. That's a LOT of things that you can do from your wrist.
13 - Autonomous apps; A lot of people get this part wrong. They think the watch has to be constantly tethered to the phone. This is not the case. Many apps require the phone to work because of internet connectivity or GPS but there are lots of apps which don't. Once you're paired with your phone, power off your phone and try some of these: Pedometer, Heart rate, Exercise (except hiking and biking which require GPS), camera, Gallery, music player (and videos), sleep tracker, stopwatch, timer, IR remote, voice memo and of course, the watchface itself. That's a lot of things that regular watches can't do.
14 - Lots of apps; Yeah so there isn't 1 Million apps in the app store. But like I said before: this is a smartwatch, not a smartphone. You don't really need an app store that has 50,000 different variations of a LED powered flashlight. Yes. I wish there were more apps but given that the gear 2 hasn't even been around for a year, the samsung app store gives a pretty decent choice of apps. Lets not forget that some apps just aren't suited for your wrist. Do you really want to play angry birds on this thing? I already have a solitaire game and I barely use it because it's just not right for my wrist. Developpers are still trying to figure out what works and what doesn't on a wrist.
15 - Some apps, really work well though. Some of my favorites: anti-sleep alarm which is really useful for late night driving. Meternome which I use all the time when playing guitar. Calculator, I mean duh right? Casio had it back in the '80s. Alarm, especially the vibrate part so I don't wake up my wife. Swing by Swing golf; this is actually pretty damn good for us golfers. Runtastic, strava, bike computer, bike; all apps that are really handy for a cyclist. I just can't choose which one is the best for me. xbmcGear to control my media boxes (goes really well with IR remote), Expedia, which I always use when travelling. It knows everything about my bookings. DSLR remote, comes in handy with my Nikon 300. Calendar, of course! If you've got a clock, this is the next logical choice. A lot of these apps can work autonomously as well!
I could go on and on. The only downsides to this watch are that I have to plug it in about every 2 days and I need to press the button to see the time. I turned off the "wake on gesture" to save the battery. Still, charging is really fast; it's usually fully charged in 30-45 minutes. Nice!
As an owner of many watches, from high end Swiss luxury watches to cheap plastic digital quartz, I can tell you that this is currently my favorite for everyday use. And since I "get it" that this is a WATCH and not a "PHONE ON MY WRIST", My expectations were REALISTIC when I got the Gear 2 and I've been pleaseantly surprised by the Gear 2 and everything it can do.
How do the others stack up? Well, the Android wear ones seem to be lacking a lot of what the Gear 2 has; no camera, no speaker, no IR blaster etc. The Apple watch? Well the whole "you must ABSOLUTELY be tethered to an iPhone for ANYTHING to work" is a turn off for me. Not to mention the stupid crown AND button on the right side which will piss off many people wearing it on the right wrist and any golfer wearing it on their left. The Gear S? Well, the simm card thing is cool but deleting the camera and IR seems like it's taking away some useful tools I've gotten used to. The Gear 2 isn't the best, but it's really hard finding others which have better functionality and features. All the "better" options out there always seem to be missing something that the Gear 2 has.
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It's 2015, we need to do more from our wrist.
The limitations right now appear to be software related. And developers drive the innovation if they get excited and see market. Samsung has killed their gear 1 start by abandoning android.... Android wear on gear s with a camera would of been great progress.
Actually, I like my gear2 is because it can run on android wear. although the porting is not so perfect enough
I'll go over several of the reasons why I'm keeping the Gear 2 and why it's my preferred wristwatch...
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Click to collapse
Amen to all the reasons mentioned. In addition, I like the scratch proof glass. I can't avoid bumping/hitting hard objects with my Gear 2 but the glass is still smooth. I also love the contrast of the amoled screen.
With Watch styler and some tweaking on the json file while the watch is connected to my laptop, I can mimic any watch face or design my very own.
What I hate with this watch is the very low resolution display and the absence of ambient sensor that is needed to automatically adjust the brightness of the screen.
I was looking to get something for the holidays and I wasn't sure what to get, I've been weighing all the potential benefits of the things I could get for about the same amount of money but eventually I was just like, **** it, the Gear S2 looks cooler than all the other things, plus I'm kind of tired of fumbling around to get out my phone just to check the time. I didn't even bother with online, just went to BestBuy where they had a $60 off promotion and got it there. Overall I think I'm very satisfied, but I'm going to talk about my negative points so I can sort of, end on a good note.
I think I've been spoiled by my Galaxy S5 LTE-A's 5.1' 1440p display, the display on the Gear S2 I really cannot call "sharp". I don't know why it's like forgotten now days, but PPI for these PENTILE layout displays aren't the same as RGB LCD panels. There are only half as many red and blue pixels, so for the Gear S2, density for blue and red are around 150 not 300, which is like, iPhone 3G level. Now my S5 screen's width is about twice the width of the Gear S2's screen, but it's 1440 green pixels across, where as the watch is only 360 green pixels, and 180 blue/red pixels. Obviously I won't be able to tell this just glancing at the time, but when I read any kind of text, or scroll through the apps and looking at their icons, it's quite easy to tell. Given that this is a watch with a tiny display, you would naturally have it closer to your face so "retina" level would have to be at least greater than iPhone 4's 300. Also, all of my other displays, including desktop monitors, are already retina level so yea... I'm a spoiled brat at this.
Everyone is praising the ring like crazy but I don't think I'm so impressed. Sure it's good but not that much better than just using the touchscreen. For example if I want to get through to the next page of apps, I have to turn the thing all the way around to do that, where as you can just swipe once with the screen. Another problem is with the mechanism itself, the steps are too far apart and there is a lot of room in between steps where the ring doesn't tend to snap back or forth. So often I find my self leaving it in between steps, and it becomes easy to accidentally engage the next step and cause unwanted scrolling/wake ups. It could really use smaller steps with more snap force.
And obviously, lack of app support, almost all of them are made by second and third rate solo developers who are just not good at graphics design so their apps look like **** and totally don't fit the elegant design of the device they're supposed to run on. All the countless Mr.Time watchfaces are just swapping different images even with the exact same date dial. Really? Is that the best way you can think of to use a 360x360 matrix of RBGB lights with 16.7 millions colors each? Make slightly different images rotate exactly like a mechanical watch? What a waste of potential!
Fortunately, I went into this knowing that the app support will be **** because nobody will give a **** for Tizen. I made that decision because I honestly don't use that many apps on my phone to begin with, cuz I don't socialize that much. So it really doesn't bother me if I can't reply to Hangouts because I don't use Hangouts, or Facebook, or twitter, or instagram, or watsup, or whatever social network thing people use. The only things I'll be missing are the high quality watch faces actually suitable for a smartwatch, instead of just changing different stickers on the same mechanical watch face. I figured I'll attempt to make my own, can't be that hard. In the mean time Samsung has a decent selection of worthwhile watch designs.
Aside from all that, using this thing is just great, people say things like oh why would you get another device that needs to be charged every day that does all the same thing your phone can do? Well first of all, charging really isn't even a problem because unless you're terribly unorganized person, you're probably gonna leave your watch at the same place every day anyway. Might as well just sit it on a magnetic dock, it literally adds no complications to your daily routine. And secondly, sure I can check the time on my phone, but you know what else I can do? I can go home, turn on my computer, and check the time on my computer! Just because you can do it, doesn't mean it's the best way to do it. You know what's the best way to check time? According to centuries of trial and error, it's the WATCH! And if you're gonna look at that thing several times a day, might as well give it a pretty screen and info on what's going on on your phone.
The wake up gesture just works surprisingly well, like it's almost really difficult to try and look at the watch without turning on the display. The battery life is just shocking, I've yet been able to make it go under 80% before I go to sleep. It's probably the first smart watch that's barely small enough to not be bulky (yea even the apple watch feels a bit thick), I mean just look at the Moto 360, it's round but look at that edge! It just looks like somebody intentionally made it thick enough to house a battery. Where as the Gear S2 seems to have a natural thickness derived from its overall shape. The back doesn't look as kick-ass as the apple watch but the front is definitely the best there is.
I mean yes it's like three times as expensive as I would spend on a regular watch, but I really think it's worth it, even if I can't use Google Voice/Now, even if I have no access to even slightly creative watch faces. For the features it does have, it does them extremely well, and totally above expectations. Small things like never miss another (rare) message notifications, skipping tracks without having to like, penta-click the tiny button on my headset, being able to unlock the phone without constantly having to use the fingerprint sensor. And of course, being able to say, Yes it's a smart watch, *****! Won't get that from the Apple watch, because everybody knows it's an Apple watch.
Well I just got one from the wife for xmas. I will go over what I like and do not like as I wear it. This is my first wearable also and so far I am loving it. I have small wrists and the bands are nice. I will most likely look for a new band at some point but for now the one that comes with it is wearable...
Also for the apps side I am really hoping S Health is better than it is on my note 3 cuz I turned that off as I have been using a Fitbit Charge HR (which may go to my son but need to see if the watch can do what I want)
I like the Fitbit App as it does everything in one but worst case I can figure out how to use myfitnesspal and s health... more to look into..
and also the guys over at homeseer.com made a free plugin for fitbit into home automation for logging, etc...
Hi,
I have an S2 too, classic, and this is my first "smart"watch. Coming from a lifetime of casio's DIGITAL watches i find it hard to see that the most interesting watchfaces are paid. Well that's life, you buy a very expensive watch and still have to buy accesories.....
For now i don't use the "healthy apps" and what i need is there. I see people complaining about shortage of apps...... The apps that are available are already too much for a watch...
I prefer battery life over apps..... But that's just me. One thing that i miss is the hour notification, alarms on the watch (not vibrating, it will never wake me up) but there should be a speaker in it for that.
Other thing that got me to buy this is the water and dustproof classification. It will get wet, it will get dirty..... Just hope that the gorilla glass can handle it all... Time will tell
beco
I'm looking for a smartwatch with a budget of max €300,00 and I came across the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic.
But today I've saw many posts about sleep tracking issues on the watch and I'm concerned that If I buy the watch that it won't be worth it.
Sleep tracking is a important but not very important compared to the other functions that I expect of a smartwatch.
Can I buy the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic without concerns or isn't it worth it?
Only you can answer this question. It is worth for some while for others is not worth it. Let us know of your needs and you might get a worthy answer.
It's one of the best Wear OS LTE watches out this year. Just browse around this forum for information, answers, etc...
Fousekis7 said:
Only you can answer this question. It is worth for some while for others is not worth it. Let us know of your needs and you might get a worthy answer.
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Click to collapse
I'm looking for a smartwatch with a maximum budget of €300.
The trackings must be accurate and good.
I have had half a dozen or so Smart watches over the last five years. I have the Watch 4 (44 mm, not classic). It is by far the best smart watch I have owned.
Will the tracking accuracy be as accurate as a multi-thousand dollar medical instrument – No.
Rather than using the exact absolute value, I think it's probably better to use the tracking results relatively to gauge progress over time.
So far I have used it mainly for sleep tracking. I was surprised to see the ratio of light sleep/deep sleep/REM/awake, I wouldn't trust any single value to be exactly correct. In fact, there is a video on YouTube where the author evaluates the accuracy of the various health tracking functions.
I haven't played with them, but the other features like phone calls, notifications, workout tracking, etc. could be useful for many people. I find the alarm vibrating on my wrist is a great way to wake up.
All the health stuff is just a gimic.
Who needs a watch to tell you are fat/unfit? or need to move around and have a drink, or go for a walk?
I go to bed and wake up in the morning.
Do I need a watch to tell me whether I actually slept, or what type, don't give a monkeys to be honest.
Great for notifications from your phone however and having LTE when you need it. SOS function reassuring if you are alone and need help.
canalrun said:
I have had half a dozen or so Smart watches over the last five years. I have the Watch 4 (44 mm, not classic). It is by far the best smart watch I have owned.
Will the tracking accuracy be as accurate as a multi-thousand dollar medical instrument – No.
Rather than using the exact absolute value, I think it's probably better to use the tracking results relatively to gauge progress over time.
So far I have used it mainly for sleep tracking. I was surprised to see the ratio of light sleep/deep sleep/REM/awake, I wouldn't trust any single value to be exactly correct. In fact, there is a video on YouTube where the author evaluates the accuracy of the various health tracking functions.
I haven't played with them, but the other features like phone calls, notifications, workout tracking, etc. could be useful for many people. I find the alarm vibrating on my wrist is a great way to wake up.
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Click to collapse
You're right about this @canalrun.
The alarm vibrating on my wrist is also for me a great way to wake up.
stag74 said:
All the health stuff is just a gimic.
Who needs a watch to tell you are fat/unfit? or need to move around and have a drink, or go for a walk?
I go to bed and wake up in the morning.
Do I need a watch to tell me whether I actually slept, or what type, don't give a monkeys to be honest.
Great for notifications from your phone however and having LTE when you need it. SOS function reassuring if you are alone and need help.
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Click to collapse
You're right about this @stag74
I've asked around at some forums and in the majority of the answer they say that the function does work correctly and/or they don't have the issue so I'll buy the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic.
Thanks for your help everyone!