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A word of awesomeness!!

Although I have always been a Sprint customer and have always been satisfied with the service and cost, I must say that they have hit a home run with their service and TP2.
I was recently on travels to Los Angeles and to New York. I was just amazed at how much functionaility I was carrying in my pocket.
I was using the phone to take me to my destination using Garmin, had the bluetooth headset on to make calls, was checking my emails wirelessly, and using google maps and Aloqoa to find nearby stuff of interest (Restaurants, beaches, bars etc) and receiving and answering text messages ( not all while driving haha).
Then in NYC, I was simply using it to tell me how to get from A to B using gooogle maps and their public transport option that guided me to trains etc.
Not even once did the phone flutter, crap out or freeze. Besides the occasional slowdown (easily cured with a reboot) the phone performed flawlessly.
At one point, I was on phone and editing a presentation on the phone at the same time. wow!!
So Kudos Sprint! Among all the slack, you have my appreciation at least.

The Wifi Opportunity

It seems to me there are several opportunities out there that nobody is capitalizing on. Maybe there is a reason that I'm not aware of?
The biggest opportunity I see is the wifi phone. More and more people are looking for ways to ditch their cell phone. Either due to financial reasons, privacy reasons, or just because they are tired of aiding and abetting a monopoly (five companies working in collusion is the same as one company owning it all). And while this potential market is already plenty large enough to make some serious money off of it is set to explode in the near future. All it is going to take is a company to provide the wifi solution and when (it really is a question of when rather than if) the next big privacy snafu (think carrier IQ) happens the wifi phone will go viral.
I recently bought a Samsung Galaxy Player 5.0 with the intent of exploring the possibility of using it as a wifi phone. Here is the state of the wifi phone market as of now:
Google Voice connected to GrooveIp / Talkatone / SIPDroid / Etc.: The main problem with Google Voice is that it has a delay. Not a huge one and sometimes it is barely noticeable but it is enough to cause you to talk over the top of each other so this is a slight problem. Google Voice is the only solution for SMS texting and while it works ok the Google Voice App is really limited and lacks a lot of features.
Skype: No delay and very good voice quality. BUT, the software is crap. And it has always been crap. I tried it back in '08 with a windows phone and couldn't get the sound to come out the correct speaker - same problem today. Boy, they've come a long way huh? Tried the hacked XDA version of the Skype software that is suppose to allow you to manually select which speaker the sound comes out - that didn't work either. Also suffers from no SMS texting solution. So it's really not a contender.
Vonage: This is the new contender. Initially it wasn't available for my device and noticed yesterday it became available. Tried it but no go - you need a cell number just to get it set up. Hello??? That's what I need Vonage for!! The software looks better than Skype but I doubt they will figure out the wifi opportunity.
Other Tools:
Wifi Ruler / Wifi Jumper / Wefi / Etc. These apps allow your phone to connect to closest wifi signal without interaction from the user. Sort of like how your cell phone automatically switches from one cell tower to another. Haven't tried these out much yet but if one of them works it solves the connection problem. Unless you're driving and passing wifi points too quickly.
Google Voice SMS Integration : This app is suppose to integrate Google Voice SMS with the standard SMS Android app. Which would solve the lack of features problem but it requires a cell account so no go either.
Now that there are a great many decent smart phones with wifi ability for sale at a reasonable price hardware is no longer a problem. In fact I'm starting to think I might have better luck with building a wifi phone from an unlocked cell phone than my Samsung Player.
In short, if someone figures out how to do the wifi phone there is a very large market waiting for it!

GS3 as standalone, do you NEED to pair with a phone?

I was looking to get an S3. What I wanted to know is can the watch be connected to the app store and download faces/apps without a phone either over wifi or if an LTE version over the network? Such as if you get a tablet, you can use it fine with just a wifi connection, you don't need to pair those to a phone. I ask because for one I don't have the latest phone of the month (Sammy seems to snub those with phone models older than a year - slight exaggeration but not much). The other thing is that I want to be able to leave the phone home at times and still be able to browse for watch faces etc over wifi.
I really don't care about notifications or email (I don't get that many) nor to I want to pay for things with the watch. When I really need to do those things I don't find using the phone that much work. I just want the watch to use as a watch, and have some helpful apps to use when not carrying my phone, is it possible?

Out the box, the Gear S3 can be setup and used by itself, without ever connecting to a smartphone. I call this independent mode. It can make and receive phone calls and messages, tell time, date, and weather, be an alarm clock, set reminders, and monitor fitness (i.e. sleep, HR, steps). I operated this way for a couple of weeks after getting the watch.
Additional functionality is gained if you have a phone (tablets won't work) that is capable of running Gear Manager. This is necessary if you want to install and apps including watchfaces. The watch doesn't need to be constantly connected to the phone. There are two ways additional ways to leave the phone behind. In standalone mode, the watch is disconnected from the phone, but downloaded apps remain available. In remote connect mode, the phone communicates with the watch via cellular network, allowing notifications to pass through.
I use the S3 as my primary phone. I have a cheap Samsung phone that's used exclusively for the setup and management of the watch. I use a tablet for tasks (ie. content creation, computing, media consumption) that require a larger screen.

afblangley said:
Out the box, the Gear S3 can be setup and used by itself, without ever connecting to a smartphone. I call this independent mode. It can make and receive phone calls and messages, tell time, date, and weather, be an alarm clock, set reminders, and monitor fitness (i.e. sleep, HR, steps). I operated this way for a couple of weeks after getting the watch.
Additional functionality is gained if you have a phone (tablets won't work) that is capable of running Gear Manager. This is necessary if you want to install and apps including watchfaces. The watch doesn't need to be constantly connected to the phone. There are two ways additional ways to leave the phone behind. In standalone mode, the watch is disconnected from the phone, but downloaded apps remain available. In remote connect mode, the phone communicates with the watch via cellular network, allowing notifications to pass through.
I use the S3 as my primary phone. I have a cheap Samsung phone that's used exclusively for the setup and management of the watch. I use a tablet for tasks (ie. content creation, computing, media consumption) that require a larger screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So unlike a tablet Samsung locks you out of the app store on the actual watch even if LTE if you don't have a phone connected? That seems kind of dumb and limiting especially since the supported phone list is so small. Is it just because browsing apps on the watch is too difficult maybe?
I wonder if this will change, I can get apps on a tablet through wifi I don't see why not with the watch. This watch seems like a mini tablet that tells time.

afblangley said:
Out the box, the Gear S3 can be setup and used by itself, without ever connecting to a smartphone. I call this independent mode. It can make and receive phone calls and messages, tell time, date, and weather, be an alarm clock, set reminders, and monitor fitness (i.e. sleep, HR, steps). I operated this way for a couple of weeks after getting the watch.
Additional functionality is gained if you have a phone (tablets won't work) that is capable of running Gear Manager. This is necessary if you want to install and apps including watchfaces. The watch doesn't need to be constantly connected to the phone. There are two ways additional ways to leave the phone behind. In standalone mode, the watch is disconnected from the phone, but downloaded apps remain available. In remote connect mode, the phone communicates with the watch via cellular network, allowing notifications to pass through.
I use the S3 as my primary phone. I have a cheap Samsung phone that's used exclusively for the setup and management of the watch. I use a tablet for tasks (ie. content creation, computing, media consumption) that require a larger screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure my friend that it can make and receive calls and send messages without it being connected to the phone via bluetooth??i got mine s3 a week ago...i love it really, but it doesn't do these things when not connected ro the phone (s6 edge plus)...
Just saw, i have the bluetooth s3 frontier version and not the LTE version...so i guess that's why it has to be connected to the phone via bluetooth...
My only problem is that i can not connect to my phone via wi-fi...whenever i activate this option on my phone, it crashes with the message gear S pluggin has stopped working...any clues ?
Sent from my SM-G928F using Tapatalk

afblangley said:
Out the box, the Gear S3 can be setup and used by itself, without ever connecting to a smartphone. I call this independent mode. It can make and receive phone calls and messages, tell time, date, and weather, be an alarm clock, set reminders, and monitor fitness (i.e. sleep, HR, steps). I operated this way for a couple of weeks after getting the watch.
Additional functionality is gained if you have a phone (tablets won't work) that is capable of running Gear Manager. This is necessary if you want to install and apps including watchfaces. The watch doesn't need to be constantly connected to the phone. There are two ways additional ways to leave the phone behind. In standalone mode, the watch is disconnected from the phone, but downloaded apps remain available. In remote connect mode, the phone communicates with the watch via cellular network, allowing notifications to pass through.
I use the S3 as my primary phone. I have a cheap Samsung phone that's used exclusively for the setup and management of the watch. I use a tablet for tasks (ie. content creation, computing, media consumption) that require a larger screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are these stand alone functions also available if you have the wifi version and no LTE?

I don't have any experience with the S3 BT model. I can only speak to the capability of the Frontier LTE. This watch is a phone. It has functionality that's probably comparable to a basic flip phone. It comes preloaded with apps for phone, messaging, contacts, S Health, weather, reminders, and a few others. When the eSIM is activated, it can perform tasks associated with these apps immediately upon startup. No phone is required.
When the watch is setup via Gear Manager, it installs software that enables additional apps to be installed and gains greater functionality. Most of which remains even when the watch is disconnected from the phone.
Gear Manger compatibility isn't limited to Samsung phones, it can be installed many Android phones, but not tablets. Not even Samsung tablets.

afblangley said:
I don't have any experience with the S3 BT model. I can only speak to the capability of the Frontier LTE. This watch is a phone. It has functionality that's probably comparable to a basic flip phone. It comes preloaded with apps for phone, messaging, contacts, S Health, weather, reminders, and a few others. When the eSIM is activated, it can perform tasks associated with these apps immediately upon startup. No phone is required.
When the watch is setup via Gear Manager, it installs software that enables additional apps to be installed and gains greater functionality. Most of which remains even when the watch is disconnected from the phone.
Gear Manger compatibility isn't limited to Samsung phones, it can be installed many Android phones, but not tablets. Not even Samsung tablets.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the watch is basically a phone then why couldn't I directly install apps/faces etc from the watch? It doesn't make much sense to me. If I install apps on a phone I do't need another phone to install things on the first one. It seems like Samsung is just too lazy to make an app on the watch to do it, or they want everyone to have to buy a new phone to use the watch (and hopefully a big percentage will buy a Samsung phone wink wink).
I wonder what the free space on the watch memory/storage is between the BT and LTE versons? If the LTE has more stuff installed I wonder if user memory is less?

I'm one of the few who use an S3 as my primary phone. I too wish that the S3 was a more independent device. But as it stands right now, it's the most capable smartwatch available (excluding watches running full Android made by a few small manufacturers). I hope that it paves the way for more standalone offerings by Apple and Android Wear watch makers.

I have a gear s3 lte Att e-sim unlocked. How can I activated with ATT GO PHONE or any other carrier Cricket,Tmobile? I am not an att customer. Thank you!

handrade773 said:
I have a gear s3 lte Att e-sim unlocked. How can I activated with ATT GO PHONE or any other carrier Cricket,Tmobile? I am not an att customer. Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since the eSIM is provisioned via programming, Cricket and MVNOs don't have the system to do it. So that's a no go.
Theoretically, T-Mobile should be able to do it because they also sell the watch. The difficulty is finding an employee who knows how to do it, since the IMEI won't be in their database. Getting it on a wearable line instead of a smartphone (more expensive) or tablet (no talk) plan will be an additional obstacle.
Putting the watch on GoPhone is also technically doable, someone on this forum or Android Central said they did it. I think they called CS with the IMEI and ICCID. Perhaps they will chime in on exactly how they were able to get it done.

I called ATT CS and I was able to activated on $30 plan ($25 Auto).

AFBLANGLEY, does the phone that you use to set up and manage the watch with, does that phone need to have a service plan?
Thanks, Dan

Dudical said:
AFBLANGLEY, does the phone that you use to set up and manage the watch with, does that phone need to have a service plan?
Thanks, Dan
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it doesn't need a SIM. As long as the phone is connected to a WiFi network, the watch can remotely connect to it. My phone sits docked permanently, right next to the router.

afblangley said:
No, it doesn't need a SIM. As long as the phone is connected to a WiFi network, the watch can remotely connect to it. My phone sits docked permanently, right next to the router.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you able to utilize apps like spotify and audible from the phone that is connected back home? I am going to attempt to use the same set up as you and keep my Iphone as primary phone. I just would like to get all notifications and be able to respond with the GS3 as well.

jmr5x said:
Are you able to utilize apps like spotify and audible from the phone that is connected back home? I am going to attempt to use the same set up as you and keep my Iphone as primary phone. I just would like to get all notifications and be able to respond with the GS3 as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's my understanding that if you have a Spotify premium account, you can stream directly to the watch, but I'm not a Spotify user. I don't believe that there is an Audible app for Tizen.
In terms of messages, email and notifications, yes they will be passed through as long as the watch is remotely connected to the "host" phone.
What you're wanting to do will work fine. The reason I have the setup is because I use a tablet and it is incompatible with the S3.

afblangley said:
It's my understanding that if you have a Spotify premium account, you can stream directly to the watch, but I'm not a Spotify user. I don't believe that there is an Audible app for Tizen.
In terms of messages, email and notifications, yes they will be passed through as long as the watch is remotely connected to the "host" phone.
What you're wanting to do will work fine. The reason I have the setup is because I use a tablet and it is incompatible with the S3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is exciting news. Do you happen to have a link that describers your experience using the setup with additional phone? I would be interested to know some details but hate to pick your brain if its already out on the interwebs.
Im guessing that the tablet has no connection and never has to the GS3?
Are you using the tablet with google voice number for calls and messaging? I was contemplating on how I could link my Verizon number on the iPhone to the android at home near the router.

Does your gear s3 still count the steps without connection with the phone? Mine stops with bt and wifi turned off.

Best app for running

Which one is your favorite and best app when you go for a run?
I don't use Huawei's own app any more because you can't export data.
I used endomondo when I hade a moto 360, but the app is not optimised for huawei watch 2 and android wear 2.0.
Now I use Ghostracer and Strava.

Ghostracer here too, for both running and cycling.
Coming from a Garmin Forerunner watch, it was somewhat difficult first but now as I'm used to the app and synchronizing the data I wouldn't use anything else.

I use the Huawei app because it's interface is cleaner than Google fits. However, with the Huawei watch app on my phone, it syncs to Google fit just fine, so my data is all in one place. Endomondo was the best but as previously said, it's not optimized for aw 2.0. i only use Google fit directly for weight training.

I have also noticed that for some training apps (Strava, Ghostracer and Huawei app) it is possible to start and stop the activity with the bottom button. Thats nice! It could be that you need to have that app as a shortcut on that button for it to work.

PeterBormioli said:
Ghostracer here too, for both running and cycling.
Coming from a Garmin Forerunner watch, it was somewhat difficult first but now as I'm used to the app and synchronizing the data I wouldn't use anything else.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also have a Garmin forerunner. I went for a cross country skiing race for 10 hour and I don't think Huawei Watch 2 would last that long.
I have not tested how long the battery last for training (runnning). I have tested to run for an hour with music, GPS and 4G. About 30 % left then. But with the 4G and music disabled, it should last much longer I hope. For several hours I hope.

I highly doubt the hw2 can go longer than 3-4 hours with everything running.

Devolution1x said:
I highly doubt the hw2 can go longer than 3-4 hours with everything running.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some time a have to test a long run or walk with just gps and heart rate (dont know if external strap or the internal drains less battery) active and se how long it lasts. No music and 4G.

spenstberg said:
Some time a have to test a long run or walk with just gps and heart rate (dont know if external strap or the internal drains less battery) active and se how long it lasts. No music and 4G.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With no music and 4g, I believe it can last maybe 8 to 10 hours. I've used only HR and GPS for an hour and the drain was only less than 10 percent. Granted I also use battery setting such as always on but no tilt.

Devolution1x said:
With no music and 4g, I believe it can last maybe 8 to 10 hours. I've used only HR and GPS for an hour and the drain was only less than 10 percent. Granted I also use battery setting such as always on but no tilt.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Running for 1h today with no 4G, but google play music offline and connected bluetooth headphones. Battery went from 90% to 58%. So about 30 % down in this case.

Does ghostracer display heart rate for you on the HW2? For me it just says zero all the time. It works with other apps.
Edit: Never mind, just found out you have to enable the sensors in the watch app settings.

powerballad said:
Does ghostracer display heart rate for you on the HW2? For me it just says zero all the time. It works with other apps.
Edit: Never mind, just found out you have to enable the sensors in the watch app settings.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you in Ghost racer swype to the right, you have "sensors" and there you can turn on and off "Heart Rate" and other sensors. If you have an external Heart rate sensor strap you will se it here also.

If your have your phone on you (unlikely while running, but might while walking), Google Fit will get your GPS location from your phone instead of watch, saving battery.

Devolution1x said:
I use the Huawei app because it's interface is cleaner than Google fits. However, with the Huawei watch app on my phone, it syncs to Google fit just fine, so my data is all in one place. Endomondo was the best but as previously said, it's not optimized for aw 2.0. i only use Google fit directly for weight training.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use the Huawei watch 1 and i ned to sync my data to strava or garmin app so that i can get vitality points with my insurance. How do i make it so that the Huawei app sync data with strava, ghostrunner or garmin so that i can get points from my insurance? I dont want to have to buy a garmin or a fitbit watch.

khakhi said:
I use the Huawei watch 1 and i ned to sync my data to strava or garmin app so that i can get vitality points with my insurance. How do i make it so that the Huawei app sync data with strava, ghostrunner or garmin so that i can get points from my insurance? I dont want to have to buy a garmin or a fitbit watch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe you can just download the strava app directly in the play store on the watch and link it to the app on your phone.

Related question...
Devolution1x said:
I use the Huawei app because it's interface is cleaner than Google fits. However, with the Huawei watch app on my phone, it syncs to Google fit just fine, so my data is all in one place. Endomondo was the best but as previously said, it's not optimized for aw 2.0. i only use Google fit directly for weight training.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm just returned to running after knee injury. Very excited to use the Huawei Watch 2 and intrigued by the VO2Max feature. So I'm using the Huawei watch app which seems to work great. The question i have is about display while running. Next to distance is PACE. While jogging 10:30-11:00 minutes miles, the PACE is displaying anything from 3'43" to 5'45". I can't make sense of it. Its not pace per 1/4 mile or 1/2 mile... And i can't find anywhere to adjust or read about this. Appreciate any feedback!

Same question. But a little different condition.
I just got my Huawei watch 2 yesterday, and it's a BT only version.
And I just realize that it has 3 built in app for running: Huawei's workout, Google fit workout, and runtastic. Can someone explain which one is better between them?

I Found huawei app to be the best from this 3 apps. but strangely it lacks cloud backup so it's big no for me. Your data will be lost if the app would be erased and it WILL happen.
Try to reach huawei support with that matter several time but i only got laconic answers. Huawei - great hardware VERY bad software.

I still use ghostracer standalone all the time because i can connect my bluetooth heart rate monitor with it so i get more accurate readings. On android wear 7.11 i burned around 30 percent an hour with heart rate belt connected, no optical heart rate, barometer on, gps, wifi and lte all on. So i can receive urgent calls during my runs (also to lazy to turn wifi off while not needed).
I was happy with this kind of battery consumption. It was always the same, so i could count on it and i knew i needed to charge prior to my run or not needed.
However since the oreo update came things changed. Suddenly my watch died half way during my runs, and also the runs after that. Now i seem to burn 50 or 60 percent an hour!
I tried deleting and reinstalling the ghostracer wear app, but is still burns way more battery then before. Normal usage seems normal, also on lte. I also noticed that at least once a day i see something downloading related to google TTS.
Today i will go for another run, this time with barometer and other sensors off, lte and wifi.off to see what happens. So far im very dissapointed in the oreo update. I can barely run for an hour or so before getting into trouble, while im training for a 10 miler. Only great thing is the sleep app which is very nice.
Any other ghostracer users experience the same thing?

Does anybody know the units for pacing on Huawei's preinstalled GPS running app? I can't find documentation and it always reads out like 2'50" to 3'30" or so. Even the 3rd party GPS applications seem vague and inaccurate compared to a few Garmin watched I have (as in add 1 to 3 minutes to the pace). Any good ideas or alternative apps?

It's Miles or kilometers depends on your choice.
Don't know if i understood your question but "pace" means how much time in minutes it takes you to run 1Km (or mile)
2'30 means it takes you 2 minutes and 30 seconds to make 1Km (And it also means that you are very fast...)
Sorry if it's obvious and not what you meant.
BTW update on the health app: there is a beta version of the Huawei health app which is far better then the previous one.
Its far more reliable in terms of sync with watch (actually very good as far as i tested it) and finally eliminates the need of the Huawei wear app which is great(!)
You can erase the Huawei wear app after installing the new health app.
Looks like Huawei still care about their app. Shame its still dosent support cloud sync and exporting data. (Export data to google fit is poor and tottaly not aqurate)
Im running like 7km 3 times a week with the watch and
I think it's the best app for running out there (minus the deal breaker cloud sync issue) I used all the big running apps and the health app is my go to running app. Shows the right information in the right time, looks clean and informative and the analysis (vo2max, stride lengh etc) are great.

HW2 - GPS inaccurate. Strava etc.

I go on a regular 5k run which is tracked and run locally as a '5K'...so I know it should be 5k! When using my HW2 watch with Strava I invariably get 4.8k for this same route. I've tried 3 or 4 times now with the same result.
When I use my phone on the same route it tracks 5k on Strava. I would like to not bring my phone with me when running but if I have to then so be it. Question is, I have heard that if the watch detects the phone it will use the phone's GPS. So, what I was thinking was to try this:
1) Run with phone and watch
2) Use Strava on the watch and hope it detects / uses the phones GPS.
3) Record result and see what happens.
Is this likely to result in another 4.8k run or does the watch deferring to the phone's GPS mean I'm more likely to get an accurate reading?
To clarify, the place I run is a park and therefore there are some trees but my Polar watch never had an issue with this and Strava on the HW2 says it has a GPS lock before I set off, so I don't think trees are the problem here.

i've only found the huawei app to work perfectly on the watch itself, while others hit and miss and that includes the built-in runtastic app - some apps you have to start on phone if you want that to record tracking if using the watch, which then makes it pointless wearing the watch.... I had issues with both mapmyfitness and runtastic where it would use the phone gps, but if turn phone off or it runs out of battery it never used the watch gps, so use one or the other...

I've also use only Huawei health built in app, since it records everything in one place - walk, sleep, calories, activity type, etc. I've use runasttic a few times and its seems to work correctly with built in gps.

For runtwstic it was hit and miss with using GPS on Watch, I had to turn off watch for it to trigger. I also found that if you had pro version the built in version wouldn't talk to it and insisted you install basic on phone.
Sent from my Huawei P20 Pro using XDA Labs

Interesting. I have just got a HW2C and tried it out running couple of days ago. Did 16.5k run, which strava and run keeper on my phone registered but the health app on watch have me a reading of 15.7km,despite tracking the route of the run perfectly.
Unfortunately this would be a deal breaker for me. Anyone else experienced this? Gonna try the strava app on the watch next time and see if that makes a difference. Any tips on getting the right distance?