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A surprise came in the mail today from AT&T. I had pre-ordered the fit back in March and it has finally arrived, and even earlier than the expected launch date.
Unboxing:
First impressions:
The gear fit is very light, and comfortable to wear. The design is something that I can appreciate more than its big brother the gear 2/Neo. The display is vibrant and the picture quality is what you would expect from a AMOLED display. The heart rate monitor works well, I had it over my wrist bone at first so it couldn't see me vein to get a reading since it uses infrared to count your BPM. I enjoy the simplicity of the design more than some other smart watches/fitness bands because its just a simple layout with one physical button and a touch screen. This is more aimed at the fitness side of things than the everyday smartwatch, but that doesn't mean its not a great device. Don't forget that this product is meant to compete more with items such as the fitbit, jawbone and other fitness trackers but with added functionality. Samsung is also releasing their other fitness product the S Band which is more on par with the two mentioned above, but the fit could be seen as a premium version of these rather than a new category in general. I don't see the fit complete with the Polaris line of products in terms of monitoring because its only meant for Samsung devices currently. Overall I am happy with it, and I will update this with more details, images and answer any questions that you guys have.
Hopefully Samsung will post prices and make the other colored bands available for people to buy on the official launch but these days who knows.
Pictures Part 1:
Day 1
Update 1:
I have been using this device for about 6 hours messing around with the settings and seeing what works for me. The battery was at 63% when I started and is now at 55%. Keep in mind that I have had the screen on a lot, along with trying out the gesture to wake which is a little too sensitive. If you use the gesture wake the display will turn on when you lift your arm up (a battery killer obviously) The notifications do push instantly to the device and you can select any of your apps to push out their notifications to the fit. The pedometer also works well and you can pause it so you are counting steps by moving around at your desk or in your car. The RTOS is very simple and it works much better than the gear 2 in terms of functionality. The band is very comfortable and the clasp is secure enough so you don't have to worry. There is also a feature you can enable where your phone will beep if you walk about 25ish feet away from the fit which works also on the fit in the form a vibration that alerts you. The APK for the Gear Fit Manager fromt he S5 does work (I'm running it on my Note 3 N900A) with 4.4.2 without any problems so far. The heart rate monitor is very fast now that I know what to do. (The screen shows you a reminder of how to do it). A nice feature that I was not aware of until I tried it out was the media control. I can adjust my phones volume, pause/play and change the track from the watch which is convenient when you are working out. It has been pouring down rain here all day and I am glad that the fit is IP67 water resistant or I would have a dead device. So far my impressions are that this is a great device, its light weight, comfortable and most importantly functional. I will add more pictures soon.
Update 2:
Brightness and different situations:
The display can be adjusted from brightnesses of 1 to 6 but since there is not light sensor this must be done manually through the settings either via the app or on the device itself. I will take a picture of it underwater for you to see, but outdoors the 5-6 brightness should be plenty depending on how bright it is outside. I usually leave it at the 3-4 setting and I'm able to read the display just fine. When I'm inside for a while I usually turn it to the 1-3 range depending on the lighting. I only adjust it if I really need to, usually a standard of 3-4 brightness will be sufficient for most people's daily activities.
Also the charging cradle if you call it that snaps on and off with less effort that plugging in a micro usb. As mentioned in the earlier posts I charged it last night 4/7 so I could do an accurate test from a full battery.
Pictures Part 2:
Device display at setting 1 (my desk isn't the brightest place in the world at night, ignore the glare from my lamp):
Battery life after 1 day of use starting from 0700. I had my gmail, sms, calls, and google now notifications being pushed to the device and I used the pedometer for a hour or so to try it out today. Keep in mind with every notification the display turns on. I have it set up so it this way but you can change this to only turn on for only high priority notifications and it also vibrates to alert you for each notification. The battery seems impressive so far as you can see from the picture below. I would classify toda's use as light to moderate because of the numerous notifications that I received and checking my heart rate, coupled with the pedometer. I will be going for a hike, walk, or bike ride tomorrow to test out a longer use of the fitness functionality vs its impact on the battery.
Underwater Display images: (yes that is a blendtec and no I'm not going to blend it like "will it blend") It was a clear container that was easy to get a image of the fit rather than in my sink. The slight blue in the second image was due to my Note 3's camera. The first image is a better depiction of what it looks like. As you can see there is almost no visible distortion which is nice for those of you who choose to use it in the water.
Pictures Part 3
Day 2:
After a second day of use here are some updates. The S Health App will not sync my workouts or pedometer from the fit which is a little annoying. This could be because I am running the leaked S5 apps and there could be an update that I don't have. This should be fixed when the device officially launches this friday. The battery has gone down a bit more it lost about 8-10% while I was sleeping but I did leave it connected via bluetooth to my phone. I also used it to count my steps for my walking between classes to see how far I walk out of curiosity. I also went on a 1-2 mile "hike" on some trails. The battery is at about 65% currently which still is not bad after 2 full days of use. I will keep the updates coming for the battery until it actually dies.
Side note: I have heard that Samsung also added in a sleep monitor option in the update for the gear fit. I hope it shows up soon because I can't find a way to update the device. There is no option in my app as you will see from my pictures down below. I also forgot to charge my phone last night so its almost dead anyway. Kies 3 does not find the device when I briefly plugged it in via usb to my pc. The battery stayed at the same % for those of you who were wondering any charging by checking for software updates was negligible. Below I have provided screen shots of the various menus on the fit and what some controls look like. If you have any requests feel free to let me know and I will post more pictures.
The glare is in the pictures is from my camera, and my oily fingers becuase I didn't wipe it off. until I realized the photos look a little bad. Thats a day of use and dirt...
Pictures Part 4:
Time is for the battery life reference
Volume control
Settings Menu
Here is a screenshot of where the "software update" icon should be. As you can see there is no option to update it in the S5 APK.
Day 3:
The app was offically released via the Samsung App Store. I downloaded it and updated my fit to the new software. Here is a breakdown of the 'new' added features that I have noticed since the pre-official launch software:
New clock faces for landscape and portrait
Sleep tracker
Pin lock
Portrait mode (you have to manually rotate it via the settings menu)
Customize icon location on device (left or right of the home screen clock)
Redesigned app
It is now day 3 and the fit is still clinging to life. The majority of battery life dissipates during the idle time at night. I am currently at 38% battery life after 3 days of moderate use. I have kept my rightness at the 2-3 range unless I am indoors in which case I usually change it to 1 to save power when I don't need it. I keep the pedometer running all day, and the bluetooth on with weather updates on the home screen every 3 hours. I also had to leave it on during its update which took about 3-5 minutes of the display being constantly on. I am going to try to use the sleep mode tonight to see how well it works (and so you can see how little that I sleep...). I enjoy using the portrait mode, it feels more natural even with the narrow display, but it depends on what I am doing. Anyway here are some more pictures
Pictures 5:
Pictures Part 6:
Reading emails/notifications in landscape and portrait modes
App Pictures:
Day 4:
I managed to get another solid day of use out of the fit. It popped up with a battery alert around 1600 yesterday when it was at about 15% battery. The fit managed to last until just a couple of minutes ago. I'm happy with the battery life being just over 4 days for what I use it for (everyones battery life many very based on use). I am also posting picture of the sleep tracker so you can see what it looks like. I enjoy using the portrait mode more than the landscape, it is a little weird to look at because its so narrow, but you get used to it.
Pictures 7:
Before it died
Update 5/11
I know its been a while since I updated the OP. I have been very busy with finals (engineering is always fun) and I'm moving in a few days. I have now been using the fit for over a month and I'm still happy with it. My battery has averaged about 5 days per charge with the longest at 7 days and shortest being 3 days. I have noticed a small update to the app at least twice which is good that Samsung is updating it.
The bad:
The s health app doesn't sync well with the fit which is disappointing. The hiking mode only measures your workout by altitude rather than how other app account for that and distance and factor in how many calories you burn. (Even though no device is truly accurate)
Other than those two complaints I use the fit daily as a watch and if I got on a hike or walk with my wife. I hope that Samsung will release the other bands for it soon. I have had no issues with the band coming off as some other people had stated. If you have this problem there is a simple fix. Take a small black hair rubber band (this kind woman use in their hair) which can be purchased for 2$ for a couple hundred of them and put it on your fits band. This week prevent it from falling off even if it does come undone. I will post a picture of you want. I never use it but it seemed like a good idea to address the issue.
Lastly if anyone has questions I will be happy to answer them the nest that I can. I will begin posting more regularly again one I get settled into my new place in the coming week or two. I still go to school full time in the summer (I want to graduate faster since I'm already old for a Jr) so with that in mind thank you to everyone who found this helpful and thanks me.
P.s. My thoughts are still scattered due to everything going on so I will look over this post when I get home to make sure it makes sense.
do you know if it works with any Android phone, or only with Samsung's smartphones?
fvidania said:
do you know if it works with any Android phone, or only with Samsung's smartphones?
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Currently it only works with Samsung devices I believe there are 14 of them with compatibility. I'm not certain about this but MAYBE if you root a device and install the APK for the gear fit it COULD work. Has anyone tried this?
I'm very likely to pick one up when they're available in stores.
When did you pre order it?
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
flipq88 said:
When did you pre order it?
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
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I know ATT is still taking pre-orders. Talked to them today and they said they'd be selling them in store later this month.
Nice! :good:
Interested how you find the device.
I preordered it on 3/20. I spoke with ATT and they said that stores should be receiving them for the Friday launch but there is not gurrantee . I charged my battery fully last night so I could see how long it would actually last from a full charge under normal use. I will part nighty updates with what I used it for and the battery pwrcentage . There will also be a software update soon according to Sam mobile. You will be able to change the screen orientation, which Iknow was a big complaint for some people. The article can be found here
http://www.sammobile.com/2014/04/08...ption-to-enable-vertical-display-orientation/
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
do you have to always keep the bluetooth on ? i would want to use it as just a watch at times..
Well in order to connect or to the phone bluetooth needs to be on. If it's off it still works as a watch and pedometer just without pushing notifications.
Edit: to answer your question I airways keep the Bluetooth on.
I verified that everything does work (which it should) except data/phone dependent features i.e.: weather,any kind of notifications, SMS, S Health goals, missed calls etc. I hope the update gets pushed out soon, but I have no idea how to check for it. There is no option for updates in the app or on the device, but then again I'm running the S5's extracted apk.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I'm interested in the gear fit too.
I saw that you have a spigen screen protector as well. Can you put some light on its efficiency like colors after being under water, clarity outdoor/indoor,etc. That would be really helpful.
shoaibar said:
I'm interested in the gear fit too.
I saw that you have a spigen screen protector as well. Can you put some light on its efficiency like colors after being under water, clarity outdoor/indoor,etc. That would be really helpful.
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There is no distortion of any colors due to the screen protector in any of those situations that I can see. Everything seems to be as clear as a device without a screen protector. I'm sure if you look extremely close you could probably find a very very minimal amount of distortion/clarity but I can't see any myself. I am not a fan of the Spigen screen protector because its more inline with the Zagg screen protectors. This means that it has a gloss to it even though it appears matte when you have it in its packaging. The feel of it is similar to the Zagg with a almost rubber like friction at first after you apply it, but it dissipated after I cleaned it with some of my lense cleaner. I have used it in the heavy rain we have been experiencing without any issues of water getting under it or limited visibility. I just threw the device in my sink full of water and the protector looks the same as it does now. There does not appear to be any distortion, or at least no noticeable distortion. It's much harder to tell because of the screen size, but overall I am happy with it. It's definitely no tempered glass protector quality but it does the job for the Gear Fit. This is my first Spigen non-glass screen protector so I'm not sure how their regular ones are compared to this.
Wow. Thank you so much for giving a more in-depth analysis.
I also pre-ordered the Fit via amazon. Wasn't sure which screen protector to buy. Hope would go with Spigen as there is no better choice other than this.
shoaibar said:
Wow. Thank you so much for giving a more in-depth analysis.
I also pre-ordered the Fit via amazon. Wasn't sure which screen protector to buy. Hope would go with Spigen as there is no better choice other than this.
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Yeah there is just the Spigen and I believe Skinomi? I think that both are about the same material wise so there shouldn't really be a difference.
I can't wait for the update that allows portrait mode. I can confirm that its not shipping with the update mentioned earlier we will see what happens.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I'm probably answering my own questions already but does this gear fit have a calorie intake measure? Is this watch viable for going to the gym purposes?
I don't see any info about the gear fit recording calorie intake and it says heart rate sensor and not monitor which it probably won't constantly read your heart rate as you work out (oppose to the polar fitness watches)
You input your information via the S Health app so yes it can do calories intake and burn but only for 4 different activities at the moment. These include running, walking, hiking and biking. I believe that more will be added such as strength training soon.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I work for Samsung. They should be in every Best Buy friday. They also work with the Pro series tablets and the upcoming Galaxy series 4 tablets if anyone is wondering. ip67 rating essentially is 3 feet of water for up to 30 minutes.
bckrupps said:
I work for Samsung. They should be in every Best Buy friday. They also work with the Pro series tablets and the upcoming Galaxy series 4 tablets if anyone is wondering. ip67 rating essentially is 3 feet of water for up to 30 minutes.
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What about the colored bands and software update?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Pilz474 said:
What about the colored bands and software update?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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not sure what bands will be in stock yet. there is an update for the gear fit already to allow it to be viewed in both portrait and landscape mode
Interesting ....I'm just concerned about battery drainage from my cell which is the note3 with the bt on all day...
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
Hello everyone,
Samsung has released a watch with the Samsung Galaxy S5 as a companion. Here is my full unboxing and review of the watch. Do you think that the watch would be worth your money? Is it a good watch? Is it silly or actually useful? Watch the Review and let me know what you think of the watch!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=dtT4dSHxLiU
I like it as I am am wearing a Gear 2 on my left arm and a Fit on my right. At the moment the Fit is my preference assuming I can find a way to increase the band size. Its small...
Earthdog said:
I like it as I am am wearing a Gear 2 on my left arm and a Fit on my right. At the moment the Fit is my preference assuming I can find a way to increase the band size. Its small...
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Or you're big
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SirLance99 said:
Or you're big
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Well in my case every watch I have ever owned fit except the Fit. :laugh:
Earthdog said:
Well in my case every watch I have ever owned fit except the Fit. :laugh:
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Yeah it is a bit small.
Earthdog said:
I like it as I am am wearing a Gear 2 on my left arm and a Fit on my right. At the moment the Fit is my preference assuming I can find a way to increase the band size. Its small...
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OMG, thats what i want to do. How do you like that setup? Right now, I want it just to have changable watch faces and use the fit as a customizable bracelet.
Im sure ill use the utility of both devices, but for now im more focused on just those two aspects.
Before anyone says anything, $300 is nothing for a watch and $200 is nothing for a bracelt. Just to have them fully customizable is awesome. I will most likey use the watch to take short calls in the field, check a msg at meetings. Use the fit band for the health tracking. Time will tell what utility I will use, but I dont really want to use the cool features as much as some people do, or will perceive me to want to(people think that enough with my N3, N8.0 and NP12.2 lol)
Ugh, what a waste - I wanted to buy one for my wife until I found out it doesn't have the microphone/speaker like the other Gears. She saw me talking on my Gear 2 Neo and mentioned she'd actually use that feature (she wouldn't use bluetooth headsets before because she has a thing about putting things on her ear). It would have been the first smartwatch she would have been open to using if only it had those missing features as she doesn't like the size of most of the other smartwatches.
rEVOLVE said:
Ugh, what a waste - I wanted to buy one for my wife until I found out it doesn't have the microphone/speaker like the other Gears. She saw me talking on my Gear 2 Neo and mentioned she'd actually use that feature (she wouldn't use bluetooth headsets before because she has a thing about putting things on her ear). It would have been the first smartwatch she would have been open to using if only it had those missing features as she doesn't like the size of most of the other smartwatches.
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Who wants to talk to their watch in public?
aooga said:
Who wants to talk to their watch in public?
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Are you always in public? Do you ever use speakerphone? Have a little imagination, will you? It's not like you would do this for every conversation. Did it occur to you that -sometimes- it's handy? ie - when your hands are full, when you're in the car, by yourself, etc. Also the possibility of controlling Google Now/S Voice is gone - which is more what I was interested in for my use and one of the reasons I'm exploring switching from my Pebble (which currently can do way more useful things than my Gear).
Wouldn't you rather have the option to do it and never use it if it doesn't suit you rather than buy a product that was limited by hardware to do more?
rEVOLVE said:
Are you always in public? Do you ever use speakerphone? Have a little imagination, will you? It's not like you would do this for every conversation. Did it occur to you that -sometimes- it's handy? ie - when your hands are full, when you're in the car, by yourself, etc. Also the possibility of controlling Google Now/S Voice is gone - which is more what I was interested in for my use and one of the reasons I'm exploring switching from my Pebble (which currently can do way more useful things than my Gear).
Wouldn't you rather have the option to do it and never use it if it doesn't suit you rather than buy a product that was limited by hardware to do more?
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Well for me, I would never use it. Car has bluetooth anyway, not really by myself that much, and even if I was, I would still not use speakerphone. I have an HTC One and people complain a lot when I use speakerphone, so I've stopped. It might work for you, but I see it as more of a gimmick than a real feature.
Yeah you can't use google now, but you can't do that on the gear 2 either. Only Svoice to send messages.
aooga said:
Well for me, I would never use it. Car has bluetooth anyway, not really by myself that much, and even if I was, I would still not use speakerphone. I have an HTC One and people complain a lot when I use speakerphone, so I've stopped. It might work for you, but I see it as more of a gimmick than a real feature.
Yeah you can't use google now, but you can't do that on the gear 2 either. Only Svoice to send messages.
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Ok, let's petition all the manufacturers to remove speakerphone from all phones because it doesn't fit -your- use. j/k
See, I agree with you that speakerphone in public is annoying, but wouldn't you feel bad buying a phone in this age that didn't have that feature -even if you never expected to use it? Sometimes I'm roaming my home and it's handy to have a quick convo on the speakerphone of the Neo without taking out and holding my phone or running to get my headset. Wow, it just made my life easier!
MOST of the samsung features are gimmicks, btw. Hell, lots of people consider a smartwatch a gimmick as well - it's all about perspective and being open to capabilities. You know what's a gimmick to me? Making a color screen on a smartwatch but having to keep it off just to save battery - it's annoying looking down and not seeing the time on the watch and being forced to wave my arm/touch the watch to display info.
S-Voice is damn useful on the Neo, though. I just got the weather forecast with it on the watch. Maybe a dev can switch the intent from S-Voice to Google Now (otherwise going for one of the Android Wear watches). My Mom just discovered how much easier her phone is to use w/ voice commands. Voice recognition is moving to the point of being pretty accurate, so as a handsfree interface, it's an awesome option rather than swiping all over the damn watch. This is why -for my use- I wouldn't consider the Fit until they add the mic and speaker back in and any future smartwatch I consider will need to have those as a requirement.
rEVOLVE said:
Ok, let's petition all the manufacturers to remove speakerphone from all phones because it doesn't fit -your- use. j/k
See, I agree with you that speakerphone in public is annoying, but wouldn't you feel bad buying a phone in this age that didn't have that feature -even if you never expected to use it? Sometimes I'm roaming my home and it's handy to have a quick convo on the speakerphone of the Neo without taking out and holding my phone or running to get my headset. Wow, it just made my life easier!
MOST of the samsung features are gimmicks, btw. Hell, lots of people consider a smartwatch a gimmick as well - it's all about perspective and being open to capabilities. You know what's a gimmick to me? Making a color screen on a smartwatch but having to keep it off just to save battery - it's annoying looking down and not seeing the time on the watch and being forced to wave my arm/touch the watch to display info.
S-Voice is damn useful on the Neo, though. I just got the weather forecast with it on the watch. Maybe a dev can switch the intent from S-Voice to Google Now (otherwise going for one of the Android Wear watches). My Mom just discovered how much easier her phone is to use w/ voice commands. Voice recognition is moving to the point of being pretty accurate, so as a handsfree interface, it's an awesome option rather than swiping all over the damn watch. This is why -for my use- I wouldn't consider the Fit until they add the mic and speaker back in and any future smartwatch I consider will need to have those as a requirement.
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Thats why Samsung made both
One works for some people and the other works for other people. I chose the fit because the neo is a bit too big for my tastes as well as the battery is supposed to be better on the fit. I didn't know svoice could be used for things other than just replying though. Seems interesting. I'm probably going to pick up a Android Wear watch too when they come out...depends how big they are. I hate having a dinner plate on my wrist.
aooga said:
Thats why Samsung made both
One works for some people and the other works for other people. I chose the fit because the neo is a bit too big for my tastes as well as the battery is supposed to be better on the fit. I didn't know svoice could be used for things other than just replying though. Seems interesting. I'm probably going to pick up a Android Wear watch too when they come out...depends how big they are. I hate having a dinner plate on my wrist.
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If Samsung makes a Android Wear that is in the Fit form factor (maybe call it the "Fit Pro") I'd buy 2 on release day for my wife and myself. S-Voice is not Google Now, but it actually does a lot of what I need already. This will change as Google fleshes out what Google Now can do and integrate with. Also, making it "always listening" without having to touch the watch would be key - as that demo with "open garage door" in the Android Wear video got me really excited about it.
Being a happy Pebble user, it was the Fit form factor that tempted me to switch as no one has made such a unique and appealing form factor, yet. I've seen a band that is just pretty much a glorified bluetooth speakerphone on your wrist and that's not the same. It's a shame they crippled the current Fit by keeping off the mic and speaker because the more I use that on my Neo I'm realizing voice control immensely increases the smartwatch's fun and usefulness, IMO.
I have speaker and mic on the Galaxy Gear, I almost never used them.
I understand people want them, they could still get a Galaxy Gear(cheap), Neo or Gear 2.
If anybody likes a speaker and mic, why buy the fit? Samsung did not hid the fact the watch has no speaker or mic.
Sure you may like how the fit looks (I do) but you need to decide what is more important the style of the watch or the speaker/mic.
I like the style with the Gear Fit, it is very light.
I still get notifications, weather and now a step counter and heart beat sensor (even though they are not great)
AstroDigital said:
I have speaker and mic on the Galaxy Gear, I almost never used them.
I understand people want them, they could still get a Galaxy Gear(cheap), Neo or Gear 2.
If anybody likes a speaker and mic, why buy the fit? Samsung did not hid the fact the watch has no speaker or mic.
Sure you may like how the fit looks (I do) but you need to decide what is more important the style of the watch or the speaker/mic.
I like the style with the Gear Fit, it is very light.
I still get notifications, weather and now a step counter and heart beat sensor (even though they are not great)
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But that's the thing, it's such a missed opportunity to not have a version in the gorgeous form factor of the Fit w the mic/speaker. After testing the Neo for a few days, that's the main reason I didn't return it immediately, as my Pebble already did a lot of what I wanted w/ the exception of the janky pedometer/HRM. I could even forgive that the Neo is only controlling S Voice and not Google Now, because it's handy enough. You would think that with the Fit's smaller form factor and the fact you have less screen to interact with, supplementing the control scheme with the mic/speaker would make sense.
Again, it's not the phone conversations that are attractive to me, it's the immediate access to S Voice. It is a major factor of convenience on your wrist once you realize the potential. I still come back to how great the Fit looks, especially for females who don't really have a lot of options in the Smartwatch arena. But there's no way I would invest in a smartwatch w/o the mic now - it's just not complete without one.
Please go here for any further discussion, thanks...http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2709343
I'm about 2 months in on my gear S, and It feels like the run is coming to an end. Main reason? No support for always on clock faces. I'm a every day watch wearer, and having really no options for a stylish always on face is unacceptable. Plus I'm finding the gear manager to buggy, I can't even manage my notifications anymore...
I'm sick of using only samsung apps, still don't know how to reply to an email correctly. Developement seems slow, all apps are paid apps, not enough apps. Really a shame considering the hardware is really nice, and tizen itself if pretty solid. S voice blows donkey chode... if it could use google now, i would be set. I do alot of random searches throughout the day, and pulling out my phone to using google now because of s voice inadequacies seems stupid.
Just called my pops to order me a moto 360, not sure if I'll be anymore happy, guess we will see. Bottom line, not using 3g card or phone call features as much as I thought, I hate svoice, and gear manager. No replacement watch bands, a rubber band on a $350 watch, malarkey, nuff said.
Update:
Looks like the jumping of the ship did not work... Got the 360, love the looks, love the charger, love google now. Dislike interface overall, whole cards thing just doesn't work, battery life is an absolute joke. Back to the gear s for now, someone please get an aftermarket band and always on faces going. Kinda shocked on how bad android wear is.... hope apple comes out and blows everyone out of the water.
Sampson0420 said:
I'm about 2 months in on my gear S, and It feels like the run is coming to an end. Main reason? No support for always on clock faces. I'm a every day watch wearer, and having really no options for a stylish always on face is unacceptable. Plus I'm finding the gear manager to buggy, I can't even manage my notifications anymore...
I'm sick of using only samsung apps, still don't know how to reply to an email correctly. Developement seems slow, all apps are paid apps, not enough apps. Really a shame considering the hardware is really nice, and tizen itself if pretty solid. S voice blows donkey chode... if it could use google now, i would be set. I do alot of random searches throughout the day, and pulling out my phone to using google now because of s voice inadequacies seems stupid.
Just called my pops to order me a moto 360, not sure if I'll be anymore happy, guess we will see. Bottom line, not using 3g card or phone call features as much as I thought, I hate svoice, and gear manager. No replacement watch bands, a rubber band on a $350 watch, malarkey, nuff said.
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Bye...
Bye Felicia
He does raise some very valid points, especially about the watch faces. However, the available alternatives have much less functionality. I studied the moto in detail before finally buying the gear s. I am sure I made the right decision, even with the many shortcomings of the gear s. I am also hopeful that some of those glaring omissions (which can very easily be fixed in an update) might actually be updated at some point. Although Samsung is infamous for having the slowest updates in the industry, I remain hopeful.
Agreed, gear can do much more, google wear as a whole has much less functionality. This is why I've passed up on the 360 in the past and waited for gear s. I'm just finding I don't use the gear's extra funtions hardly ever. The functions I do use, the wear watches execute better. I'll have both the next couple weeks and will report back...
Agree with all criticisms, but still Gear S is a keeper
The ability to answer a call or text on my wrist overwhelms the very valid criticisms cited above. I have owned two Pebble watches for over a year now, and while the Pebble does all the small stuff well, the Gear S is so much more powerful on the two most important things that matter, texting and receiving a phone call when your phone is stuck in your pocket. I have also tried several of the android wear devices, and both the Pebble and Gear S still blows them all away. Don't waste your time with Android Wear right now. Buy a Pebble Steel or Gear S.
I agree with jwhedberg. Yesterday after work I went out for a quick discussion with a friend over a beer. Like this happens sometimes, I ended up hitting the town with till very late in the night. My phone battery died at some time and I couldnt charge it at the bar, but I was still able to receive my phone calls on the smartphone number (activated "Call forwarding when unreachable"), I could call and send texts, all from the gear S. Thats a deal maker for me.
An always on face with stylish look would be nice, but I think that even if it was available it would drain too much battery and I wouldn`t use it. I use a combination of always on black and white faces / motion activation, depending of how much of a show off I want to be
I fully agree on the strap issue. This is the most expensive of all my watches, but the strap looks like its from a toy watch. I think first manufacturer of a really cool strap will have some cool sales.
This thread probably could have gone in the returned Gear S thread. I really liked the Gear S but just seemed buggy to me. If a software update came out I might consider getting again but wish some how you could charge the battery wireless or not have to put the dock on. I'll be checking out the Gear S 2 which I guess could be out sooner then what I thought.
The gear s is by far the best smart watch out right now. There is an always on option if you look in the settings. Also you dont wont wireless charging on a device this small. Wireless charging creates excessive heat whuch is bad for batteries. It is one of the reasons why users of the Moto 360 have had device failure. I dont even use wireless charging on cellphones, slow and not worth the added cost for the convience. I like the fact that Samsung placed an extra battery in the charger, that way you can charge the Gear S without a power supply. You can even wear it with the charger. Do you guys actually own the device? Or even read up on what you are buying? Most of the concerns addressed on this thread or easily answered by Samsung and options provided by the device itself.
sniickers said:
The gear s is by far the best smart watch out right now. There is an always on option if you look in the settings. Also you dont wont wireless charging on a device this small. Wireless charging creates excessive heat whuch is bad for batteries. It is one of the reasons why users of the Moto 360 have had device failure. I dont even use wireless charging on cellphones, slow and not worth the added cost for the convience. I like the fact that Samsung placed an extra battery in the charger, that way you can charge the Gear S without a power supply. You can even wear it with the charger. Do you guys actually own the device? Or even read up on what you are buying? Most of the concerns addressed on this thread or easily answered by Samsung and options provided by the device itself.
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lol @ wearing the watch with the charger. The battery in the charger was cool but putting the charger on the watch was a hassle. Imo The watch is very nice and yes I owned it for 20 days and yes I could afford it. LoL I love wireless charging and Note 4 doesn't get hot with the OEM wireless cover. I wouldn't care if it did since I switch phones so much. That was another reason why I didn't keep the Gear S is because if I get a different phone I can't use all the features of the watch. Not everyone is going to love everything so don't get mad at people returning something. Not like you have to read this thread. Just saying
owned the pebble for 6 months, it was ehhh ok. It just looked crappy, and yes I did have the OG, not the steel. On the other hand, it was pretty darn rock solid in regards to working consistantly. Sold it and don't miss it... starting to think twice though about abandoning my S.
I run always on clock face on my gear, I'm typically around 35% at the end of the day. Battery life on this watch is awesome, I charge daily, so no complaints there.
Qi charging is the best thing ever created, there's no going back. Auto alarm clock on a $25 3 coil stand charger and $8 insert on my note 3, completely worth it.
I have the moto 360 and wore it once it does not compare to the gear s because you still have to use your phone for everything
fatboypup said:
Bye Felicia
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OMG im dying here.
Sent from my SM-N910V using XDA Premium HD app
flamebeats said:
I have the moto 360 and wore it once it does not compare to the gear s because you still have to use your phone for everything
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You can't use google now to respond/dictate text or email?? Or do quick searches?? If true... that sucks.
This watch is an accessory it is not for the weak at heart. It will not cook you dinner or drive your car clean your house ect. You made the right choice for YOU at this rate you will not be happy with any Smart watch. They are not for everyone with that said good luck with your search
I thought the bands on the moto360 were ugly and cheap looking.
I've owned the Gear S for a month now and love it. Not sure why someone would want the always on feature. Your not always looking at your watch and the slight twist of your wrist it comes on. Saves battery this way too. But to each his own I guess. No problems with notifications here either. In fact I think it notifies me too much. But I like the fact that I can leave my phone anywhere and get messages and calls to my Gear S. I don't get good reception in my place of work so have to use whatsapp over wifi and I like the fact that I can reply to whatsapp messages with watch. I've become a master of swiping on a small keyboard.
just my 2 cents worth, now let me get back to designing watchfaces with watchstyler. lol
so after 8 days of use ....... and totally expecting it to cook me dinner. Im taking mine back too, I hope a model with bigger battery is heading down the pipe and i can totally live with a wifi only option. It's been fun I'll still look in and see if anything happens dev wise that might make me want another. :good:
The Motorola 360 seriously looks like something out of a gumball machine, I was actually taken back by how ugly and cheap it looked the first time I seen one in person. But again it's Motorola, aesthetics and quality aren't Strong suites for them.
But I do agree with the band issue with the Gear S, I love this watch, but was looking forward to the different band options ... still nothing. While the current band looks good I think, it creaks where it touches the watch when you touch the band, two Gear S' in and same thing. Anyone else?
Regardless, this watch is a def keeper, its beautiful and functional.
My band also creaked once in awhile. The watch was either to big on my wrist to where I was moving it a lot. Or it was to tight causing it to sweat on my wrist.
I also was stuck with the band either being to big on one hole or too small on the other .... thought it was just me one left clasp marks on my wrist the other made the hrm not functional
So I got my Gear Fit 2 on release day, and so far am really enjoying it. However I do a LOT of treadmill running at my gym and I'm finding two issues.
The first main one is that there doesn't seem to be any way to customize running or walking step length. Fitbit has this on all their trackers, and it helps make GPS-less runs far more accurate. When I run two miles at the gym, my Gear Fit 2 is only recording 1.6 miles (I've tried several different treadmills and the error repeats). This is throwing off my pacing data! Does anyone know if this might be added? May be a deal breaker for me.
Secondly, I think its really stupid that when you use the "'treadmill" setting, it doesn't record your distance or pace?! Again not that it matters too much - as its not super accurate.
curious to see how many of the Samsung Galaxy S8 community have smartwatches, and which ones they are using?
I've had the Asus Zenwatch 3 since before I got the S8 back in November.
this watch is very stylish and serves as a great time piece.
everything seems to run fairly well. I get notifications, able to respond with my voice, etc. but my main concern is lag. when I disable the "OK Google" detection from the watch, the lag is almost gone. thus, in order to enter a command, I need to press a button on the watch to launch google assistant. and each time, on the first pass, I get an error that google was unreachable. but when I try a second time, it works fine. so I'm not sure if this is due to the handshake between the phone and the watch or just the watch. also, when going on a run/walk/bike ride, I would like to start the activity through the watch. however, I cannot seem to get Map My Run to work properly. I'm fine using Google Fit, but it does not call out the milestones to my bluetooth headphones - only when I start the activity through the phone. to me, this makes have the smartwatch almost pointless if I have to initiate the activity through the phone.
I know that Samsung has their own line of smartwatches, but from what I read, they do not use Google, they use Tizen. I also read that the next release of their watch (Galaxy watch, I think) will have Bixby install as it's assistant. those two factors alone will keep me away from getting a samsung smartwatch.
however, I am eyeing the Ticwatch Pro, but just want to be sure that watch is true upgrade over mine.
I used to have the original moto 360 (paired with my Motorola Droid Turbo), and that was a great combination except that the heart rate monitor was spotty at best (the Asus Zenwatch 3, FWIW, does NOT have the heart rate monitor, also a downer).
curious to see anyone else's experience....
If you're not in the rush, I recommend you to just wait for Samsung / Google next upgrade on smartwatch, because it is very near already..
Personally, I'm using Samsung gear S2 and loved it a lot for quite long... The rotating bezel is the best navigation out there imo... Sadly, Gear S3 and Gear Watch is a bit overpriced for me, so I'm still using the outdated Gear S2 for quite some time.
StardustGeass said:
If you're not in the rush, I recommend you to just wait for Samsung / Google next upgrade on smartwatch, because it is very near already..
Personally, I'm using Samsung gear S2 and loved it a lot for quite long... The rotating bezel is the best navigation out there imo... Sadly, Gear S3 and Gear Watch is a bit overpriced for me, so I'm still using the outdated Gear S2 for quite some time.
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I keep reading reviews of how everyone loves the rotating bezels. I'm sure I would like it, but i'm just fine with flicking my wrist to view the notifications or using my voice.
I wound up selling my Asus Zenwatch 3 and bought the TicWatch Pro. I had some difficulty setting it up at first - meaning that it took more than an hour to complete the process. but once it was done, seems to be working quite well so far.
the tough part is that in order to NFC to make payments via google pay (I think that the gear watches force you to use Samsung Pay instead?), is that you need to have a screenlock password/pin/pattern - and this is extremely inconvenient for normal use. But i believe that is more of a feature of Android Wear rather than the watch itself. if anything, I would prefer the to enter the password/pin/pattern only when I attempt to use google pay.
my only reason for waiting until the pixel watch would be to see it offered a watch with more RAM. however, this TicWatch Pro is very responsive and I'm able to leave the "ok Google" enabled - very helpful when driving.
jco23 said:
I keep reading reviews of how everyone loves the rotating bezels. I'm sure I would like it, but i'm just fine with flicking my wrist to view the notifications or using my voice.
I wound up selling my Asus Zenwatch 3 and bought the TicWatch Pro. I had some difficulty setting it up at first - meaning that it took more than an hour to complete the process. but once it was done, seems to be working quite well so far.
the tough part is that in order to NFC to make payments via google pay (I think that the gear watches force you to use Samsung Pay instead?), is that you need to have a screenlock password/pin/pattern - and this is extremely inconvenient for normal use. But i believe that is more of a feature of Android Wear rather than the watch itself. if anything, I would prefer the to enter the password/pin/pattern only when I attempt to use google pay.
my only reason for waiting until the pixel watch would be to see it offered a watch with more RAM. however, this TicWatch Pro is very responsive and I'm able to leave the "ok Google" enabled - very helpful when driving.
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I also ended up with a Ticwatch E model - didn't want to go all in with an expensive, high end watch until I was sure I liked the idea. Bought this one during Amazon Prime Days and have been really happy with it. Syncs to the S8, messaging, notification, Fit, Assistant, Maps, etc., all just work the way you think it should. You're right, it took about an hour before everything got set up and updated correctly. I even run Google Keep on it and check off my grocery list with the phone still in my pocket - no more burying the phone in the cart, then digging to find it!
Samsung Galaxy Watch is up, but I don't see any difference with the Gear S3?
Everything just looks the same.
The size.
The OS.
The feature.
I don't even feel Gear S3 is worth the price, and here comes a newer, more expensive one.
Yes, I totally love android smartwatch. I own Gear S2 for quite some time, and I really enjoyed it. But, smartwatch price just feels so ridiculous.
i use my moto 360.
i got a tic watch S but sending that back it was the white one. + android wear 2 is stupid... u can only voice talk in one language... but im dutch and live in france so i need 2 language... but its only french or english.. i tried looked on internet it seems normal android wear 2 is stupid, otherwise its great to talk and reply to people but i can do that same on my moto 360 with android wear 1. with just a extra app on my phone i can get keyboard and all on watch.. and i can speak 3 language and its know which it talk and it works... but for real im really disapointed by android wear 2. . its great but seems stupid to not have multi language....
so yeah i guess i will never change my moto 360...
Anyone have experience with Huawei watch 2 4G?
miloshp said:
Anyone have experience with Huawei watch 2 4G?
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I just picked up the Huawei Watch 2 Classic from Best Buy (also available on Amazon). I think it is JUST the bluetooth version, as I am not interested in getting the cellular version..
I compared it to the Ticwatch Pro, and the Huawei has a much better feel and classiness to it. The battery life has been great - I even have everything enabled (always on-display, "ok google detection", wrist gestures, etc.). At the end of the day (6:30am-10pm), I'm still at 50%+. I also take it off at night, and it charges very quickly. So I really do not need more than 2days of battery life. The watch also has an eco mode, where (just like the Ticwatch Pro), it will disable Wear OS, and you'll just get the time while it tracks your steps.
I'll submit my video and full specs review a bit later...
hope this helps.
Introduction:
I am comparing two smartwatches that use Android Wear 2.0. I have read where many people prefer the Samsung watches with their Tizen OS and rotating bezel, thus I felt that comparing a AW OS smartwatch to a different OS would not be fair. From my experience, Samsung tends to handcuff their customers (much like Apple), so many folks are already turned away from using any additional Samsung products. my previous devices were the original Moto 360 (paired with a Motorola Droid Trubo) and Asus Zenwatch 3. The Moto 360 had a heartrate feature, but was only available on demand, and took over a minute to find my heart rate. The Asus Zenwatch 3 is very classy, but lacked the heartrate monitor, and always seemed slow to respond. Neither of these watches had GPS, NFC, or IP68 rating. The Moto 360 capped out at AW 1.5 (which some still say is better than 2.0), while the Asus Zenwatch 3 started with 1.5 and moved quickly to 2.0. I had the Moto 360 for nearly three years (11/2014-8/2017) and the Asus Zenwatch 3 for less than one year (8/2017-7/2018). Battery life on both barely made it a full 24 hours. Both felt very comfortable and looked classy.
Tiwatch Pro:
I tested the Ticwatch Pro for about two weeks. Pairing it to my phone took well over an hour. There were many times when I had to disconnect/reset the watch, as I thought that the phone/watch was stuck. But really, it just took significantly longer than my other watches. The watch worked fine from the get go, however, setting up my credit card for NFC payments took some time as well (including disconnecting/resetting, as your watch must have a PIN/password/pattern in order to use this feature). Did not realize until later that each time I disabled the lock screen, I lost NFC, so I had to re-enable the lock screen and then set up my credit card all over again. But I think that is more of a feature of AW than the watch. Supposedly, the watch knows when it is on your wrist, so when you take it off/on, you'll have to get through the lock screen each time. The watch was not very consistent with this, so there were a few times when I had to enter the info even though the watch had been on my wrist for a while. Also, when I docked/charged the watch, I had to bypass the lock screen just to get to the nightstand mode. In terms of feel, the Ticwatch felt like I was wearing a smartphone on my wrist, and not a watch. This felt awkward to the point where I could not wait to take it off. The idea for the band is great - leather on the outside and a breathable silicon on the inside. However, the length was a little odd and felt too stiff. The battery life was acceptable, as I always take it off when I sleep, so I really only require 1-day+. The Ticwatch's best feature is what I dislike most - the digital display. In my opinion, this is not classy - not the reason to spend $250. Thus, I had to enable the always on display - which was fine, but for the stock watchfaces, I did not like having to read, "Ticwatch", and they were not that nice. I installed Watchmaker and used a custom watchface, which was much nicer, but with the always on display, my wrist was always illuminating (and not fading like the stock faces). However, the Ticwatch functions as it should, and is a nice watch. Just that it does not feel right to me.
Huawei Watch 2 Classic:
I tested the Huawei Watch 2 Classic for one week. Much like the Ticwatch, it took well over an hour to pair to my phone. The functionality is essentially the same as the Ticwatch with these few exceptions: the screen lock had to be entered far less. Only had to bypass the lockscreen when putting the watch on my wrist, and NOT when I docked/charged the watch for nightstand mode. Since I had the Ticwatch previously, the Huawei had a noticeably smaller screen size. Not a big deal, but the featured watchface has a circle that shows the date, and this circle is not legible, this making it useless. In terms of feel, the Huawei felt like very comfortable. Similiar to the Ticwatch, the Huawei has a dual band with leather on the outside and breathable silicon on the inside. However, this band feels more genuine and softer than the Ticwatch band. Also, the two tone (brown leather) looks better than the black band only offered by Ticwatch (Huawei also offers a black band). Battery life is better than expected, as I could get 2-days easily with limited use, and could probably get even longer if enabled "Smart Power saving" or "watch mode" via the Battery setting. Response is realatively quick, even with "Ok Google" detection enabled.
Conclusion:
Both watches work very well as advertised, and are great for both casual users and athletes. I go running/walking/biking at least twice a week, and both watches perform well with no hiccups. Battery life is a non-issue to me due the Huawei having it's own essential mode. The key difference is that the Huawei has more RAM (thus, performance is slightly better), and the Huawei looks/feels classier and far more comfortable. The Ticwatch has a slight edge for a larger screen size and being newer. However, given that the Huawei is now on clearance (could be a bad sign), the Ticwatch is more expensive. Thus, due to these factors, I went with the Huawei Watch 2 Classic.
by the way, the Huawei Watch 2 Classic on clearance at Best Buy for $180 ($125 open box) - not a bad deal for what I think is one of the best AW smartwatches available right now. Consider that the Pixel and next generation smartwatches will be $300+ (albeit they'll have an updated processor and probably more RAM). The Huawei Watch 2 is already in line to get Android P to sync up with our phones (whenever the Samsung Galaxy S8 gets pie).
I got 2 gear S2s and they are absolutely wonderful I bought a second one as I am a mechanic and figured I would tear it up fast...Nope take most of the abuse and other than a beat up band which i have 3 others still 6 months later the watch has a couple scratches and thats it
I've got 3 watches. Diesel On Full Guard, Michael Kors Grayson, and Nixon Mission. The first 2 are essentially the same thing just different styling. The Nixon has the same processor and is more rugged for out doorsey use. All three lack NFC and heart rate monitoring. So unless you need to pay for your Starbucks after your power walk they are not for you.
Nixon has very basic functionality, it will accept voice imput, but will not talk back (no speaker). The Grayson and Full Guard has a speaker and is a real '**** Tracy' watch. All of these are considered fashion watches and have built in watch faces that are extensive. Add an app like!e Watchmaker and you can expand the looks. Nixon is pretty fixed when it comes to bands, while the other will easily take any 24mm band and the stock bands are quick release.
Working with my S8+ has been easy. Notifications are easy to read and interface with. Assistant works well. Battery life needs improvement, and the next generation should address this. But for now I'm pleased with these choices. All are in my daily rotation based on my mood or style preference for any given day.
I've got a LG G Watch R and I'm happy with it after all these years. The battery sadly doesn't lasts that much anymore but it's perfect for me.
With Bluetooth : ~2-3 days
With Wi-Fi : ~1-1/2 day.
Airplane Mode : ~ 4-5 days.
It's rooted, all the bloat removed and TWRP on it. Android Wear 2 installed. Cheap too nowadays
TheMadScientist said:
I got 2 gear S2s and they are absolutely wonderful I bought a second one as I am a mechanic and figured I would tear it up fast...Nope take most of the abuse and other than a beat up band which i have 3 others still 6 months later the watch has a couple scratches and thats it
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I got those for my kids (used on e-bay), so far, so good. lone downside is that I had to a samsung phone for best results. I feel that samsung is trying to be like apple with all of their propriety crapps.
jco23 said:
I got those for my kids (used on e-bay), so far, so good. lone downside is that I had to a samsung phone for best results. I feel that samsung is trying to be like apple with all of their propriety crapps.
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I found a modded gear app for any phone and any ram size no 1.5 gb ram limit Its posted in the gear s2 thread
I used mine on a 30$ ZTE straight talk and my lgs
TheMadScientist said:
I found a modded gear app for any phone and any ram size no 1.5 gb ram limit Its posted in the gear s2 thread
I used mine on a 30$ ZTE straight talk and my lgs
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yeah, I saw those apps. somewhat unreliable in my experience. but since I won't be using the phone or watches, I needed something that would require zero maintenance (or as close to zero as possible).
if it was just for me, then I probably would have gone the same route. however, I did use the windows executable that copies MP3 files from the computer to the watch via WiFi - that was pretty nifty.
I'm using a Fitbit Versa and it works flawless with my S8+ (before I had a Moto G4 and it worked terrible tbh).
I'm looking at the new Galaxy Watch but A. It's too expensive, B. It doesn't have MST like the Gear S3. So that's a deal breaker for me.
I have tag heuer connected modular 45 and seriously it's great to use both together with 1.5 day battery.
I am using Zenwatch 3. Its more than 1 yr now and running fine.