Need some information, tips/tricks. - Samsung Gear S

So I've been using the Gear S for a few days, and thoroughly enjoyed leaving my Note 4 in the truck or at home for quick errands. But aside from call forwarding I think I'm a bit confused about the functionality of the watch in terms of it as a stand alone device, and don't get me wrong it came through as promised as a stand alone, and I love this thing, the wait was worth it.
But the question is: when paired to my phone as Bluetooth I can not receive calls direct to my Gear S number, unless I'm missing something, but it goes straight to voicemail when I'm connected to my phones, can I set call forwarding to phone from my watch number or just only my phone to my watch? And do I only get text/calls forwarded, or all of my notifications (aside from emails which I know you got to add to the email app.) and does my phone need to stay on while at home?
I studied the crap out of this watch for 2 months before release, but a lot of the information was vague or speculation, then out of no where it dropped and just kind of looking for solid informed information now.
Overall, I'm still on the fence about using it on a plan, not because its come up short on what it promised, but because I'm not sure how often I'll use it. Im mainly just looking for any and all advice/tips to get the most out of this thing thinking maybe I've missed something ...
I justify the At&t $10 a month, because out the gate I saved $100 (Basically a free 10 months of stand alone service) and I do see the beauty of leaving my phone at home sometimes, plus for hitting the gym or taking the dog for a walk, I love my Note phones, but they do take up a lot of pocket real estate, so the watch is a nice feature.
And as far as battery life, I def get more on Bluetooth than as a stand alone, I can easily get a full day with cellular connection, but probably 2+ with just Bluetooth, and those numbers are wifi off/motion off.
Today: 8am - 100% - 12:45pm 92%.
Bluetoothed, Motion on, 19 Apps set to notify, brightness very readable but low.
Chances are I'll keep the cell plan on it, as far as the watch try and pry this thing from my hand ... at least until the Gear S2 drops lol. I'm just looking for any tips or tricks with the watch I might have missed, or maybe stories on how having there stand alone watch has improved your life.

It seems as if they focused too much on locking this watch down so you can ONLY use it with Samsung devices that they ended up with a watch with so much potential.
I thought I would be able to log in to my Google account on my watch and still be able to receive notifications on it. But nope, Samsung can't have us set up the phone temporarily and keep using it without a Samsung device. There's really no justification at this point to have a SIM card on this watch and being charged a monthly plan.
I wish another company would have released this device without the greediness of Samsung.

See I only buy Note series phones, so the locked to Samsung phones doesn't bother me, all the other watch companies would do the same if they weren't only making Android Wear devices and had proprietary software, just like the Iwatch will only run off an iPhone and not a peep will be said about that, people will praise it's old tech and uglymess as the second coming of jesus. Only samsung seems to catch the heat.
Let me reiterate that I'm 1000% happy with this watch, it's beautiful and functional, and the stand alone is great, just looking for a reason to keep it on a data plan in terms of fitting my lifestyle and need, I can see a lot of people needing this feature. The watch will stay on my wrist regardless. Me, I'm trying to justify the contract just to leave my phone in the truck during a shopping trip or to run errands or something. But again it's just $10 so it's not a huge deal.

It really depends on how your going to use it. Everyone is not going to use it the same way.
The price plan was not a concern at all and i was fine with that. I knew I was going to have the plan on it. Mines is mainly used for going on walks or runs. Sometimes i may still bring my phone, sometimes i may not. Felt i was covered either way. Making quick trips to shop, I'm set. Basically an "quick and short insurance policy" for me. Everything else is cool for me, but chances of me using is slim to none. And to do for $10. I'm good with that. It's doing every bit of what I had hoped it would.
Sent from my SM-N910P

Dmac1984 said:
See I only buy Note series phones, so the locked to Samsung phones doesn't bother me, all the other watch companies would do the same if they weren't only making Android Wear devices and had proprietary software, just like the Iwatch will only run off an iPhone and not a peep will be said about that, people will praise it's old tech and uglymess as the second coming of jesus. Only samsung seems to catch the heat.
Let me reiterate that I'm 1000% happy with this watch, it's beautiful and functional, and the stand alone is great, just looking for a reason to keep it on a data plan in terms of fitting my lifestyle and need, I can see a lot of people needing this feature. The watch will stay on my wrist regardless. Me, I'm trying to justify the contract just to leave my phone in the truck during a shopping trip or to run errands or something. But again it's just $10 so it's not a huge deal.
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THIS
---------- Post added at 08:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:19 PM ----------
Dmac1984 said:
But the question is: when paired to my phone as Bluetooth I can not receive calls direct to my Gear S number, unless I'm missing something, but it goes straight to voicemail when I'm connected to my phones, can I set call forwarding to phone from my watch number or just only my phone to my watch? And do I only get text/calls forwarded, or all of my notifications (aside from emails which I know you got to add to the email app.) and does my phone need to stay on while at home?
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The Bluetooth thing if you forward your calls to GS your phone (on smartphone will ring) If you forward GS calls to smartphone it will ring both numbers. Its how you set up your GS. Think of GS as a house phone. When your home bluetooth/wifi your GS to pair with the smartphone. When you are out and about leaving your phone at home you may forward your calls to bluetooth as well as accept calls from your GS.
I have a Sprint note 4 and a Gear S T-mobile. I will not pay the Sprint plan for the GS the detailed plan does not work for me so T-mobile GS I got. I many never use my GS number on my watch but it's nice having it in case I may need an emergency phone.

gingy13 said:
how unique are you?
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I'm not your average bear boo-boo (Yogie)

Super subjective ...
I see that dilemma as one of extreme subjectivity ...
I carry my phone with me everywhere I go, for the most part. What I discovered today is that if my phone is at home, and I connect my watch to WiFi wherever I am, I can still see missed calls, browse the web, receive and respond to text messages, and view new emails (though there is a weird glitch in there with composing), all of which came to my phone while I was out.
That said, having a mobile plan can certainly be a safety net because it allows calls when you leave your phone somewhere ... and when you're out of WiFi range ... but I can't say for me that's all that much of a problem. When I run to court or have to do quick errands, I'm not usually gone long enough to have to worry all that much about receiving urgent messages -- that's not to say that it isn't convenient to still be able to.
Ten dollars monthly really isn't a lot of money. It's actually kind of a negligible amount. For me, though, it costs a lot more. I threw in a StraightTalk sim because I bought the device at AT&T but have Verizon phone service, and it was pricey, plus it doesn't feel worthwhile to pay 30 bucks for something that I only need as a safety net or a convenience.
I just went through the full specifications of the device via the model-config.xml file on it, and I also started digging through the folders on the device. This thing is nowhere near its potential right now ... but we will have to see what Samsung does with it, and more importantly, what developers do with it. It really is a phone on the wrist and it has a ton of power that isn't being used just yet.

Related

Going on Cruise....Best way to avoid large fees?

Going on a cruise that will take me to Key West and then Cozumel, Mexico. Anyone with cruise experience that can share the best way to avoid crazy fees?
phone fees? airplane mode. cruise fees? there are none. all you pay for is drinks and tips and sometimes your tips are even paid in advance. pour tequila in an empty listerine bottle (brown kind) to offset drink prices.
craig.pulliam said:
phone fees? airplane mode. cruise fees? there are none. all you pay for is drinks and tips and sometimes your tips are even paid in advance. pour tequila in an empty listerine bottle (brown kind) to offset drink prices.
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Yea phone/data fees.
This is what I found on Sprint's website:
Pricing
All cruise ship calls: $2.99/minute
Data: $0.020/kb (with capable device where available)
Text Pricing: Send: $0.50/recipient; Received $0.05/msg
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So looks like the phone will be left off and only turned on once or twice a day to check and see if any important text messages come through. I'll have to tell my friends to avoid texting me unless it is extremely important.
Transfer your cruise tickets to me... I'll take care of the charges...
Edit: seriously tho have fun!
Sent from 3D A.W.E.S.O.M-O
Some cruises also offer wifi. Turn on airplane mode then connect via wifi to check your email and websites. Not sure what the price for wifi is, but I'm sure it's not cheap.
Google Voice, if enabled, can be used over WiFi for your text messages... So if you have access to WiFi on the cruise..?
I thought the point of a cruise was to get away from it all?
When I was camping in the Sierra Nevada, I didn't expect and in fact enjoyed not having a signal.
Kept mine in airplane mode. While docked in St Thomas, was using it. Make sure you are away from the ship while in U.S. territory before you use a phone.
WiFi was close to unusable and a total wallet-rape on RCL's Oasis of the Seas.
Sent from my PG86100 using XDA App
3 minute call on my account was $8 when I went on a cruise last year. I didn't use my phone at all.
I think Internet access is at least 1 per minute at the computer kiosks, which you have to buy in at least 15 or 30 minute packages. Google Voice would be useful for texting here.
Remember to change your mobile network setting to Sprint only if you don't want the phone to use the ship's transmitter when a Sprint tower is available. This can especially happen in port if the cruise ships cell phone transmitter is not turned off. Change it to roaming as needed.
Cheaper solution is to look into buying a gsm phone and pre-paid international sim card for use on the ship and in port. It's also useful to have a couple of these phones between a couple or group of people as its easy to get separated on the ship and while on excursions in port.
Cheapest solution is to turn the phone off and experience the cruise lifestyle for a few days. It's a vacation!
walk to room...enter...open closet....open safe...put in your cell phone...close and lock safe....go outside to lido deck and proceed to drink and eat.
enjoy your cruise
I did the airplane mode the whole time it wasnt worth the cost and it was nice to not worry about calls or text.... On another note my Original Evo lasted 5 days in airplane mode with no charging and still used it for games.
Funnel deck, no phone, no clothes, no worries
Check out google voice if they have wifi (they should) They charge like $.02 for mexico and like $.06 for japan(not sure if that applies for both incoming and outgoing but I know they say google voice is US only right now). Not exactly sure how it works, but its worth looking into. You can definitely use google voice to text though, keep yourself in airplane mode with wifi on. That's if they have free wifi on the ship, I havnt been on a cruise in many years.
We tried to stick to just texting on board ship. Saves a little.
Watch out though, we would send a text and it would repeat 10-20-30 times and they bill you for it! Receiving texts was the same deal.
When we got back last December, there was more than $100 worth of texts on our bill!!! Called Sprint and they could see the problem and said that it was a "known problem," it took me three tries to get it back to what it really was, about $20.
Enjoy.
I would just leave it at home.
heres what i dont understand, if your going on a cruise why would you even want to use your phone, if i was going I wouldnt be touching my phone unless it was for emergencys
you can also call up sprint and ask them to put a bill cap on your account, so it can not exceed 100 or whatever you tell them
Surely the boat has wifi. You could then intergrate with Google voice while on the boat so atleast u can text and see any important calls. Then use gmail to call people I suppose
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA Premium App
ITS A VACATION.. LEAVE YOUR DAMN PHONE AT THE DOCK.. that is all. all contact information for loved ones is left on the kitchen counter for contact via the ships administrators. Forget the damn phone and have good time. lol
What I did when we spent some time in Mexico is use wifi for Google Voice texts and emails and use Groove IP to make calls. This uses your Google Voice account/number and your phone to make VOIP calls.
Best single app on my phone IMO. Both for these international issues as well as when I can get a 4G signal but no 3G/Voice.

Nomophobia?

Nomophobia, as in "No mobile phone phobia!" I found this article interesting because, 1. Its definately me. 2. The one chick checks her phone 50 times a day? Please, Im triple that easy!!!!90% of the time im awake, Im on my phone! News, Facebook, bank, XDA, text, 401K, ZumoCast to my home computer, Playstation Network! I can go on forever!
http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2...our-cellphone-nomophobia-on-the-rise#comments
yep, i got it. and it drags me away from my PC more and more every day as they become more powerful. i mean really, there is not much technology out there that is more handy then a smartphone. i cant read the news for hours on less then 2000mAh on my laptop, but i can on my phone!
and 50 times... i get more then 100 text messages a day, plus 30-50 emails, then phones calls and internet surfing... yeah i def beat her mark of 50. i use my phone as my clock, it would be interesting to see how many times i do turn my screen on. im guessing id be well over 400.
@lroy, I'm probally in the 400+ range also. And speaking of computer, I was just telling guest Sunday, I could not tell you the last time I physically sat at my desk at home or moved that laptop off the coffee table. (She asked could she have it!). The only reason my desktop is powered on is I use ZumoCast when I'm out to access it! Hell, I even program my cable box when I want to see something and I know I will not make it home!
I wanted to bring this back to the front. Last week a friend mentioned she could not take pictures, I replaced 2Gb Card with 16Gb Card for $19.99. Same friend came over and told me she could not send text, told her to delete all of them, fixed! She just now called and asked if her daughter can come over Saturday and I replace her card like I did hers..........This got me to thinking, over the last month or so, I have helped 8+ people with something or another. If your not going to use the features of the smartphone, why spend $600.00? You can still look cool and spend alot less money? And Im not talking about rooting or unlocking, I'm talking about simple, everyday life things to make life simple in which the device was made for?
1. Most of these people did not even know Bank of America had an app to check your bank account? (Members1st Credit Union either?)
2. None knew that you can program your Comcast DVR from your phone?
3. All thought you had to pay $29.99 for hotspot?
4. None knew about Google Music?
5. I tell people about Douphin Browser and they look at me like Im crazy?
6. No one, including my boss who is IT manger knew about Nexflix on smartphone?
Maybe it's me being anal, but you would not get at $2000.00 TV and not know how to use it right? and look at all the phones coming to market now, bigger, faster, larger, etc............. Again, just me!
dsims7_2000 said:
Maybe it's me being anal, but you would not get at $2000.00 TV and not know how to use it right?
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That's US carrier subsidies for you!
Carrier subsidies have f^@k*! up the entire system; $600-$700 devices being sold for $200 or less. People don't value smartphones at all.
Think of it, in reality smartphones cost more than most laptops, televisions and audio equipment etc.
Do people upgrade their TVs every year or two? Heck no! But carrier subsidies allow us to buy brand new phones for $200 every 2 years. And in case of Android phones, wait for 6-to-10 months and some models can be had for $100 or even close to free. Who doesn't like that?
And in turn to make their money, these carriers make us sign contracts and buy expensive data plans even if we don't want to.
I don't know of any other country in the world where they make you buy a data plan if you want to run a smartphone on their network.
You simply buy a phone and buy a plan, that's how it should work.
Lots of people I know in other countries have bought their own phones and run it with a simple voice-only plan. If they need data they pay only for what they use. No $40 data plan forced upon them. I wish our major carriers would adopt this policy.
Heck, I will leave Sprint if something doesn't change soon.
I've been with them for 10 years now and paying $80/month for ****ty service.
I'm waiting to see how its LTE network turns out before resigning any contracts.
DH can $uck it with his unlimited plans!
Ok....rant over! Taking a deep breath now....!
OK, My OP was NOT about data plans and contracts (althought you have some truth), I know people that have had their phone for over 10 years, he** I lost a bet because co-worker has flip Sprint phone with SIM card. That said, it is/was about people buying $600.00+ phones to take pictures and text, PERIOD!!! you can get a free phone for that. If your not going to utilize your smartphone with all it can do, why get it?
As for Data Plans, I have been to..........23 countries in the last 5 years. I took AT&T Tilt, flashed it, VodoPhone SIM from Airport, I'm good. I really only used data twice a day for a few minutes if that. But yes, phone only for your used minutes and what data you uses is subtracted from your minutes, no biggie. But also remember, they don't get the $100.00 up front and 2-year contract, they pay full then pick a plan. (For the record, no matter what phone I had, its not working in South Korea with WCDMA!)
dsims7_2000 said:
OK, My OP was NOT about data plans and contracts (althought you have some truth), That said, it is/was about people buying $600.00+ phones to take pictures and text, PERIOD!!! you can get a free phone for that. If your not going to utilize your smartphone with all it can do, why get it?
As for Data Plans, I have been to..........23 countries in the last 5 years. I took AT&T Tilt, flashed it, VodoPhone SIM from Airport, I'm good. I really only used data twice a day for a few minutes if that. But yes, phone only for your used minutes and what data you uses is subtracted from your minutes, no biggie. But also remember, they don't get the $100.00 up front and 2-year contract, they pay full then pick a plan. (For the record, no matter what phone I had, its not working in South Korea with WCDMA!)
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Yeah, sorry about that, didn't mean to hijack your thread.
I would gladly buy my phone at full price if they allowed me the freedom of choosing my plan. But they don't. So I end up paying $100-$200 for the phone and then $1800 over the next 24 months in service charges.
I check my phone for email several times a day (definitely less than 50) but I am an average user with regards to every day usage.
I am around Wi-Fi 95% of the time and so are most users, so I don't need or want their ($hitty & spotty) internet service.
My gripe is this: keep the unlimited plans for those who want it but allow those who don't want it to buy a cheaper plan.
The other thing that really p!$$#$ me off is the iPhone!
As everyone well knows, subsidies are the highest for the iPhones. And where do carriers recover their money, in the plans and contracts. I hate it that I pay money for services that I can never fully utilize so that others can have their iPhones. If iPhones were sold at retail without subsidies, we wouldn't have all the iDiots!
Coming back to your original topic: I'm definitely addicted. I need my phone and check it regularly for email, messages, clock, workouts etc.
I'm hooked and can't live without it now.

[Q] GT10.1 as a phone

Hey guys, I know there are other threads like this in the 7 inch but "this may be crazy, so call me maybe." but all terrible pop culture jokes aside, I am planning on using a GT 10.1 as a phone. I current have a Droid Charge on Verizon, which I am fond of, but I am always looking for something new/different.
My plan is to save lots of money by doing this, be quite unique, and functional.
Yesterday I purchased a GT10.1 with service capabilities (Is that the 10.1v?) and it should be here next week. And no I did not pay $800 from Verizon. Also, my main reason for this is I'm that weird person that doesn't like their phone in their pocket. I am always checking for it because I can't feel it. With this, I will always have it in my hand or somewhere close. *NOTE* I'm not attached to it, I just like to know where it is at all times.
I was mainly posting to see if anyone has done this with the 10.1 and any problems they ran across, or tips, tricks, anything to help me out on this transition. I will be dropping my unlimited plan to save money, and getting a 1 or 2GB plan, seeing as I am on WiFi 99% of the time being at a college campus.
If anyone has other program suggestions than the following, please step in. That is why i'm posting! If all possible I would like to keep my phone number, I'm not sure if that is possible due to me switching contracts and not having a mobile plan.
As of now, I plan on doing the following:
Galaxy Tab 10.1 16GB
-Caller: GrooveIP (Uses Google Voice) (Or should I use something along the lines of skype?)
-Messenger: N/A (Need one, Not sure what yet)
-3G/4G card from my Charge
I will root and theme etc, that's a given!
I know this is a giant wall of text, I tried to break it up a bit, but thanks for reading and I hope I get some good feedback and helpful tips.
I do something similar but not on the tab. I have an unlocked galaxy nexus gsm phone, no contract needed. I use tmobile prepaid, $30 per month for 5gb, at 4g (hspa) speed, then unlimited throttled. But it comes with only 100 minutes per month, so must be supplemented with calls over data. I have used grooveip and talkatone. The free talkatone app seemed to be about the same quality as grooveip. The monthly $2 high quality talkatone may be a little better. The quality of Skype is much much better than both, and since most everyone I talk to have Skype I just use that for free. But if you get a google voice number, you can use grooveip or talkatone as a phone too. Google voice will also work for sms. I only use that app, never the phone messenger app, I like it so much. No mms though. Also keep in mind data speeds matter. With 4g speeds you are ok. May have trouble in a moving car, I'm not a big talker so I haven't really noticed. At 3g speeds it will probably still work but quality will be worse. No way to use it if you drop to edge. So this is what I do on the phone. If I need data on the tab, I turn on the wifi widget in the nexus phone and voila I have data on my wifi tab. No expensive tablet/contract, no expensive monthly bills, $30/ month gets me what I need. You do have to pay a premium to escape the carrier contract, but think how fast you make back the extra cost of the phone. The galaxy nexus with jelly bean is only $350 in the google play store, not a bad deal at all.
Thanks a ton Kisrita, I bought my GT10.1v for $350, which seemed like a pretty good deal. And TMobile in our area does not have 4g, and what little service they have, sucks. And that helps me out a lot, I'd like to use skype a lot, but the hassle of this day and age at least for my generation, is not a lot of people USE the Skype on their phone. They have it, but they don't have it open to be "online" everyone just texts via messenger, so in theory, to communicate, I also have to be on a "Messenger" but knowing that GV can work for SMS is a good thing.
Sorry, nevermind, didn't read carefully enough.
All is good. Thanks for the free bump atleast!
Well, My tablet gets here today. Still looking for some answers!
I don't know if you knew this, but the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 (GT-P51xx) works as a phone and for SMS.
www.samsung.com/global/microsite/galaxytab2/10.1/mobile/index.html?type=find
However, if you must go with the 10.1v, you have the option of doing the SMS mod on it and using Whatsapp as a primary messenger. It's fairly popular and a lot of people have it. For phone calls, I believe work is on to enable phone calls, and it may be possible some time in the very near future. Until then, you could always use Skype with a Skype paid number for incoming and outgoing calls through 3G/4G. Google Voice also has some interesting similar options.
Sent from my GT-P5100 using xda premium
No SIM card?
I'm not sure if this applies. Have 10.1, but it has no visible SIM or SDCard setup. Would like to see if some kinda way to run my T Mobile service through it. Is this possible if I can't put in a sim card?

Pair Gear S from one carrier with S5 from another carrier?

Wondering if anyone can answer this for me. I am up for renewal on my work line through ATT and wanted to make sure everything would function correctly if I got the gear s on my work line and paired it with my personal phone through verizon. Anyone have any experience with this and can share some insight? Thanks!
d0ntp4n1c said:
Wondering if anyone can answer this for me. I am up for renewal on my work line through ATT and wanted to make sure everything would function correctly if I got the gear s on my work line and paired it with my personal phone through verizon. Anyone have any experience with this and can share some insight? Thanks!
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Everything will work fine carrier does not matter with this watchphone
I've got an AT&T Gear S paired with my Sprint Note 4. Everything works.. Including the remote function.
Thanks for the replys! Currently waiting on my Gear S to arrive
duongdn said:
I've got an AT&T Gear S paired with my Sprint Note 4. Everything works.. Including the remote function.
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An update to the Gear Manager came thru last night that broke the remote connection between my ATT phone and Straight Talk watch.
Samsung and the carriers are working hard to make sure both devices remain on their networks in order to have remote connections work.
Do backups prior to accepting updates....
mghtymse007 said:
An update to the Gear Manager came thru last night that broke the remote connection between my ATT phone and Straight Talk watch.
Samsung and the carriers are working hard to make sure both devices remain on their networks in order to have remote connections work.
Do backups prior to accepting updates....
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I received the update also. Used the remote connection this morning taking my niece and nephew to school this morning. No issues. Left my phone at home and still received calls, notification and texts. Was able to reply also using Gear Notifier Extender.
duongdn said:
I received the update also. Used the remote connection this morning taking my niece and nephew to school this morning. No issues. Left my phone at home and still received calls, notification and texts. Was able to reply also using Gear Notifier Extender.
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Yeah, after a reset and some tinkering I was able to get it working again.
Did you see Verizon's terms on the watch? $349 on contract and $45-$55/month Doesn't make sense comparing it to the other OEMs. The wildly different prices and terms from the big three are going to come with restrictions. Think about it, why would you buy the watch from Tmo for $400 if you can just walk to the ATT store, pay full price, get it unlocked and save $100?
After a good talk with a friend at Samsung, he said that right now the remote notifications are being handled by Samsung's servers... But not for long. That control will ultimately be transferred to the OEMs. Updates to the watch and phone app could soon kill the ability to receive cross network notifs. According to him, this will happen in two stages....First, through the mobile data connection, then via Wi-Fi.
So far, I have hit one road block after another getting this device unlocked even tho I paid full price and seeing a few XDA members post successful unlocks. The latest excuse from an ATT Support Supervisor, is the $299 price is for ATT GO customers only. If you wish to buy it in an unlocked state, you must first tell the rep your intent prior to purchase, pay $399 and then the store mgr will override the unlock prevention. I found this out on Tuesday and called my ATT rep (worked with him for 9 years), and this was all news to him. Waiting for callback....
Just posting what I've learned in the last 13 days and an FYI for those wanting to use these devices on different networks.
mghtymse007 said:
An update to the Gear Manager came thru last night that broke the remote connection between my ATT phone and Straight Talk watch.
Samsung and the carriers are working hard to make sure both devices remain on their networks in order to have remote connections work.
Do backups prior to accepting updates....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mghtymse007 said:
Yeah, after a reset and some tinkering I was able to get it working again.
Did you see Verizon's terms on the watch? $349 on contract and $45-$55/month Doesn't make sense comparing it to the other OEMs. The wildly different prices and terms from the big three are going to come with restrictions. Think about it, why would you buy the watch from Tmo for $400 if you can just walk to the ATT store, pay full price, get it unlocked and save $100?
After a good talk with a friend at Samsung, he said that right now the remote notifications are being handled by Samsung's servers... But not for long. That control will ultimately be transferred to the OEMs. Updates to the watch and phone app could soon kill the ability to receive cross network notifs. According to him, this will happen in two stages....First, through the mobile data connection, then via Wi-Fi.
So far, I have hit one road block after another getting this device unlocked even tho I paid full price and seeing a few XDA members post successful unlocks. The latest excuse from an ATT Support Supervisor, is the $299 price is for ATT GO customers only. If you wish to buy it in an unlocked state, you must first tell the rep your intent prior to purchase, pay $399 and then the store mgr will override the unlock prevention. I found this out on Tuesday and called my ATT rep (worked with him for 9 years), and this was all news to him. Waiting for callback....
Just posting what I've learned in the last 13 days and an FYI for those wanting to use these devices on different networks.
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Let's hope a decision is made down the line to not lose cross carrier notifications. It's really the one thing I like about the watch.
duongdn said:
Let's hope a decision is made down the line to not lose cross carrier notifications. It's really the one thing I like about the watch.
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Me too! Wouldn't be pleased at all if I lost this ability.
Waiting for an answer from my rep on all this, considering returning if the above is currently in play.
mghtymse007 said:
Me too! Wouldn't be pleased at all if I lost this ability.
Waiting for an answer from my rep on all this, considering returning if the above is currently in play.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My decision to return it may be based on this also. Please keep us updated.
duongdn said:
My decision to return it may be based on this also. Please keep us updated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will do.
---------- Post added at 11:50 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:38 AM ----------
For those interested, here's the link to Verizon's Gear S press release and pricing....
http://www.tizenexperts.com/2014/11/verizon-wireless-announce-their-prices-for-the-samsung-gear-s/
Jeez the news about them locking cross carrier stuff sucks if it's true. I swear they are trying to kill this fricken device before it has a chance to succeed. From my understanding you can still use this through Bluetooth and get all the functionality right? (albeit through your phone and not the Gear S's own number)
I haven't seen any reviews of people using it without one. Starting to think maybe I should just cancel my order and hold off...
EDIT: To specify I mean functionality like respond to texts and email/ make calls and what not. Just through the phone its paired to.
d0ntp4n1c said:
Jeez the news about them locking cross carrier stuff sucks if it's true. I swear they are trying to kill this fricken device before it has a chance to succeed. From my understanding you can still use this through Bluetooth and get all the functionality right? (albeit through your phone and not the Gear S's own number)
I haven't seen any reviews of people using it without one. Starting to think maybe I should just cancel my order and hold off...
EDIT: To specify I mean functionality like respond to texts and email/ make calls and what not. Just through the phone its paired to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, this situation isn't any different than Samsung's ridiculous decision to make these compatible with only their latest flagship devices. They are losing SO many sales due to this silly decision.
As to your inquiry...Yes, even without a SIM card, the BT connection will give you all the functionality of the companion Gear models. But, obviously, none of the standalone and remote features will be usable.
Overall, I've been very happy with this watch and amazed by it's features and hardware. However, the lack of quantity and quality apps is very frustrating. Again, another moronic decision by Samsung to provide an OS that is considered to be inferior to Wear, and is slated to be the OS for their cheapo line of phones.
Where is the logic in this??? Here they build a flagship watch and decide to finish it off with the "blue light special" of OS's!?!?!? WTF to that....
Samsung REALLY needs to stop copying and, ultimately, trying to be Apple. They really do have the ability to be a leader and pave their own path, but instead continue to follow. Truly a shame.
mghtymse007 said:
Unfortunately, this situation isn't any different than Samsung's ridiculous decision to make these compatible with only their latest flagship devices. They are losing SO many sales due to this silly decision.
As to your inquiry...Yes, even without a SIM card, the BT connection will give you all the functionality of the companion Gear models. But, obviously, none of the standalone and remote features will be usable.
Overall, I've been very happy with this watch and amazed by it's features and hardware. However, the lack of quantity and quality apps is very frustrating. Again, another moronic decision by Samsung to provide an OS that is considered to be inferior to Wear, and is slated to be the OS for their cheapo line of phones.
Where is the logic in this??? Here they build a flagship watch and decide to finish it off with the "blue light special" of OS's!?!?!? WTF to that....
Samsung REALLY needs to stop copying and, ultimately, trying to be Apple. They really do have the ability to be a leader and pave their own path, but instead continue to follow. Truly a shame.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bit of a mixed bag imo. They ARE trying to do their own thing and push their own brand/eco system. Ultimately that is what every brand wants to aspire to. When iOS launched the app store was ****. Same with android and windows phone (albeit THAT one is still ****). Personally I feel that they might have jumped the gun with this one by making it SO goddamn enclosed inside samsungs ecosystem as it is, but they are kinda trying to be a leader by branching off into their own ****. I also want to say when I first looked into it there were devs semi excited about Tizen. I'll have to go research the os again as it has been a couple months (originally looked into it when the gear s was announced) Regardless, I am definitely not saying your wrong the choices they made on this phone seem to be stopping A LOT of people from buying. IMO they should have made some exclusive features that only work properly with Samsung phones that were innovative (not something expected in the device) enough to make you WANT to go out and get a note 4/ s5 to pair with it.
duongdn said:
My decision to return it may be based on this also. Please keep us updated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After my 1.5hr visit to the ATT store... My gear is now finally unlocked. I did not have to pay any additional $$$, nor do the lengthy activation/deactivation process mentioned in an earlier post.
Being armed with the ATT Unlocking terms and conditions page and the FCC regs helped get this done. But, it's ridiculous that I would even have to go to this level.
If and/or when you go into the ATT store to make this purchase, be sure that you deal with one of the managers. The regular reps are clueless in this respect.

[Q] Is it possible to an unactivated phone and use Gear S cell and data service

Has anyone figured out a way to take connect to an unactivated phone and somehow use the cell/data plan of the watch on that phone.
it would be a great way to take advantage of the cheap service of the gear s (ie tmobile $5 plan).
Or different approach and different idea;
Connect a cheap old unactivated phone including a flip phone and use it merely as a bluetooth handset to make and receive calls (and text).
superflysocal said:
Has anyone figured out a way to take connect to an unactivated phone and somehow use the cell/data plan of the watch on that phone.
it would be a great way to take advantage of the cheap service of the gear s (ie tmobile $5 plan).
Or different approach and different idea;
Connect a cheap old unactivated phone including a flip phone and use it merely as a bluetooth handset to make and receive calls (and text).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This will not be possible. Tizen is extremely limited in it's programming and was designed to be paired with an Android device as an accessory, not as a full fledged device. GSM service is only an added bonus to assert the device as a premier feature for those like me who may tend to leave their phone at home in a rush. Further, using the device in the manner specified would drive the cost of plans up very quickly, and kill the battery on the device just as fast. Keep in mind that while it CAN function as a full phone, that's not it's main design or intent and as such is lacking supportive features to enhance those capabilities. Sorry, but until we get Android on this device (with a much more full feature set), you're not going to be able to do something like this.
Use the Gear S for a phone
I use my Samsung Gear S for my phone when I'm traveling. It is the AT&T version but I activated it with an AT&T mvno, H2O Wireless, plans from $10 to $65, monthly or pay-as-you-go (https://www.h2owirelessnow.com/mainControl.php?page=planMin10).
When I'm not traveling I use my wifi-only HTC One phone and all my calls on it & all incoming calls on the Gear S are via Google's free VOIP product, Google Voice. I have not "connected" the watch to a Samsung phone but activated/unlocked it by the tapping exploit discussed elsewhere in these forums.
My phone use isn't much so the Samsung Gear S on AT&T's fine "everywhere" network is perfect for me. A couple of complaints that I expect will be soon fixed by others on this site are the blocking of app usage by non-mated phones. I don't care about the fitness functions but it is a nuisance that I can't access the contacts manager. Messaging works in a limited way. Worst complaint is that the Samsung Gear S cuts voice calls off after a fairly short period of time, 5 or 10 minutes, with a message claiming that it's overheating. Doesn't feel warm, however.
I call so little when I'm on the road that I wouldn't even have ever discovered the time limit for voice calls if I hadn't called a customer support person on it. She put me on hold for 5 or 10 minutes and the phone didn't like it. Neither did I, though, so I'm not complaining. As long as I can call if I break down in the sticks somewhere I'll be happy and, as far as I've been able to tell, this thing will make & receive calls everywhere.
I don't understand the haters of the Gear S on this site--what is their motivation for trolling these posts and writing their hateful, untrue stuff? Makes you wonder--is the rest of their lives so bad that making up stuff about an obscure device is their entertainment? Or is there a business reason for their spewing of misinformation...
superflysocal said:
Has anyone figured out a way to take connect to an unactivated phone and somehow use the cell/data plan of the watch on that phone.
it would be a great way to take advantage of the cheap service of the gear s (ie tmobile $5 plan).
Or different approach and different idea;
Connect a cheap old unactivated phone including a flip phone and use it merely as a bluetooth handset to make and receive calls (and text).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
---------- Post added at 06:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:40 PM ----------
roebling said:
I use my Samsung Gear S for my phone when I'm traveling. It is the AT&T version but I activated it with an AT&T mvno, H2O Wireless, plans from $10 to $65, monthly or pay-as-you-go (https://www.h2owirelessnow.com/mainControl.php?page=planMin10).
When I'm not traveling I use my wifi-only HTC One phone and all my calls on it & all incoming calls on the Gear S are via Google's free VOIP product, Google Voice. I have not "connected" the watch to a Samsung phone but activated/unlocked it by the tapping exploit discussed elsewhere in these forums.
My phone use isn't much so the Samsung Gear S on AT&T's fine "everywhere" network is perfect for me. A couple of complaints that I expect will be soon fixed by others on this site are the blocking of app usage by non-mated phones. I don't care about the fitness functions but it is a nuisance that I can't access the contacts manager. Messaging works in a limited way. Worst complaint is that the Samsung Gear S cuts voice calls off after a fairly short period of time, 5 or 10 minutes, with a message claiming that it's overheating. Doesn't feel warm, however.
I call so little when I'm on the road that I wouldn't even have ever discovered the time limit for voice calls if I hadn't called a customer support person on it. She put me on hold for 5 or 10 minutes and the phone didn't like it. Neither did I, though, so I'm not complaining. As long as I can call if I break down in the sticks somewhere I'll be happy and, as far as I've been able to tell, this thing will make & receive calls everywhere.
I don't understand the haters of the Gear S on this site--what is their motivation for trolling these posts and writing their hateful, untrue stuff? Makes you wonder--is the rest of their lives so bad that making up stuff about an obscure device is their entertainment? Or is there a business reason for their spewing of misinformation...
---------- Post added at 06:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:40 PM ----------
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you were successful in getting all this set up, please provide the OP with instructions on how to do so. Obviously stopping short of explaining the rooting process and such since we have a thread for it. I'm not bashing on the Gear S in the least, I love mine, it does what I expect it to do, but I've never seen an option on the Gear S to share it's internet connection with any devices even over bluetooth, so I'm curious as to how you're getting any sort of service on that HTC phone you mentioned. We look forward to hearing back from you soon as I'm completely curious now too!

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