Porting android on Gear S - Samsung Gear S

Porting android on Gear S - Samsung Gear S

Could it be possible?

XxCyberHackerxX said:
Could it be possible?
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Click to collapse
I too, would like to know the answer on this... I do know that Samsung offered original Gear owners the option to change their stock Android OS to Tizen.
http://www.cnet.com/news/samsung-brings-tizen-to-original-gear-smartwatch/
The two OS's and their hardware are simular in many ways.
I haven't looked, but has anyone ported Android to the Gear 2?

Given that the screen is arguably large enough and that we have all the cell hardware built in, I'd love to see a full android running on on the Gear S.

There is already software that will port and Android app to Tizen. I believe it is $5,000 and mainly for larger developers. I would expect something similar to land in the freeware world sooner rather than later. They pack the apk with an Android runtime to make it work on Tizen. Not sure how well the current porting software works.

push push push
yes.. can't wait to c my gear s ported in android instead of Tizen!!!! pls help!!

ok...so not to bash anyones parade. But why would you want this?
I've had every version of the Gear and having Android on the original was painful. Battery life sucked, tethering was a major PITA and even after rooting it was "cool" but not usable for the average person. I've also gone through the Moto360 ( I had it for 5 days and returned it) and AndroidWear sucks beyond suck with some extra suck on the side. It can tell the heck out of time, its a great and sexy watch, that's it. I've had people watch me working ( I build custom pc's for a living), hear my phone get a text and watch me just glance at my watch and type a quick reply without having to stop what Im doing or reach for my phone. They instantly recognize how useful it is, using either full blown android or android wear...not so much. You dont know how stupid you look saying "ok google" until you see someone else do it.
On the flip side , theres alot of "smart" watches online, mainly from China and such that run android... maybe thats an option? Me personally, I was resistant to Tizen at first. But it works, it works well. Yeah there are some kinks here and there but all in all its ok.

So, I've had my Gear S for a couple of months now and I feel qualified to respond:
1) Why would you want this (Android on the Gear S)?
a) Tizen SUCKS
b) Tons of basic functionality is missing
c) There are very few apps
d) Most apps to obtain standalone functional equivalence to a shipping Samsung Android device are paid apps - these things should have been included (like an on-device app store) - it is a stand-alone capable device, yet Samsung treats it like it is still bluetooth only. This reminds me of the early WinCE/WinMobile days when all apps had to be installed from a host PC.
e) I could continue, but this isn't an "I Hate My Gear S" response. Except for the lack of a front-facing camera, I LOVE the design and innate hardware functionality of the Gear S - much better than the blocky (but full featured) Neptune Pine.
f) F - the grade I would give Samsung on their use of Tizen for the Gear S
2)having Android on the original was painful.
That's why I never purchased the original Gear - without standalone functionality it can only ever be a "companion" device and Android is not designed for that. However, with the Gear S' standalone capability and its much larger screen, Android is a much better fit than Tizen.
3)tethering was a major PITA
"Standalone" - what don't you understand about that?
Gear S is a full phone/data/WiFi device - these old arguments are invalid.
4)AndroidWear
Not interested in Wear - as stated before, Gear S is/can be standalone and Wear is only for bt companion devices.
Something like the Google Glass interface would be better than Wear - but I still prefer full Android (with a customizable launcher for the smaller screen)

Infos3c said:
So, I've had my Gear S for a couple of months now and I feel qualified to respond:
1) Why would you want this (Android on the Gear S)?
a) Tizen SUCKS
b) Tons of basic functionality is missing
c) There are very few apps
d) Most apps to obtain standalone functional equivalence to a shipping Samsung Android device are paid apps - these things should have been included (like an on-device app store) - it is a stand-alone capable device, yet Samsung treats it like it is still bluetooth only. This reminds me of the early WinCE/WinMobile days when all apps had to be installed from a host PC.
e) I could continue, but this isn't an "I Hate My Gear S" response. Except for the lack of a front-facing camera, I LOVE the design and innate hardware functionality of the Gear S - much better than the blocky (but full featured) Neptune Pine.
f) F - the grade I would give Samsung on their use of Tizen for the Gear S
2)having Android on the original was painful.
That's why I never purchased the original Gear - without standalone functionality it can only ever be a "companion" device and Android is not designed for that. However, with the Gear S' standalone capability and its much larger screen, Android is a much better fit than Tizen.
3)tethering was a major PITA
"Standalone" - what don't you understand about that?
Gear S is a full phone/data/WiFi device - these old arguments are invalid.
4)AndroidWear
Not interested in Wear - as stated before, Gear S is/can be standalone and Wear is only for bt companion devices.
Something like the Google Glass interface would be better than Wear - but I still prefer full Android (with a customizable launcher for the smaller screen)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
all being good points, except #3. Do you know how much power or heat is produced by the bluetooth tether that the watch currently uses? Almost none.... I cant say the same about the wifi/3g radio as that thing gets hot no to mention the hit on battery life. That being the case, Im not one to complain that I have to plug in the watch when I go to bed same as all my devices. Seriously, the people that complain about a 5 second task at the end of their day should be taken out back and beat with a hose.
All points considered, I have to agree with you in most part. If Tizen had the same amount of devs behind it that Android does then Tizen would be awesome. Sadly, thats not the case. I am actually working both (thanks to my wifes gear s) and am in the process of getting the original pit file so I can experiment a little. There was one dev (whose name escapes me right now) that wrote up how to roll back the original gear to android, the missing part there is the pit file for our devices. If I can figure that out then the rest "should" be somewhat easy.

Infos3c said:
So, I've had my Gear S for a couple of months now and I feel qualified to respond:
1) Why would you want this (Android on the Gear S)?
a) Tizen SUCKS
b) Tons of basic functionality is missing
c) There are very few apps
d) Most apps to obtain standalone functional equivalence to a shipping Samsung Android device are paid apps - these things should have been included (like an on-device app store) - it is a stand-alone capable device, yet Samsung treats it like it is still bluetooth only. This reminds me of the early WinCE/WinMobile days when all apps had to be installed from a host PC.
e) I could continue, but this isn't an "I Hate My Gear S" response. Except for the lack of a front-facing camera, I LOVE the design and innate hardware functionality of the Gear S - much better than the blocky (but full featured) Neptune Pine.
f) F - the grade I would give Samsung on their use of Tizen for the Gear S
2)having Android on the original was painful.
That's why I never purchased the original Gear - without standalone functionality it can only ever be a "companion" device and Android is not designed for that. However, with the Gear S' standalone capability and its much larger screen, Android is a much better fit than Tizen.
3)tethering was a major PITA
"Standalone" - what don't you understand about that?
Gear S is a full phone/data/WiFi device - these old arguments are invalid.
4)AndroidWear
Not interested in Wear - as stated before, Gear S is/can be standalone and Wear is only for bt companion devices.
Something like the Google Glass interface would be better than Wear - but I still prefer full Android (with a customizable launcher for the smaller screen)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hate to break it to you, if Android ever does get ported, you would come back to Tizen.
Android on this you would get 2-4 hours of battery.
Go into your settings on the watch and make your mobile network to always on, turn on mobile data, and turn off bluetooth.
Think of what apps you use, facebook? Bye bye even getting that 2-4 hours.
What kind of screen on time do you use on your phone?
Now think about what you get on your watch without all the apps.
Remember the watch only has 300mAh of battery.
The amount of programming in Tizen with regards to battery are crazy, you wouldn't get that in android.

Very good points on the last few posts, I like choice so I'd like the option of android but I honestly love my gear s on tizen so I'm not fussed.
But an android port thread is something I would follow with great interest as this is where xda is at its best, where the community come together to make something impossible happen.
Sent from my SM-T320 using XDA Free mobile app

There is a software company that has made an apk to tpk program(not out yet) so android apps would be able to be installed using sdb when it happens.

Infos3c said:
So, I've had my Gear S for a couple of months now and I feel qualified to respond:
1) Why would you want this (Android on the Gear S)?
a) Tizen SUCKS
b) Tons of basic functionality is missing
c) There are very few apps
d) Most apps to obtain standalone functional equivalence to a shipping Samsung Android device are paid apps - these things should have been included (like an on-device app store) - it is a stand-alone capable device, yet Samsung treats it like it is still bluetooth only. This reminds me of the early WinCE/WinMobile days when all apps had to be installed from a host PC.
e) I could continue, but this isn't an "I Hate My Gear S" response. Except for the lack of a front-facing camera, I LOVE the design and innate hardware functionality of the Gear S - much better than the blocky (but full featured) Neptune Pine.
f) F - the grade I would give Samsung on their use of Tizen for the Gear S
2)having Android on the original was painful.
That's why I never purchased the original Gear - without standalone functionality it can only ever be a "companion" device and Android is not designed for that. However, with the Gear S' standalone capability and its much larger screen, Android is a much better fit than Tizen.
3)tethering was a major PITA
"Standalone" - what don't you understand about that?
Gear S is a full phone/data/WiFi device - these old arguments are invalid.
4)AndroidWear
Not interested in Wear - as stated before, Gear S is/can be standalone and Wear is only for bt companion devices.
Something like the Google Glass interface would be better than Wear - but I still prefer full Android (with a customizable launcher for the smaller screen)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm definitely agree with you.
I have the original Gear 1 with android since the beginning (now with null rom of course) AND the Gear S since one month, and it's clear for me : i have the opportunity using Amazon (i'm in france) to return the Gear S till end of January and that's what i will probably do in a few days UNLESS there is a good reason to think that something like Null rom could happen to Gear S.
The Gear S plus Full android would be great because it works pretty good on Gear 1 and because Gear S can be used as a standalone device.
But the best would be Gear S + camera (like in the original Gear).
I think that what a lot of people want ( probably unconsciously) is a small smartphone on their wirst, that's why i presume that the first Apple watch itself wil be desapointing for many people.

I am bitterly disapointed with my Gear S, unsure if all my flack should be flung at Tizen or Samsung but fact is, I am getting virtually no use from my Gear S
I have a Tab S 10.5 LTE which it does not connect to, so using it standalone with no features.
I should not have to use a different device in order to get more features from my watch, that aint happening as I have the bets tablet on the market so not going lower down in the spec
As soon as some clever cat puts Aindroid on their Gear S I will be first in line to do mine!!!
I cant even add an email account to my watch as it tries to sync....
So SMS and phone that whats I am paying 24 X £21, so thank you Samsung, not!!

EFCLEE said:
I am bitterly disapointed with my Gear S, unsure if all my flack should be flung at Tizen or Samsung but fact is, I am getting virtually no use from my Gear S
I have a Tab S 10.5 LTE which it does not connect to, so using it standalone with no features.
I should not have to use a different device in order to get more features from my watch, that aint happening as I have the bets tablet on the market so not going lower down in the spec
As soon as some clever cat puts Aindroid on their Gear S I will be first in line to do mine!!!
I cant even add an email account to my watch as it tries to sync....
So SMS and phone that whats I am paying 24 X £21, so thank you Samsung, not!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok.... um, this is your own fault. The watch is meant to pair to a phone, A PHONE. A small device that is kept in your purse or back pocket, not a 10" tablet. There really is nothing wrong with the watch. It works as advertised, with the devices it was advertised for. Honestly people its a watch, they sold it as a WATCH. There was no bait and switch, they didnt say it was a phone and then snuck a watch into the box. It was advertised as Tizen not Android.
This is the same thing that happens to every single smart watch that comes out and all the haters come out of the woodwork.
Oh its not a wrist size Galaxy S6 with a quadcore processor, 128gb of memory, all my android apps, a full blown phone and a week of battery life?! I hate it! So Im gonna buy it anyway and then complain about why it doesnt do the things that nobody ever said it would do. I hate to be the one to break it to everyone, but Android isnt everything. Years ago, the big dog on the block was PalmOS then Blackberry, hell even Windows Phones. Now its down to iOS, Android and the slowly growing TIzen while nobody even remembers the older OS's. Google in all is might and glory will most likely suffer the same fate as EVERY other tech giant. They have great products, huge server farms and an ever growing massive user base but it will come to a point where there will be too much to maintain while still being innovative AND turning a profit. So they either become SkyNet or just fade into the background like HP and soon Microsoft. Theres a ton of no name chinese watches on eBay that run full blown Android, mind you the quality is complete crap since their isnt a big company like Samsung or Apple behind it, but it runs full blown Android.
I can speak from experience. I have had every single smart watch you can possibly have. From the white label chinese crap running Android to the original Gear->Gear 2 Neo->Gear 2 ->LG G Watch->Moto 360 and now the Gear S. Full blown Android is too much for a watch, so then people recommend a slimmed down version of Android so you get better battery life and just the basics, you know like the phone,emails & text,music player, a web browser and some other stuff... you know, the basics, oh wait... isnt that what Tizen is? Or go to Android Wear, thats a whole other can of worms. When I had the Moto 360, I thought "damn, this is a nice WATCH. look at all those freakin awesome watch faces" and thats it, thats all it does. It tells the hell out of time, and some very very limited interactions with notifications. If I could justify the cost of the Moto 360 and the fact that it was JUST a watch then sure, but on eBay it went. I was even happy with the Gear 2 Neo, the only reason I went to the the standard Gear 2 is because the Neo is too light and feels a bit weird on the wrist and from the Gear 2 to the S, well curved screen and a damn sim card... nuff said.
You dont like Tizen? Then do what I did, learn some code, head over to developer.samsung.com/gear and get to work. There is a HUGE potential for Tizen, not just oh screw it...this is too hard. Someone please put weeks of work into it for no apparent reason and port Android over but it better be the latest version, and my apps better run perfectly on it oh and battery life better be awesome too!
This watch is well worth the money IMHO. If I dont have to pull my phone out of my pocket 10 times per day just to glance at an email or text or dont hear my phone across the house when it rings and the watch lets me know theres a call. Hell, just the fact that my phone stays in my bag and I can use the watch to control my music is well worth it for me. The S-health features (mine are disabled) are pretty cool for the fitness buffs and the dev's are slowly but surely coming aboard.
Take what I say with a grain of salt, DO NOT TAKE IT PERSONAL, DO NOT GET OFFENDED, THIS IS NOT AN ATTACK IN ANY SHAPE OR FORM. These are valid fact presented to all those people who feel that Android should be ported over to a device that was never really meant to do it....

cipherswitch said:
ok.... um, this is your own fault. The watch is meant to pair to a phone, A PHONE. A small device that is kept in your purse or back pocket, not a 10" tablet. There really is nothing wrong with the watch. It works as advertised, with the devices it was advertised for. Honestly people its a watch, they sold it as a WATCH. There was no bait and switch, they didnt say it was a phone and then snuck a watch into the box. It was advertised as Tizen not Android.
This is the same thing that happens to every single smart watch that comes out and all the haters come out of the woodwork.
Oh its not a wrist size Galaxy S6 with a quadcore processor, 128gb of memory, all my android apps, a full blown phone and a week of battery life?! I hate it! So Im gonna buy it anyway and then complain about why it doesnt do the things that nobody ever said it would do. I hate to be the one to break it to everyone, but Android isnt everything. Years ago, the big dog on the block was PalmOS then Blackberry, hell even Windows Phones. Now its down to iOS, Android and the slowly growing TIzen while nobody even remembers the older OS's. Google in all is might and glory will most likely suffer the same fate as EVERY other tech giant. They have great products, huge server farms and an ever growing massive user base but it will come to a point where there will be too much to maintain while still being innovative AND turning a profit. So they either become SkyNet or just fade into the background like HP and soon Microsoft. Theres a ton of no name chinese watches on eBay that run full blown Android, mind you the quality is complete crap since their isnt a big company like Samsung or Apple behind it, but it runs full blown Android.
I can speak from experience. I have had every single smart watch you can possibly have. From the white label chinese crap running Android to the original Gear->Gear 2 Neo->Gear 2 ->LG G Watch->Moto 360 and now the Gear S. Full blown Android is too much for a watch, so then people recommend a slimmed down version of Android so you get better battery life and just the basics, you know like the phone,emails & text,music player, a web browser and some other stuff... you know, the basics, oh wait... isnt that what Tizen is? Or go to Android Wear, thats a whole other can of worms. When I had the Moto 360, I thought "damn, this is a nice WATCH. look at all those freakin awesome watch faces" and thats it, thats all it does. It tells the hell out of time, and some very very limited interactions with notifications. If I could justify the cost of the Moto 360 and the fact that it was JUST a watch then sure, but on eBay it went. I was even happy with the Gear 2 Neo, the only reason I went to the the standard Gear 2 is because the Neo is too light and feels a bit weird on the wrist and from the Gear 2 to the S, well curved screen and a damn sim card... nuff said.
You dont like Tizen? Then do what I did, learn some code, head over to developer.samsung.com/gear and get to work. There is a HUGE potential for Tizen, not just oh screw it...this is too hard. Someone please put weeks of work into it for no apparent reason and port Android over but it better be the latest version, and my apps better run perfectly on it oh and battery life better be awesome too!
This watch is well worth the money IMHO. If I dont have to pull my phone out of my pocket 10 times per day just to glance at an email or text or dont hear my phone across the house when it rings and the watch lets me know theres a call. Hell, just the fact that my phone stays in my bag and I can use the watch to control my music is well worth it for me. The S-health features (mine are disabled) are pretty cool for the fitness buffs and the dev's are slowly but surely coming aboard.
Take what I say with a grain of salt, DO NOT TAKE IT PERSONAL, DO NOT GET OFFENDED, THIS IS NOT AN ATTACK IN ANY SHAPE OR FORM. These are valid fact presented to all those people who feel that Android should be ported over to a device that was never really meant to do it....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Totally agree with @cipherswitch. Enough wining people. You knew what you were buying. It is not supposed to be the Holy Grail, is it just the (by far) most advanced smart watch out there. Of course it is not perfect. But the 3G functionality as well as the GORGEOUS curved screen make this thing a one of a kind smart watch. It is everything Aplle fans would hope the Apple Watch would be and maybe more.
I am an Apple fan, mind you. I am using the Gear S as standalone mainly and sometimes with my iPhone 6+. If my main phone was an Android the total experience would be perfect.
One more thing: Having owned the Gear 1 with almost every OS variation. Tizen, stock Android, almost every single version of NUll ROM I can personally guarantee that a fully blown Android OS is just wrong for a smart watch. It is the triumph of gadgetry over practicality.
Battery life with Android was a total joke and one can only imagine what would happen when the Gear S (running Android) was used standalone. I bet you would be able to literally see the battery meter dropping.
Long story short: Do your homework before buying a piece of (fairly) new tech. Accept the fact that we are being early adopters. Try to get the most out of your Gears S and if you still do not like it, just get rid of it.

Ironically just posted in the other forum. Agree and as to the write your own apps. Is what i did. Html5 and javascript. Looked at examples from others an adapted. Now it beats my gear fit hands down.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using XDA Free mobile app

I think that what a lot of people want ( probably unconsciously) is a small smartphone on their wirst, that's why i presume that the first Apple watch itself wil be desapointing for many people.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thats exactly what I consciously wanted and thats effectively (ok almost effectively) what i now have

I need sm-n750v firmware. If someone get me that. I will take the challenge to get android working on the gear. It might take me a few weeks to get the tweaks worked out. But it will be working. Null and I worked side by side on the first. Gear. And I sure won't give up on the gear s
Sent from my SM-N915V using Xparent BlueTapatalk 2

blazinandroid1 said:
I need sm-n750v firmware. If someone get me that. I will take the challenge to get android working on the gear. It might take me a few weeks to get the tweaks worked out. But it will be working. Null and I worked side by side on the first. Gear. And I sure won't give up on the gear s
Sent from my SM-N915V using Xparent BlueTapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Um. Huh? Im sure you mean the R750V, in which case the SM-R750VZWAVZW. This is the Verizon wireless variant, no firmware download available. Nor is there one for the Sprint variant. Not as of right now anyways. If there was I'd be all over it like white on rice In all honestly, and not bashing Null as I have great respect for all that bio-digital jazz that was put out with that ROM and even personally used it. Im sure it was alot easier to go back to Android on a watch that started out as Android. Gear 2 and forward, Qualcomm has done a very very good job with their bootloader security, dont see it being done. But thats just my opinion, I may be horribly wrong.

Related

Omate truesmart buy or not to?

Hi,
I'm confuse whether to buy or skip and wait for other smart watch. I'm interested with omate cause it come with sim slot any comment ;s

Well, you've got only one choice from the big OEMs...is the Gear S. Otherwise, there's the AI Watch which is expected to release soon. I say soon because they have delayed the launch a few times. But take a look:
www.aiwatchtech.com
Otherwise there are quite a few SZ (Chinese) watch's out there. Be careful, many of them are junk. I would stay away from the TS, there is NO developers supporting it at all.... and neither is Omate for that matter.

mghtymse007 said:
Well, you've got only one choice from the big OEMs...is the Gear S. Otherwise, there's the AI Watch which is expected to release soon. I say soon because they have delayed the launch a few times. But take a look:
www.aiwatchtech.com
Otherwise there are quite a few SZ (Chinese) watch's out there. Be careful, many of them are junk. I would stay away from the TS, there is NO developers supporting it at all.... and neither is Omate for that matter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not that I disagree with the above assessment, but I have now a used 1G/8G extreme version/US TS and I am pretty happy with it.
It is the only one I know of (including the Chinese copies out there) that offer it all: reasonable size with 3G/Wifi/bluetooth/gps AND full android, which I really like.Battery life is actually a bit better than expected (mine came with one of the ensec roms): I get easily 1 day.
I also own a Gear 2 (3 days of battery life; everything works well and less weight), which is a great little watch, but I hate being dependent on the companion phone (and even worse, it has to be one of the more recent Samsung ones: one reason why I never switched to iPhone/Apple).
Now, with the Omate TS you get something that works probably 95% of the time. If anything brakes, you are on your own though....no customer service, no replacement parts....so it all depends whether you are willing to take that risk....
On the positive side there is a lot to explore with the TS. I just installed Big Launcher (10$ on google play) and it works great (so far). Many apps that surprisingly work well on it. The freedom to get apps running from the Google Play store was one of my biggest incentives to try this little beast.
So far so good
Good luck!
PS: I am not 100% sure why Omate dropped development of this watch. They are now starting to advertise the Omate X, good looking, but not much different from all the many, many others out there (from companies with much bigger/well known names)....I would have sticked with the TS design idea and come out with a TS V2 (and continue to support TS V1 to not lose all the V1 customers!)....but that did not happen unfortunately....so this TS is my toy until one of the well reputed companies deliver something equivalent....(and not force you to their very confined infrastructure like Apple or Samsung)

I'm also happy with mine. I'm not happy with the company in general because of the no support thing, but luckily my watch works great (after installing the ensec rom). It's basically an android phone on your wrist..pretty damn cool.

It's a great phone in stand alone mode, but too much for me I wanted something less phone and more watch. I purchased the 1G/8G model.
flaming said:
Hi,
I'm confuse whether to buy or skip and wait for other smart watch. I'm interested with omate cause it come with sim slot any comment ;s
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

TS is only workable WATCH SMART PHONE
Unfortunately, I think there is no US version available now! I bought one that seller claims as US version in Chinese TAOBAO, but it is not! I don't have 3G in US, only EDGE. It doesn't bother me too much because you don't have 4G in the last. Although it is not, the watch performance is damn good. The quality of the watch is not damn good but good. It is the best quality I can find in Chinese Market. BTW, the back cover in fact is plastic not metal.
TS is a WATCH, a SMART, a PHONE(WSP). If you need 3 things togehter, TS is the only option now or you need to wait for more than 2 years. I saw WSP in 2012, a Chinese toy named Z1 only work in Android 2.2, pretty slow and bulky.And you can see several advanced versions in KICKSTART recently. Only TS is released!
No need to wait if you have 300 bucks. Such toys will not last 2 years. You can not buy a life-long cellphone. Every 2 years, you always change your mind.
I'm confuse whether to buy or skip and wait for other smart watch. I'm interested with omate cause it come with sim slot any comment ;s[/QUOTE]

I love mines. Worth every penny.

So glad my Sansdisk HD Class 10 32 gig worked.

9 TS's later, and all have issues. 8 had serious mic issues (512/4, 1/8 US, 1/8 EU) making them useless as a phone. 1 had no mic issues but was completely lacking in seals. Funny part is the a number of the competing devices that somebody essentially called junk, have working companion apps, 4.4, less issues and better QC.

Sold all my 2 watches. No more product from Mr. Romantic Lepeng. I will not buy a single item from omate...

If the idea of having a phone stuffed into a watch is what you want and you can deal with the somewhat poor quality control, poor water resistance, and gaping security holes in the ROM, then the TrueSmart might be for you. Bear in mind that doing most tasks on a 1.5" screen requires patience. Right or wrong, there's a reason that phone sizes have been trending upwards and typing anything on a 1.5" screen is cumbersome.
If you want a companion device to display notifications on your wrist, go with something else like Android Wear. Personally I fall more into this category. I don't want a 1.5" screen running full Android. I don't want to answer phone calls on my wrist. I found the TS to be sluggish and difficult to use to the point that I chose not to use any watch at all versus using the TS.

I Think Dees summarizes it very well. Everyone on Kickstarter has been screwed by Omate in countless ways, but in the end some are still happy with their TrueSmart, for example for sports purposes.

mghtymse007 said:
Well, you've got only one choice from the big OEMs...is the Gear S. Otherwise, there's the AI Watch which is expected to release soon. I say soon because they have delayed the launch a few times. But take a look:
www.aiwatchtech.com
Otherwise there are quite a few SZ (Chinese) watch's out there. Be careful, many of them are junk. I would stay away from the TS, there is NO developers supporting it at all.... and neither is Omate for that matter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What about the zgpax s5, s6 and s8, and what about the inwatch one & Z and the ec308/9 and the ec408/9 watches and the k8 watch?

Nobody has got standalones right yet. In many respects you are better off grabbing an LG GD910 or Samsung S9110 from 2009 and calling it a day.

i've been appealing to customer service at omate for months, no, over a year to have my truesmart repaired and received no response. the power button stopped functioning after about a month of ownership. which is weird because i never really used that button. no help. screw this company.

They have recently started another kickstarter for the new omate. Oh my God...Good luck to those who participate

.. and now we have the Omate Rise, with a 48 hour promotion on indigogo.

Seriously thinking of getting one

If stand-alone WhatsApp is available for the Gear S, I'd buy this phone/watch in a heartbeat. I've been a huge phablet fan, and the Gear S would be a great for the occasional night out and leaving my huge phone home. As an avid runner, the Gear S functionalities are amazing.
Been pondering using the Gear S for communication via phone/text/WhatsApp exclusively, and switching to a small tablet with LTE for daily use.
Any thoughts?

squeakywipers said:
If stand-alone WhatsApp is available for the Gear S, I'd buy this phone/watch in a heartbeat. I've been a huge phablet fan, and the Gear S would be a great for the occasional night out and leaving my huge phone home. As an avid runner, the Gear S functionalities are amazing.
Been pondering using the Gear S for communication via phone/text/WhatsApp exclusively, and switching to a small tablet with LTE for daily use.
Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No whatsapp for Gear s that I am aware of yet - or any other real messaging app (someone correct me if I'm wrong).
I telecommute so rarely leave the house except for errands and I hate bringing my phone with me. I don't need all the fancy stuff for when I'm at the grocery store and when I do need internet etc I'm usually at home. The Gear S is a perfect phone replacement for me.
If I was in a different situation where I was away from home and internet more often I think I'd want either a more traditional phone or tablet as well. The Gear S is a great device and I enjoy using it for internet and such when for example I'm sitting in a waiting room but to me, it's still a companion device that can occasionally act as a standalone device.
Of course your needs and mileage may vary but that's my 2 cents.

"Notifications for Gear S"
megatherian said:
No whatsapp for Gear s that I am aware of yet - or any other real messaging app (someone correct me if I'm wrong).
I telecommute so rarely leave the house except for errands and I hate bringing my phone with me. I don't need all the fancy stuff for when I'm at the grocery store and when I do need internet etc I'm usually at home. The Gear S is a perfect phone replacement for me.
If I was in a different situation where I was away from home and internet more often I think I'd want either a more traditional phone or tablet as well. The Gear S is a great device and I enjoy using it for internet and such when for example I'm sitting in a waiting room but to me, it's still a companion device that can occasionally act as a standalone device.
Of course your needs and mileage may vary but that's my 2 cents.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just downloaded "Notifications for Gear S" from the Samsung App store. It works great to respond Whatsapp messages. I believe it also works with other messengers as well.

willmir said:
I just downloaded "Notifications for Gear S" from the Samsung App store. It works great to respond Whatsapp messages. I believe it also works with other messengers as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
paid app?

I don't believe What'sApp is supported right now...

I have a feeling that we are only a couple of months away from a 3G enabled smart watch from a competitor (Huawei, Asus, etc) that will run android wear... And perhaps even be cheaper than the Gear S and offer more apps. Therefore, I think I'm gonna hold out buying one for a few months. Luv the fitness features of the Gear S, but if it's a choice between more apps like WhatsApp over a heart rate monitor, the former would win.... It's nice to know my heart rate, but hey, as long as it's beating, right.....

squeakywipers said:
I have a feeling that we are only a couple of months away from a 3G enabled smart watch from a competitor (Huawei, Asus, etc) that will run android wear... And perhaps even be cheaper than the Gear S and offer more apps. Therefore, I think I'm gonna hold out buying one for a few months. Luv the fitness features of the Gear S, but if it's a choice between more apps like WhatsApp over a heart rate monitor, the former would win.... It's nice to know my heart rate, but hey, as long as it's beating, right.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It would likely be a forked Android Wear, as i think I read somewhere that Google does not intend for Wear to be call-capable on its own.
If so, you'd run into the same issue with Samsung, needing a specific manufacturer's phone to pair with the smartwatch.
Well, who knows....

joytest said:
It would likely be a forked Android Wear, as i think I read somewhere that Google does not intend for Wear to be call-capable on its own.
If so, you'd run into the same issue with Samsung, needing a specific manufacturer's phone to pair with the smartwatch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android Wear is even more dependent upon a connected phone than the Gear S. It can run separate apps but ... I wouldn't give it too much hope.
LG is rumored to be working on a 3G watch so you never know ... but just have to wait there will always be something following what's already out here and since this is Samsung's 6th watch they probably have a better handle on how to get things up and running than their conpetition.

Tizen

Hello ... This the 1st time im thinking of buying a smartwatch so im looking for something good ..... I want to buy gear s but the only thing that keeps me behind is its software .... I guess that it doesnt provide a lot of apps is that true ? Should i buy it or buy a android wear smartwatch ? Thanks

I have to say that I personally battled this difficult decision as well.
For me, since I already owned a TrueSmart and used it daily for 8 months, I knew that my next watch was going to require one of two features... First was a higher resolution display. Many of the popular apps for android were almost impossible to utilize properly. Second was a larger screen for mostly the same reasons.
Utter was the saving grace for the TS... Which allowed me to use many features that were otherwise unusable. For example, the keyboard was extremely tough to use. Even the Fleksy app... But in the end, many times I found the standard font sizes were too small to read on the 1.5" screen.
I ordered and tried a Neptune... And that was just a monster on my wrist...
When I previewed the Gear S, I was most impressed in many ways. I realized that a watch should not be a carbon copy of the features currently standard on full sized smartphones. What I used most on the TS, was already built in the Tizen OS. And the remote feature, was truly one of the better advancements I've seen in the wearables niche market.
I've had the Gear S for three weeks now, and have yet to find something I'm missing, as far as apps go. The Tizen store quantity and quality is bleak, for sure. But, that will change slowly... But will never be equal to Play or Apple stores.
All in all, the SmartWatch of choice is completely dependent on you and your needs. Figure out what you are buying one for, and what apps are absolutely necessary to your daily needs. This should help you make this tough decision.

o-ellinas said:
Hello ... This the 1st time im thinking of buying a smartwatch so im looking for something good ..... I want to buy gear s but the only thing that keeps me behind is its software .... I guess that it doesnt provide a lot of apps is that true ? Should i buy it or buy a android wear smartwatch ? Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends on how one defines "a lot". Hundreds of apps? Yes. And some of them are of quite good quality. But it will likely always have less of a selection of either Android Wear or Apple's upcoming smartwatch sadly. If you want a kickass watch and don't care much about a wide selection of apps, then Gear S is great. If you want the most selection of apps as an important buying parameter, then Android Wear or Apple's upcoming watch are likely best...

I belive the same but i saw a video were a man used an app to run apk on tizen and then i thought i could use it ...

o-ellinas said:
I belive the same but i saw a video were a man used an app to run apk on tizen and then i thought i could use it ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you got a link to that video?
Sent from my SM-T320 using Tapatalk

youtu.be/hR932y5TtcA

Android Wear for Samsung Gear S

There is (or will be) the official (custom) firmware Android Wear on the watch Samsung Gear S, which is now the operating system Tizen?

GorlovSergei said:
There is (or will be) the official (custom) firmware Android Wear on the watch Samsung Gear S, which is now the operating system Tizen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That wouldn't make sense because Android Wear does not support a standalone watch with its own SIM card and direct operation functionality.

GorlovSergei said:
There is (or will be) the official (custom) firmware Android Wear on the watch Samsung Gear S, which is now the operating system Tizen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So your planning a port?
Sent from my SM-T320 using Tapatalk

GorlovSergei said:
There is (or will be) the official (custom) firmware Android Wear on the watch Samsung Gear S, which is now the operating system Tizen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a completely different paradigm for a smart watch from android wear. You would lose so much functionality even if someone made it work.
I really doubt anyone will waste time trying to do it.
If you want android wear(no phone, no speaker, no standalone data, terrible battery life) i suggest buying an android wear phone. The only thing from android wear that would be good to port is Google Now.

What I'd really want is full android rather than android wear, even if it meant poor battery life. I'd just buy a few more of the charging cradle / portable chargers.

oleyb said:
What I'd really want is full android rather than android wear, even if it meant poor battery life. I'd just buy a few more of the charging cradle / portable chargers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are lots of full Android smart watches, you can find them on Ebay and a number of reviews on Youtube. Big square things made in China with full cell phones inside. Most cost far less than the Gear S

IMO we don't want full android on any watches. We have had that on the MOTOACTV back in time and battery life was horrible.
What we need is more updates from samsung to give us more features as some of the basic functions such as adding tasks is still not present.
We also need MORE quality watchfaces from them.

We need root with several developers making apps or more updates to make the watch more functional.

ronaldheld said:
We need root with several developers making apps or more updates to make the watch more functional.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why do we need root?

schettj said:
Why do we need root?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed, root would have only one real purpose and that's to put android on the watch, which I also believe would not be ideal.
We need Samsung to push for support from big name app makers like Netflix, Pandora, etc...
To the comment on the MotoActv, I actually have this watch and love it as a bike computer. Never quite cared for it as a watch.

GreenBot said:
IMO we don't want full android on any watches. We have had that on the MOTOACTV back in time and battery life was horrible.
What we need is more updates from samsung to give us more features as some of the basic functions such as adding tasks is still not present.
We also need MORE quality watchfaces from them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We clearly do not all want the same things
When the next version of the Gear S comes out, I personally would love having full Android on my current Gear S, so I can have certain apps on it. I already know some of them will never be ported to Tizen because they are not super popular.
Someone posted a root in this thread BTW.

AT&T and T mobile Gear S have root now

gottahavit said:
Agreed, root would have only one real purpose and that's to put android on the watch, which I also believe would not be ideal.
We need Samsung to push for support from big name app makers like Netflix, Pandora, etc...
To the comment on the MotoActv, I actually have this watch and love it as a bike computer. Never quite cared for it as a watch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please explain why you think full Android would not be ideal? You do understand you can run any launcher/skin on top of full Android right? Are you thinking battery life will be worse with "full Android". It's not. I'm running a Gear 1 will full Android(Null) and get 2.5 days battery life.
This misconception that full Android on a watch is not ideal is nonsense... Would you think "full Android" on your smartphone is not ideal??? The Gear S screen size is not much smaller than some of the first Android phones that came out a couple years ago. There is not much difference. Running "full Android" on a "watch" is ideal. Very ideal. Have you ever heard of Tasker?
Also I can only imagine all the people who got a Gear S immediately thinking of all the apps their going to install.... NOT!
Samsung really did a dis-service to it's customers by thinking they could compete with Android, iOS and Windows Phone. There is not room for a 4th OS. Barely room for a 3rd. I'll be the first to admit their hardware is some of the best. But without great software it's just that. Hardware...

juiceppc said:
Please explain why you think full Android would not be ideal? You do understand you can run any launcher/skin on top of full Android right? Are you thinking battery life will be worse with "full Android". It's not. I'm running a Gear 1 will full Android(Null) and get 2.5 days battery life.
This misconception that full Android on a watch is not ideal is nonsense... Would you think "full Android" on your smartphone is not ideal??? The Gear S screen size is not much smaller than some of the first Android phones that came out a couple years ago. There is not much difference. Running "full Android" on a "watch" is ideal. Very ideal. Have you ever heard of Tasker?
Also I can only imagine all the people who got a Gear S immediately thinking of all the apps their going to install.... NOT!
Samsung really did a dis-service to it's customers by thinking they could compete with Android, iOS and Windows Phone. There is not room for a 4th OS. Barely room for a 3rd. I'll be the first to admit their hardware is some of the best. But without great software it's just that. Hardware...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And I get 4.5 days on my neo running tizen. I get 2 full days on gear S running tizen. My wife upgraded her gear 1 from android to tizen and went from 2 days to 4 days. Translated.... NOT IDEAL.
Look at the battery life issues on the android wear and that's not even full android.
Do I wish there were more apps? Of course but do I want android especially something cobbled from aosp that was never designed for a watch with a tiny battery no.
If you've seen my other posts you know I'm a Dev and I am not very happy with how Samsung handles it's devs and app market, but that is not an issue with tizen it's an issue with the company.
Biggest downside is tizen is not open source.

gottahavit said:
And I get 4.5 days on my neo running tizen. I get 2 full days on gear S running tizen. My wife upgraded her gear 1 from android to tizen and went from 2 days to 4 days. Translated.... NOT IDEAL.
Look at the battery life issues on the android wear and that's not even full android.
Do I wish there were more apps? Of course but do I want android especially something cobbled from aosp that was never designed for a watch with a tiny battery no.
If you've seen my other posts you know I'm a Dev and I am not very happy with how Samsung handles it's devs and app market, but that is not an issue with tizen it's an issue with the company.
Biggest downside is tizen is not open source.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Respectfully, Enjoy that hardware that let's you look at a screen with no possibility of application growth for an extra couple days... I personally would lose a day or so of battery life for the option of being able to do whatever I want on my watch. To each is own. People currently don't seem to have a problem charging their smartphones daily. I currently have no problem charging my "Smartwatch"... every other day.
Designing an OS from scratch with battery life in mind(not sure that was their intention) is great and all but at the very least give the customers the option of running the OS that is most supported. IMHO.
Also as a Dev don't you think if Tizen were to take off that it would grow and incorporate many more services and functions which would then decrease battery life? Yeah now as it stands, Tizen is not much more sophisticated than an alarm clock so battery life is great... Heck there are basic digital watches out there that do almost as much as Tizen and probably will last months on their battery...

Add
GreenBot said:
IMO we don't want full android on any watches. We have had that on the MOTOACTV back in time and battery life was horrible.
What we need is more updates from samsung to give us more features as some of the basic functions such as adding tasks is still not present.
We also need MORE quality watchfaces from them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I second that!! The Samsung faces are the only ones that you can wake up to without setting up wake to last screen. I also hate that you can't add tasks, or really see notifications for them without additional software. So far I am hating Tizen. Or at least the functionality of the Gear S without good apps to make up for it.
Also: I would install a custom ROM running Android Wear or Android on this Gear S in a heart beat. Or even just something to make up for where the Gear S falls short. Initially, the Gear S has many things I like, but after using it for a week or two now I realize how much it lacks because of it being Tizen and not having the Google integration. It also just seems to really need an update to fix stupid little nuances.

I would think the gear would benefit from full android. The lack of tizin development is going to kill the gear s. I have the gear 1, and like the idea of side loading apps from the pc. The only thing that killed it was the lack of a 3g connection. Samsung has not allowed good app development from thoughs who are will to make this device work.

Would Tizen be more acceptable with enough apps?

I got the Gear S and am very disappointed with Tizen. the hardware on the Gear S is great, and some apps are great, but S Voice is ****ing useless when you compare it to Google Now. The sole reason i'd want to root this device and get a custom ROM running Android (full blow, or Wear) is for Google Now.
The other big reason is Google Maps. HERE is horrible in comparison.
I agree with others that are saying Samsung has done it's users wrong trying to compete with Android. I'd swap my Gear S for an Android wear device in a heartbeat.
does anyone think it's possible to run Google Now on Tizen? or Google Maps?

Having the Gear 1 and the Gear S there is absolutely no doubt that Tizen is a complete nightmare. I just don't understand the ridiculous Samsung's strategy, making good devices but awfull (not always but often) softwares...
Samung has only now 10 or 11 apps for the original Gear with android... And stupid apps for the Gear S with Tizen... Complete nonsense... I will probably return my Gear S to Amazon, because of this absurd policy... unless someone manage to put full android on Gear s...

New Gear S owner - A couple questions

Greetings, all. Despite all the hype around the Apple Watch and Android Wear, I decided to get a Gear S. It is being delivered today. I have an LG G Watch, but I'm not terribly fond of it and I think the Apple Watch is an overpriced toy.
The Gear S seemed a better fit for me. I'm a fan of big watches and it seems much more functional than Android Wear.
That said, I have a few reservations and I'm hoping the community can put my mind at ease. I don't have it in my hand yet, so I can't look at the app store, so forgive me:
With the screen always on, how long will the battery last?- This is how I use my smartwatches. If I can't glance at the screen to see the time without jerking my wrist around, it's no good to me. I also ride a Harley and can't really afford to be required to make a wrist gesture to see the time.
Is there any kind of Shazam or Soundhound app? I know this seems frivalous, but I saw they had Shazam for the apple watch and it occurred to me how cool that would be.
Which apps do you use the most? Any good ones I should look for immediately?
Do you think it has any kind of future? It seems like it has already been forgotten. The Tizen store is stagnant and Apple and Android Wear seem to be stealing all the spotlight. Am I buying a product that is already obsolete?
Thanks. Just trying to convince myself that I made the right choice. I can return it, of course, but it seems like the best option for me right now.

greyhulk said:
Greetings, all. Despite all the hype around the Apple Watch and Android Wear, I decided to get a Gear S. It is being delivered today. I have an LG G Watch, but I'm not terribly fond of it and I think the Apple Watch is an overpriced toy.
The Gear S seemed a better fit for me. I'm a fan of big watches and it seems much more functional than Android Wear.
That said, I have a few reservations and I'm hoping the community can put my mind at ease. I don't have it in my hand yet, so I can't look at the app store, so forgive me:
With the screen always on, how long will the battery last?- This is how I use my smartwatches. If I can't glance at the screen to see the time without jerking my wrist around, it's no good to me. I also ride a Harley and can't really afford to be required to make a wrist gesture to see the time.
Is there any kind of Shazam or Soundhound app? I know this seems frivalous, but I saw they had Shazam for the apple watch and it occurred to me how cool that would be.
Which apps do you use the most? Any good ones I should look for immediately?
Do you think it has any kind of future? It seems like it has already been forgotten. The Tizen store is stagnant and Apple and Android Wear seem to be stealing all the spotlight. Am I buying a product that is already obsolete?
Thanks. Just trying to convince myself that I made the right choice. I can return it, of course, but it seems like the best option for me right now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Totally agree about Apple watch! But regardless of OEM, I prefer the features of the standalone form factor vs the companion. Having its OWN data connection is invaluable at times. The remote feature is amazing and works very well for a first crack at this feature.
1. The wrist/motion sensor works pretty well on the S. Seems to work 9 outa 10 times you turn to look at time. Having the full screen on will cut usage time in half.
2. I personally have not heard or seen an app like SoundHound for Tizen... yet
3. This is a question that varies widely. Having Opera is a must and I've read a lot about people using Milk, Nike and S-health. I like Bullet News and Engadget's apps as well. S-voice makes sending brief texts and emails a breeze. However, what we really could use is an email client app that doesn't require the phone's connection to send/rcv email.
4. The Tizen store IS growing at a very slow pace, I agree. Not sure what is going to happen in the standalone vs companion war in general. But I will say this...before I bought the S, I had the Omate TrueSmart which took my personal phone out of my already bulging pockets and put it on my wrist. This, in itself, was a great technological step. And even though the TS was riddled with problems, I loved it. Now, with the remote connection always on, my personal phone stays at home connected to the Wi-Fi which feeds the incoming notifs to my wrist.
In conclusion, my personal thoughts on the future of wearables is completely dependent on the consumer market and OEM innovation. I think most future watches will all have the option to be standalone. Battery life will continue to be a big hitch and input methods. In addition, Samsung needs to stop trying to create it's own ecosystem and work with what is already here and accepted, now.
Go get your Gear S... You'll love it!!!

Thanks man. I'll find out soon, if UPS ever gets here.
Sent from my SM-G920I using XDA Free mobile app

Just found a hopeful answer to #2; Gearam Music ID I just downloaded but wife asleep so cannot test yet. Says it does what Shazam does. Also..
There are some good ones out there that you can get:
Xenozu Player for Youtube, works well. click on pic to play, and text for info
GearTweet for Twitter, much improved lately
GearGram for Instagram and plays video as well as shows pics
Basic Video Player, load videos to your Gear through PC to play on app
Wearable Widgets, I can use it to control my lights at home that on on my WeMo switches, using WeMo widgets; I can see my outside surveillance cameras using the IP Cam Viewer Basic widget
IPCameraViewer, I can see my indoor home surveillance camera feed through Gear S app
OperaMini for web browsing
Milk music for streaming to my bluetooth headset at the gym, without having to carry my phone.
S Health, I have used very well to track and motivate myself to move and exercise more. I lost 85 lbs. last year and it gets some credit. Program finally much better than it was.
I too hope they push for more, but in the end it will be up the the other companies and developers and they will probably go to Apple due to shear volume of sales alone.
Good luck.
Cheers,

highlordkram said:
Just found a hopeful answer to #2; Gearam Music ID I just downloaded but wife asleep so cannot test yet. Says it does what Shazam does. Also..
There are some good ones out there that you can get:
Xenozu Player for Youtube, works well. click on pic to play, and text for info
GearTweet for Twitter, much improved lately
GearGram for Instagram and plays video as well as shows pics
Basic Video Player, load videos to your Gear through PC to play on app
Wearable Widgets, I can use it to control my lights at home that on on my WeMo switches, using WeMo widgets; I can see my outside surveillance cameras using the IP Cam Viewer Basic widget
IPCameraViewer, I can see my indoor home surveillance camera feed through Gear S app
OperaMini for web browsing
Milk music for streaming to my bluetooth headset at the gym, without having to carry my phone.
S Health, I have used very well to track and motivate myself to move and exercise more. I lost 85 lbs. last year and it gets some credit. Program finally much better than it was.
I too hope they push for more, but in the end it will be up the the other companies and developers and they will probably go to Apple due to shear volume of sales alone.
Good luck.
Cheers,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, thank you for that. I will check out Gearam. I wish IPCamviewer worked with dropcams, but I don't think it does.
I can't download Opera Mini, for some reason. It simply doesn't show up for me in the store. I am in the U.S. on AT&T, but I do have the International model of the GS6. Maybe that's why? Either way, it sucks. I was really looking forward to that one.
Edit: Dammit. Gearam doesn't show up for me, either. If it does have to do with my International model of the GS6, I wish there was a way to spoof my ID for the store.

Try Doreso Music Radar. That is a Shazam like app.

greyhulk said:
Ah, thank you for that. I will check out Gearam. I wish IPCamviewer worked with dropcams, but I don't think it does.
I can't download Opera Mini, for some reason. It simply doesn't show up for me in the store. I am in the U.S. on AT&T, but I do have the International model of the GS6. Maybe that's why? Either way, it sucks. I was really looking forward to that one.
Edit: Dammit. Gearam doesn't show up for me, either. If it does have to do with my International model of the GS6, I wish there was a way to spoof my ID for the store.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really Sorry to hear of issues, as I confirm now that GEARAM Music ID works very well. Just found 5 out of five that I played off my phone.

highlordkram said:
Really Sorry to hear of issues, as I confirm now that GEARAM Music ID works very well. Just found 5 out of five that I played off my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dammit. I wish I could figure out why apps aren't showing for me.
Sent from my SM-G920I using XDA Free mobile app

1. I don't see any point of using screen always on. It just eats up alot of battery and it's useless. Better choose wake up gesture.
2. Yes it is. The best is Gearam Music ID
3. Some cool apps i use:
XENOZU - you can watch youtube;
Instant Settings - Control your phone wifi , 3g etc.;
Calculator ; GearGram Instagram ; Opera - a must have and My notes
4. Samsung has done a very good job with smartwatches. They are the no 1 vendor. The tizen store it's stronger than Android Wear and Apple in my oppinion , the real problem is the official developers have no interest in developing apps. And individual developers ask for money. Believe me. You made the right choose. I've used the Moto 360, Gear 1,Gear 2,LG G Watch R. I tested the Apple Watch too, it's a bull****. Now i own a Gear S and i think it's the best on the market.

l3o4nn said:
1. I don't see any point of using screen always on. It just eats up alot of battery and it's useless. Better choose wake up gesture.
2. Yes it is. The best is Gearam Music ID
3. Some cool apps i use:
XENOZU - you can watch youtube;
Instant Settings - Control your phone wifi , 3g etc.;
Calculator ; GearGram Instagram ; Opera - a must have and My notes
4. Samsung has done a very good job with smartwatches. They are the no 1 vendor. The tizen store it's stronger than Android Wear and Apple in my oppinion , the real problem is the official developers have no interest in developing apps. And individual developers ask for money. Believe me. You made the right choose. I've used the Moto 360, Gear 1,Gear 2,LG G Watch R. I tested the Apple Watch too, it's a bull****. Now i own a Gear S and i think it's the best on the market.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't see the point in NOT using always on mode. It is a watch, after all. Pretty useless if you can't see the time.

Wanted to give my feedback for your first and fourth question.
Since I had a Pebble before the Gear S, a screen that is always on is very useful. After all, the primary function of a watch is to give you time. Having the screen always on hasn't really impacted my battery life. On average, My Gear S loses about 3.1% - 3.5% battery life every hour with my screen always on. Since my screen is always on, I leave all motion gestures off. With the screen always on, I can easily get a full day of use. Throughout the day, I usually get 3-4 email notifications per hour, 2 text messages per hour, reminders from S-health to take a walk, approximately 2-4 calls, and random social media notifications. On days when I'm going out for a run, my batter life drops quick mainly because of S-health and the heart rate monitor. Even if I'm going for a run, getting a full day of use with the screen on is an easy task.
I'm sure that the Gear S has a future. There are other smart watch platforms such as Pebble, Android Wear, and Apple Watch, but these are just companion devices. To me, the other platforms are very good at telling you that you need to look at your phone. I like to think of other smart watches as handcuffing you to your phone. You really can't do much with the other smart watches without a phone. Tizen/Gear S really shines with stand alone features. The problem is with getting developers for Tizen. I think most developers don't consider developing for Tizen because the Android and Apple names are so well known. I'm sure if we ask the average person if they know what Tizen is, their response would be "What?"

Better Mobile App

welcome