Just got my new Samsung Galaxy Gear S Smartwatch yesterday. Have 44 apps installed so far. Purchased many apps (more on the purchased apps later .....).
I am very impressed with this amazing smartwatch!!! Yes, there are some flaws, bugs and disappointments, but overall the Gear S is awesome!!! I am a power-user (also with my Note 3), so battery life is not so good with my Gear S, but with the battery pack should be ok when I'm away from home working or running errands. I also have two RavPower battery packs. I carry the RavPower Deluxe 13000mAp Extended Battery Pack with me when I'm away from home, and use my RavPower 14000mAp Battery Pack while at home.
I cycle everywhere (I quit driving). Today will be my first test using the Gear S away from home. I have paired my Gear S with my Bluedio Model B Bluetooth Headphones. Works great. Just paired my Gear S with my LuguLake Bluetooth speakers, which also works great with the Gear S.
Tested out the phone service, which works just fine. Not sure how using the Gear S as a phone will work away from home while cycling around town .... My Bluedio headhones work with phone calls, but have not yet tested that function .....
Charger is mobile too.
vja4Him said:
Just got my new Samsung Galaxy Gear S Smartwatch yesterday. Have 44 apps installed so far. Purchased many apps (more on the purchased apps later .....).
I am very impressed with this amazing smartwatch!!! Yes, there are some flaws, bugs and disappointments, but overall the Gear S is awesome!!! I am a power-user (also with my Note 3), so battery life is not so good with my Gear S, but with the battery pack should be ok when I'm away from home working or running errands. I also have two RavPower battery packs. I carry the RavPower Deluxe 13000mAp Extended Battery Pack with me when I'm away from home, and use my RavPower 14000mAp Battery Pack while at home.
I cycle everywhere (I quit driving). Today will be my first test using the Gear S away from home. I have paired my Gear S with my Bluedio Model B Bluetooth Headphones. Works great. Just paired my Gear S with my LuguLake Bluetooth speakers, which also works great with the Gear S.
Tested out the phone service, which works just fine. Not sure how using the Gear S as a phone will work away from home while cycling around town .... My Bluedio headhones work with phone calls, but have not yet tested that function .....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you did not know, the charger cradle does not need to always be plugged in to charge the watch. It acts as a mobile charger too that will get your Gear S about a 50% charge when the cradle has a full charge itself. I also have extra battery packs for holidays, but this is good for when another half charge will get you through the day. With that said, mine drains batter VERY fast in the gym without the phone around, using a bluetooth headset. Maybe 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours. Good luck. Cheers!
Today I had a bad experience with my Gear S. I don't know what happened .... I called Samsung Tech Support several times. Was having problems with Gear Manager suddenly quitting. Then my Note 3 froze. Then my Gear S did a Master Reset all by itself !!!
I called tech support again several more times, but they were of no help. After fiddling around for a long time, uninstalling Gear Manager several times, restarting both Gear S and Note 3, my watch seems to be stable.
Video working flawlessly! Music working. News working. PDF and ePUB files working, but some glitches with the PDF and ePUB files.
I get around five hours total with both the internal battery and charger (cradle). I'm somewhat disappointed with the battery time, but I am a Power User !!! I like to have the screen on full, sound on full. I change the clocks several times each day. Also use WiFi, which give me a much faster Internet connection. Yes, I use Opera for the Internet. Texting, Phone Calls, Reading News/Articles/Books .... watching videos (showing off to friends and people in the store). I have 13 Notifications turned on.
I might buy an extra charging cradle ..... I do have two RavPower battery packs (13000mAp and 14000mAp. I carry the 13000mAp RavPower Deluxe when away from home, which has two charging ports (2.1A and 2.4A), so I can always charge my Gear S and Note 3 and Bluedio Model B Bluetooth Headphones. Plenty of juice for more than one day. My Note 3 has the 10000mAp ZeroLemon Extended Battery!
I've had my Gear S for almost a year now, still going strong. I have 152 apps on my Gear S now ! I actually had more, but I've done a Factory Reset numerous times and still reinstalling apps ..... Trying to figure out if there is a solution to fix the problems with E-mail ....
I still cannot receive E-mail on my Gear S. I can send E-mail from my Gear S just fine. Also, E-mail Notifications are not working on my Gear S. I have E-mail checked in the Notifications Settings, along with other items checked (My Notes in Gear, Messages, S Health, Missed Call, and more, all working just fine, except I do not receive E-mail Notifications).
Seems that this is a Bug/Glitch, which Samsung has no fix for. The only suggestion they have is to do a Factory Reset (which I've done many times), or return my Gear S for repair or replacement.
vja4Him said:
I've had my Gear S for almost a year now, still going strong. I have 152 apps on my Gear S now ! I actually had more, but I've done a Factory Reset numerous times and still reinstalling apps ..... Trying to figure out if there is a solution to fix the problems with E-mail ....
I still cannot receive E-mail on my Gear S. I can send E-mail from my Gear S just fine. Also, E-mail Notifications are not working on my Gear S. I have E-mail checked in the Notifications Settings, along with other items checked (My Notes in Gear, Messages, S Health, Missed Call, and more, all working just fine, except I do not receive E-mail Notifications).
Seems that this is a Bug/Glitch, which Samsung has no fix for. The only suggestion they have is to do a Factory Reset (which I've done many times), or return my Gear S for repair or replacement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If email works after factory reset but not after you install your apps, it suggests one of your 150 apps is causing a conflict...
Finally, E-mail Notifications are now working on my Gear S ... !!! I had to mess around with various settings, but some E-mail Messages do not arrive to my Gear S (but they do go through to my Gmail on my Note 4). My Gear S is receiving most of my E-mail Messages (I have a separate account only for my Gear S, so that way I keep the number of E-mail Messages to a minimum on my Gear S).
So, now I can receive and read E-mail on my Gear S (the full E-mail Message, not just a short clip, like with some other apps), and I can easily and quickly reply. I'm amazed at how fast sending and receiving message (both E-mail and Text Messages) works on this Gear S .....
BTW .... when I did a Factory Reset on my Gear S (many times) I did NOT yet install any apps. Still had the issue with E-mail not working.
Related
October Edition just arrived, 6 months late, but it did arrive and it did work (albeit with the additional Cradle not in the box)
Charged, set up email to send myself the Google Play apk; double clicked it and everything worked fine. Activated my Android and all working well.
Downloaded some apps, inc spotify and mapmyrun. Added a sim card and sd card - not well designed really. The galaxy s5 shows how simple it is to do and retain waterproofing. The Omate, with tiny fiddly screws, rubber bits, non symetrical cover etc was something I hope not to have to do again; which renders my spare battery a bit pointless. I was expecting to pop off the back and swap a drained battery for a charged one, as I can do on a mobile.
However, with battery at 67% went for a 1 hour run and with GPS, Wifi, Data and Bluetooth active (music to BT Headphones and running data being tracked) battery only went down 20% - impressive! and confirmed I can give up the GPS watch...
All good, but definitely some sticking points. Wifi at one point wouldn't re-activate, without a long reboot. The keyboard can drive you insane, especially entering masked passwords - the keyboard can be supersensitive and fire off several characters at once by accident, so you have to start again. The 'show passwords' option doesn't always work.
The navigation seems awkward and inconsistent - i wish there was a back button, the swipe left often triggers an option or menu unintentionally so you have to go back twice and when the same thing happens again, it's not long before you give up and press the home button...
Maybe it's just some getting used to - day 1 and all that!
Overall this is an incredible piece of tech and will be a big benefit to my lifestyle. It requires a change of thinking I suspect, but one that is welcome, so overall I am very pleased with the first impression.
I think the answer to your question about whether you have day 1 frustrations is: yes and no.
I put on Lokifish's latest ROM and did a few other tweaks (principally Daniel Ortiz's recommended GPS fix) and then started from there. I played with the out-of-the-box version for a total of two minutes before I became monumentally frustrated with the sensitivity of the touch screen, and the keyboard seemed to trigger letters even when I was just hovering over the screen trying to make a more accurate 'tap'. Maybe it was placebo effect but the Lokifish ROM seemed to be better calibrated, though I still avoid using the keyboard for anything other than tapping in passwords to get accounts setup.
The first app that gave me an inkling that the TS is a 'keeper' is Runkeeper. (pun!) I'm actually not so much of a runner, but I use Runkeeper on my main device to track my cycling and I log my circuit and swim training data on the web which integrates across the other apps I use to collect and manage fitness data (Withings Body Analyzer, Myfitnesspal, Fitbit). The thought of being able to dispense with multiple tracking apps/devices and perhaps even leaving the big phone at home (the Z1s doesn't have the brightest screen anyway) was one of the main draws of the TrueSmart. But the real 'killer app' feature for me was the ability to use this TrueSmart as an 'all day wearer' *and* have it work in-water to capture swim data. But After six months of waiting (like you) and seeing the not-really-waterproof drama unfold, I was pretty much ready to put this thing on eBay on day 0.
However, Runkeeper/Ride with GPS plus Cyril Preiss' "SWApps" has just about sold me on keeping the device, or at least rekindled my interest enough to see whether its worth pursuing some form of aftermarket waterproofing approach. (currently being hashed out in another thread here)
So in essence I concur with/confirm your findings. I still haven't found out how to get the auto-correct to behave on the keyboard, but I think that's as much about taking a grand-daddy step back to understand how the Fleksy is designed, and how to properly inflect the gestures to keep things from getting out-of-hand (pun!). I remember having *some* of the same trouble when going from the iPhone 4s to the Xperia Z1 (before the Z1s) and that keyboard drove me kuh-ray-zee until I figured out the whole swipe-your-finger-to-spell-the-word thing worked. Then suddenly I wondered how anyone would type on one of these things any other way.
So - I'm coming around to seeing the advantages of the TrueSmart, and more to the point *really* understanding why Lokifish, Cyril, Kurt, Daniel and so many others here see in the platform - and continue to invest time and effort into it.
Oh - and as to the battery drain, I just ran my TS down to 15% and then connected it to a Waka Waka to charge, and while I didn't have it timed it's already back to 100%. Solar powered smartwatch - now we're talkin'. So instead of thinking about a snap-in/out solution for the battery I'm looking at/for a 'gator glip' charger cable or some other light-weight charger connection for the TS (I thought I saw them online somewhere, and OMate was offering them at first - I'd prefer that to the case for workout/outdoor activities where space is a premium). I'm also looking into how to/whether I can set up profiles that are more like "give me what you got" versus "all-day wearer" mode. On the Sony Xperia Z1s there's a "Stamina Mode" which tamps down on battery drain, but can also kill functionality of apps that are not in the foreground (bad news for Panobike cycling cadence meter, etc) so while I have *some* apps exempted from Stamina Mode, when I'm doing a dedicated outing I just switch it off completely - knowing that I'm going to be putting the device on charge by either using one of the portable packs I'm carrying with me - or when I get back to the car.
Anyway, food for thought...
Thanks for the reply, it's good to share tips and tricks!
I saw that Loki has actually abandoned TrueSmart. Frustrations with their updates and lack of support I think.
Primarily for me this watch was a replacement sports tracker, but my hopes for an all-purpose watch are not looking good as the blue-tooth tethering is not working with my S5; it pairs successfully, but doesn't connect, so the TrueSmart Master app is useless.
The TS also doesn't connect to my BT headset for voice, but it did connect with the JayBird headphones (although the cutting out was super irritating).
In Summary - BlueTooth not reliable and will be a deal-breaker as I would have to carry my phone anyway.
Couple with the infuriating keyboard and inconsistent navigation, (I've now tried the LMT dial thing, which also doesn't work properly) I'm losing interest fast - which is a shame as it could be so good.
For charging, my GPS watch uses a clip as you describe. So much better than the cradle which renders the watch inaccessible while it's charging. But why not a simple USB port with a cover, like the S5....(a proper waterproof phone). Even the solar charger will then require carrying two separate items for the TS...
You can set up profiles on an app called Easy Battery Saver - I used it on my last phone and installed it for TS. It works as described and easy to activate/de-activate.
I will keep with the TS a while longer, but I suspect the next Galaxy Gear, which is rumoured to be stand-alone, will be what we are really looking for...
Hope to hear more from you - I will post my next findings on the TS too.
lphovercraft said:
I think the answer to your question about whether you have day 1 frustrations is: yes and no.
I put on Lokifish's latest ROM and did a few other tweaks (principally Daniel Ortiz's recommended GPS fix) and then started from there. I played with the out-of-the-box version for a total of two minutes before I became monumentally frustrated with the sensitivity of the touch screen, and the keyboard seemed to trigger letters even when I was just hovering over the screen trying to make a more accurate 'tap'. Maybe it was placebo effect but the Lokifish ROM seemed to be better calibrated, though I still avoid using the keyboard for anything other than tapping in passwords to get accounts setup.
The first app that gave me an inkling that the TS is a 'keeper' is Runkeeper. (pun!) I'm actually not so much of a runner, but I use Runkeeper on my main device to track my cycling and I log my circuit and swim training data on the web which integrates across the other apps I use to collect and manage fitness data (Withings Body Analyzer, Myfitnesspal, Fitbit). The thought of being able to dispense with multiple tracking apps/devices and perhaps even leaving the big phone at home (the Z1s doesn't have the brightest screen anyway) was one of the main draws of the TrueSmart. But the real 'killer app' feature for me was the ability to use this TrueSmart as an 'all day wearer' *and* have it work in-water to capture swim data. But After six months of waiting (like you) and seeing the not-really-waterproof drama unfold, I was pretty much ready to put this thing on eBay on day 0.
However, Runkeeper/Ride with GPS plus Cyril Preiss' "SWApps" has just about sold me on keeping the device, or at least rekindled my interest enough to see whether its worth pursuing some form of aftermarket waterproofing approach. (currently being hashed out in another thread here)
So in essence I concur with/confirm your findings. I still haven't found out how to get the auto-correct to behave on the keyboard, but I think that's as much about taking a grand-daddy step back to understand how the Fleksy is designed, and how to properly inflect the gestures to keep things from getting out-of-hand (pun!). I remember having *some* of the same trouble when going from the iPhone 4s to the Xperia Z1 (before the Z1s) and that keyboard drove me kuh-ray-zee until I figured out the whole swipe-your-finger-to-spell-the-word thing worked. Then suddenly I wondered how anyone would type on one of these things any other way.
So - I'm coming around to seeing the advantages of the TrueSmart, and more to the point *really* understanding why Lokifish, Cyril, Kurt, Daniel and so many others here see in the platform - and continue to invest time and effort into it.
Oh - and as to the battery drain, I just ran my TS down to 15% and then connected it to a Waka Waka to charge, and while I didn't have it timed it's already back to 100%. Solar powered smartwatch - now we're talkin'. So instead of thinking about a snap-in/out solution for the battery I'm looking at/for a 'gator glip' charger cable or some other light-weight charger connection for the TS (I thought I saw them online somewhere, and OMate was offering them at first - I'd prefer that to the case for workout/outdoor activities where space is a premium). I'm also looking into how to/whether I can set up profiles that are more like "give me what you got" versus "all-day wearer" mode. On the Sony Xperia Z1s there's a "Stamina Mode" which tamps down on battery drain, but can also kill functionality of apps that are not in the foreground (bad news for Panobike cycling cadence meter, etc) so while I have *some* apps exempted from Stamina Mode, when I'm doing a dedicated outing I just switch it off completely - knowing that I'm going to be putting the device on charge by either using one of the portable packs I'm carrying with me - or when I get back to the car.
Anyway, food for thought...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
More success with BT pairing
More success today - got the bt headset (MyVoice 312) paired for calls, plus the jabra sport wireless+ bt headphones for music.... both devices paired and switch automatically when powering on and off.
Galaxy S5 also paired, but no joy with the SWAPPS app. I will keep trying with that, but it's actually a low priority since I have a sim for the TS ($10 per month for second sim with same number as primary sim)
Tonight I hope to try the Endomondo app on the TS paired with the Jabras, since they have a special feature that gives realtime data from the app when pushing a button on the headphones.
I can see it's going to take a while with the TS, but the tech is really good and offers a lot of promise. It's all about expectations I guess.
If the BT goes all intermittent again tonight I will be v disappointed as this is a basic but critical feature.
One problem I have had after exercising is that if you hand/fingers are sweaty then the TS goes nuts when you touch the screen - there really needs a sensitivity option (like on the S5)
Any pointers for best option for gaining Root Access to Omate TS? I notice that you have flashed Loki's 'latest' ROM, so presumably you have Rooted and flashed a Custom Recovery??
Best way to proceed--I would be grateful for a 'Heads-Up'.
BTW--I have, today, just received my October Dev Edition 1 GB 8 Gb 2100 Mhz version--and am looking at flashing Loki's ROM 20140328--is that the one to which you are referring?? or, do you have a different device version?
Any pointers--gratefully received.
I can't help you with the technical nuts and bolts as I am going to keep it all simple and hopefully working. No ROM flashes, install PlayStore and get your BT headset working.
Just that alone gives you a mobile on your wrist which is pretty damn cool for checking email, facebook, text, whatsapp and voice calls. Plus spotify, endomondo and maps!
The keyboard is a problem though, being so sensitive. And if it's raining, forget using it at all - not because of the water resistance, but because the screen just goes crazy with the water drops.
I am going to try Google Search/Voice to see if I can use voice commands on it.
Anyone else had luck with using voice?
haybill said:
Any pointers for best option for gaining Root Access to Omate TS? I notice that you have flashed Loki's 'latest' ROM, so presumably you have Rooted and flashed a Custom Recovery??
Best way to proceed--I would be grateful for a 'Heads-Up'.
BTW--I have, today, just received my October Dev Edition 1 GB 8 Gb 2100 Mhz version--and am looking at flashing Loki's ROM 20140328--is that the one to which you are referring?? or, do you have a different device version?
Any pointers--gratefully received.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey guys, I'm like a dev October backer and I get my watch this week-end. I have just started it today and after reading the lokifish topic I don't think it is a good idea for us to use our watches until we flashed a ROM with a secure kernel (the kernel of the 1/8/2100 is unsecure).
If you want to root your TS there is tons of solutions as it i a mediatek chip.
Can you recommend me a BT Headphone to par with my TS.
Blue-rayer said:
Can you recommend me a BT Headphone to par with my TS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using Backbeat Go 2 with my TS, I love the "minimalistic" approach to it. When not used I wear them like a necklace (you can attach the earbuds to eachother) and it's not in the way the slightest. It works great for taking phone calls, and I've tried it with both walking, biking and running with no issues. Volume controls, checking battery level, taking calls and such works great from the remote. Battery life is ok:ish, maybe a bit more than 3 hours total listening time. That is if you play music or talk on the phone non-stop, with moderate use (taking a few phonecalls during the day and similar) they last for days.
From what I hear the Backbeat Go 2 is more or less a ripoff of Jaybird Bluebuds X headphone (looks very similar), but the Jaybirds have better battery life, fits more securely in your ear for sporting and such - not that I ever had issues with that. The main thing that made me go with the Backbeat though is that it's about half the price.
Ok thanks. I'm gonna give a look to this.
Headphones
Blue-rayer said:
Can you recommend me a BT Headphone to par with my TS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After going through two Backbeats (not the Go, think it was 903 or something similar) I can state they are useless for exercising with, no resistance to water or sweat.
I then tried a pair of Philips SHB6017/10 and lasted a month before starting to randomly calling strange numbers due to shorting out. I'm not a sweaty person, honest!
Finally settled on Jabra Sport and they're awesome, have been using them for a year now.
Thanks to Amazon who refunded and replaced every single failed headphone, even sending out the replacements before I'd sent in the dead ones.
Cheers,
Andreas
I was actually playing around with the voice commands, you do have to setup loads of Google Apps, like Google search and Maps etc and give it permission to everything but it does work... I highly recommend using Nova launcher as it places the Mic search option right on the home screen.... which launches Google search... "Ok Google" and you're off.... I'm not sure how to get it to recognise OK Google without first having started the search app... Anyway some of my favourite things to ask for....
Take me home.... (Starts maps navigation)
Play some music (starts Google music and tries to play music)
Order Pizza (finds the nearest dominos)
What is iPhone (reads out definition of an iphone)
After having the Gear S for over a week, I have to admit that I am appreciating the convenience it offers in my daily life. Let me start off by saying that I have been using a Pebble smartwatch up until I got the Gear S. Although the Pebble is great for what it is, I believe that the Gear S has done more to make my day easier.
Battery life is nowhere near the Pebble, but that was to be expected. On average, it is possible for me to go without a charge for 2.5 days. More often, I do fall in the 2 day range. Some of you are probably wondering how I achieved this. The trick is to connect it to your phone via bluetooth for most of your day. I noticed that if I do not connect the Gear S to my phone, battery life drops quickly. At the end of a work day, if my Gear S is not connected to my phone, I am usually left with 41% by the time I go to sleep. However, if my Gear S is connected to my phone for a majority of the day, I am usually left with about 70% throughout the day. When I'm sleeping, I turn on airplane mode to save more battery. Remember, your charging dock can act as a portable charger since there is a battery inside of it. You should take the charging dock with you if you are a heavy user. I would not call myself a heavy user. I accept several calls on the Gear S, approximately 20 text messages, and my email notifications are sent to the watch. I would call myself an average user.
There are also some other settings that I have to maximize battery life. I turned off GPS, motions, and wifi. Bluetooth is always on and data is setup to automatically connect. My screen brightness is setup to automatically adjust. All of my notifications are vibration only. I work in an environment that does not allow ringtones to go off. I haven't had the chance to test how my battery life would be if I setup my notifications to use sound instead.
The Gear S is convenient to me because it allows me to stay in touch without carrying a device that fills my entire pocket. This is especially true if you have kids. If you watch your kids all day, there will be many times when your hands are full. It has been much easier to accept calls using the Gear S instead of reaching for my phone.
Since the Gear S is water resistant, I was also able to take my family to the beach and not worry about damaging the Gear S. Usually when I'm at the beach, I have to worry about my Note 3 due to the sand. Because of the Gear S, I can leave my phone somewhere safe such as the car or at home.
Exercise is another activity where the Gear S really shines. The main reason why I take my phone with me while I'm out jogging/running is so my family can contact me. With the Gear S, I have less weight to carry. With a phone in my pocket, the phone always bounces around and I have to be careful about how fast I run so my phone will not fall out. This was when I really decided that the Gear S will be replacing my Pebble. The pebble is a champ when it comes to battery life, but I still had to carry an additional device when I'm out running.
I also notice that because of the limited features of the Gear S, I seem more involved with my co-workers and family. Before having the Gear S, I would always be looking at my phone during social gatherings. Now that I leave my phone at home, I can focus more on the people around me while staying in touch.
Another feature that I use often is the sound detector on my phone. I have my sound detector setup to send notifications to my Gear S when my newborn is crying. I'm shocked that this actually worked.
One of the biggest downsides of the Gear S is that I cannot use Google Now. I'm a rather heavy user when it comes to Google Now. Although I cannot use Google Now on the Gear S, I can still get notifications from Google Now such as traffic updates, weather updates, reminders, etc. Another issue is the keyboard. I can easily type using the keyboard. For me, the best way to use the keyboard is to use swype. The short comings of the keyboard present itself when I try to enter a word with only two letters such as "at" or "by". It always detects either the first or last letter. I'm getting better at typing such words, but it is still an issue.
Overall, depending on how your daily life is, this device may serve a purpose for you. At first glance I was not fond of the screen size. The curved screen definitely helps keep the watch comfortable to use. Don't be intimidated by the larger screen. I'm 5' 4". Needless to say, I am very short. It is a big watch, but when comparing it to my old analog watch, they were about the same size and thickness. Not a big leap to me in terms of size. My advice is to try it for a few days. Most carriers will let you return the watch if you don't want it. I was a fan of the Pebble because it does its job well. I think the Pebble still does a better job with notifications than the Gear S, but like I said earlier, the Gear S offers more to make my day easier.
I pretty much agree with everything you say, and would add that my Gear S tracks my exercise, especially my runs: I now know distance, speed, heart rate, etc. without having to run with my Note 2, which does nit fit in any of my pockets, and required a waistpack (very sexy).
As stupid as it sounds, I also appreciate the hourly reminders that I need to move! My work is sedentary.
Appreciate your review, and the fitness and telecommunication functions are really the strengths of the Gear S.
Just something funny I noticed: if the limited functions of an electronic device is forcing you to be more involved with family/friends/coworkers, then it is not doing its job ?
I changed my keyboard to one of the compact keyboards. That seems to work the best for me on text input.
I agree with your review as well. Just the convenience of feeling like I'm reachable without having to be so "concerned" about where my phone is makes life so much better. My kids can reach me any where, and given that my oldest is a new driver, that is extra important to me. The girls almost always call me when I am at the barn with the horses. So nice to be able to answer their call and still have both hands free to handle my 1200lb animals.
I agree with pretty much everything said here; including the limitations of Google services. I've been a big fan of a lot of the Google services the last few years especially Google Now. THough I am able to receive Google Now notifications, I can't do a Google search like I can on my phone. I get a Google Now notification for weather or traffic every 5 minutes. This is not only redundant, annoying and unnecessary, it is also a battery killer, so I turned that off.
The only other thing I wish it could do is respond to Google Hangouts. My wife and I have been very heavy Hangouts users the last couple years since we can message each other on our computers at home or work and switch seamlessly between our computers, phones and tablets. With the watch, I can read her incoming messages, but I can't respond to them until I am able to get my phone out or get back to my desk. I am hoping that Samsung or a third party implements this very soon. There actually is a Gear app that supposedly does this, but it cost me $1.49 and I couldn't get it to work.
This is my first smart watch. I was going to get the Moto 360 or the LG G Watch R before the Gear S came out. Therefore, I have no hands-on experience with any other watch, I think if some of the Google services could be implemented into the Gear S, it would be the best smartwatch on the scene. All I think it needs is Google search and the ability to respond to Google messages (Gmail and Hangouts).
This app works just right for hangouts. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pacosal.gear.notificationsgears
NinjaMom said:
This app works just right for hangouts. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pacosal.gear.notificationsgears
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the app I used. It was $1.49 four days ago. Does it work better now than it did last week? I noticed the rating is higher than it was when I first got it as well. I would be happy to pay for it, if it works, but I just ran out of time and patience.
It must. I have no problems replying to hangout messages.
Thanks. Maybe I'll try it again.
Been using this also, had maybe 2 recent updates to the app. It's not perfect but works 95% of the time for me using voice dictation to reply to wharsapp messages etc. Worth the money.
Sent from my SM-T320 using Tapatalk
thanks for the info about that app. I just got it myself. I was looking for a way to reply to hangouts also as I will be changing over to my google voice number as my main number. I wanted to still be able to replay to hangout messages. Thanks for this
Can the Gear S stream from some music streaming app to a pair of bluetooth headphones without your phone? I would find this really handy at the gym.
NVM. Found the thread addressing this.
tjl_48 said:
Can the Gear S stream from some music streaming app to a pair of bluetooth headphones without your phone? I would find this really handy at the gym.
NVM. Found the thread addressing this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. Without a phone, You can store music on the Gear S and connect bluetooth headphones. You can also stream Milk music from the Gear S with the Gear S version of Milk music installed.
With your phone connected, you can control the music or podcast on the phone from the Gear S when they are connected via bluetooth.
Since the Gear S has it's own number from what I've read is there anyway to link it with my primary number?
alhadee12 said:
Since the Gear S has it's own number from what I've read is there anyway to link it with my primary number?
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I don't know what you mean by "link it with my primary number."
When your phone and watch are in range they are connected via bluetooth, so any calls notifications, etc, will be from the phone over bluetooth. When they get out of range, the phone will automatically forward your calls to the Gear S. If you turn off call forwarding and bluetooth, the Gear S can act as a completely independent device with it's own phone number.
The Gear S also has Wifi connectivity and all of these connections can be turned on or off and configured differently in settings.
I'm still trying to figure out how it all works together and how to make it do what I want. SOmetimes it will not do what I think it should and I can't figure out why. For the most part all of this is automatic and it all works pretty well, though.
MrAwesome75 said:
I don't know what you mean by "link it with my primary number."
When your phone and watch are in range they are connected via bluetooth, so any calls notifications, etc, will be from the phone over bluetooth. When they get out of range, the phone will automatically forward your calls to the Gear S. If you turn off call forwarding and bluetooth, the Gear S can act as a completely independent device with it's own phone number.
The Gear S also has Wifi connectivity and all of these connections can be turned on or off and configured differently in settings.
I'm still trying to figure out how it all works together and how to make it do what I want. SOmetimes it will not do what I think it should and I can't figure out why. For the most part all of this is automatic and it all works pretty well, though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What I meant by "link", will it use the phone number of my phone. I've come to learn some of the things you stated. It uses my phone line when connected via Bluetooth. Once it's put of range it uses its assigned phone number.
It will always use your phone's number as long as they are connected via bluetooth. When they get out of range the phone will forward to the watch. So incoming calls and texts to the phone will be forwarded to the watch as well. I haven't thoroughly tested this yet, but I believe in that case sending texts or making calls from the watch will show they are from the watch number and not the phone.
It's hard for me to test this and as far as my understanding of forwarding, that seems to make sense since forwarding only works in one direction. This is why I am trying to figure out how to get Google voice working on the watch. Because it has the potential (in theory) to make all calls and texts between all devices seamless. But so far Google voice doesn't seem to work on the watch at all.
MrAwesome75 said:
It will always use your phone's number as long as they are connected via bluetooth. When they get out of range the phone will forward to the watch. So incoming calls and texts to the phone will be forwarded to the watch as well. I haven't thoroughly tested this yet, but I believe in that case sending texts or making calls from the watch will show they are from the watch number and not the phone.
It's hard for me to test this and as far as my understanding of forwarding, that seems to make sense since forwarding only works in one direction. This is why I am trying to figure out how to get Google voice working on the watch. Because it has the potential (in theory) to make all calls and texts between all devices seamless. But so far Google voice doesn't seem to work on the watch at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google Voice works great with my Gear S. Incoming and outgoing calls and texts.
If you want to know how, I explained it in a thread on Android Central.
http://forums.androidcentral.com/showthread.php?t=461234
jlczl said:
Google Voice works great with my Gear S. Incoming and outgoing calls and texts.
If you want to know how, I explained it in a thread on Android Central.
http://forums.androidcentral.com/showthread.php?t=461234
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Click to collapse
Thank you for your response. I did read your post about Google Voice. It was hard to fully understand. I did everything you're supposed to do (I think). It still doesn't work for me.
nguyen4514 said:
After having the Gear S for over a week, I have to admit that I am appreciating the convenience it offers in my daily life. Let me start off by saying that I have been using a Pebble smartwatch up until I got the Gear S. Although the Pebble is great for what it is, I believe that the Gear S has done more to make my day easier.
Battery life is nowhere near the Pebble, but that was to be expected. On average, it is possible for me to go without a charge for 2.5 days. More often, I do fall in the 2 day range. Some of you are probably wondering how I achieved this. The trick is to connect it to your phone via bluetooth for most of your day. I noticed that if I do not connect the Gear S to my phone, battery life drops quickly. At the end of a work day, if my Gear S is not connected to my phone, I am usually left with 41% by the time I go to sleep. However, if my Gear S is connected to my phone for a majority of the day, I am usually left with about 70% throughout the day. When I'm sleeping, I turn on airplane mode to save more battery. Remember, your charging dock can act as a portable charger since there is a battery inside of it. You should take the charging dock with you if you are a heavy user. I would not call myself a heavy user. I accept several calls on the Gear S, approximately 20 text messages, and my email notifications are sent to the watch. I would call myself an average user.
There are also some other settings that I have to maximize battery life. I turned off GPS, motions, and wifi. Bluetooth is always on and data is setup to automatically connect. My screen brightness is setup to automatically adjust. All of my notifications are vibration only. I work in an environment that does not allow ringtones to go off. I haven't had the chance to test how my battery life would be if I setup my notifications to use sound instead.
The Gear S is convenient to me because it allows me to stay in touch without carrying a device that fills my entire pocket. This is especially true if you have kids. If you watch your kids all day, there will be many times when your hands are full. It has been much easier to accept calls using the Gear S instead of reaching for my phone.
Since the Gear S is water resistant, I was also able to take my family to the beach and not worry about damaging the Gear S. Usually when I'm at the beach, I have to worry about my Note 3 due to the sand. Because of the Gear S, I can leave my phone somewhere safe such as the car or at home.
Exercise is another activity where the Gear S really shines. The main reason why I take my phone with me while I'm out jogging/running is so my family can contact me. With the Gear S, I have less weight to carry. With a phone in my pocket, the phone always bounces around and I have to be careful about how fast I run so my phone will not fall out. This was when I really decided that the Gear S will be replacing my Pebble. The pebble is a champ when it comes to battery life, but I still had to carry an additional device when I'm out running.
I also notice that because of the limited features of the Gear S, I seem more involved with my co-workers and family. Before having the Gear S, I would always be looking at my phone during social gatherings. Now that I leave my phone at home, I can focus more on the people around me while staying in touch.
Another feature that I use often is the sound detector on my phone. I have my sound detector setup to send notifications to my Gear S when my newborn is crying. I'm shocked that this actually worked.
One of the biggest downsides of the Gear S is that I cannot use Google Now. I'm a rather heavy user when it comes to Google Now. Although I cannot use Google Now on the Gear S, I can still get notifications from Google Now such as traffic updates, weather updates, reminders, etc. Another issue is the keyboard. I can easily type using the keyboard. For me, the best way to use the keyboard is to use swype. The short comings of the keyboard present itself when I try to enter a word with only two letters such as "at" or "by". It always detects either the first or last letter. I'm getting better at typing such words, but it is still an issue.
Overall, depending on how your daily life is, this device may serve a purpose for you. At first glance I was not fond of the screen size. The curved screen definitely helps keep the watch comfortable to use. Don't be intimidated by the larger screen. I'm 5' 4". Needless to say, I am very short. It is a big watch, but when comparing it to my old analog watch, they were about the same size and thickness. Not a big leap to me in terms of size. My advice is to try it for a few days. Most carriers will let you return the watch if you don't want it. I was a fan of the Pebble because it does its job well. I think the Pebble still does a better job with notifications than the Gear S, but like I said earlier, the Gear S offers more to make my day easier.
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Click to collapse
Hello
What app do you use call sound detector?
Thanks
Hi
I thought about get one of those watches (Gear 2 vs Gear s), so which is superior?
Can someone please list cons and pros with both and some unique features, that both have.
Tried Google a bit, but can't make up my mind so want the pros and cons from you guys!
Thanks in advance
I had the original Galaxy Gear but skipped the Gear 2 because I thought it was basically the same thing.
The Gear 2 has a camera and an IR blaster to control your TV.
The Gear S doesn't have either of those.
The Gear S has a larger curved screen which I like.
If you need something that takes pictures and video then get the Gear 2.
Otherwise get the Gear S.
I have Gear 1, Gear 2 and Gear S
Gear S Wifi and SIM for 3G, GPS.
With Gear S you can keep connected at your phone even out of BT range. You can receive notification from your phone through Wifi or 3G even if you forget your phone at home.
Big screen so easy to reply with keyboard.
You can track sport activity with buil-in GPS even without phone.
Ambiant sensor for automatic brightness.
dersie said:
I have Gear 1, Gear 2 and Gear S
Gear S Wifi and SIM for 3G, GPS.
With Gear S you can keep connected at your phone even out of BT range. You can receive notification from your phone through Wifi or 3G even if you forget your phone at home.
Big screen so easy to reply with keyboard.
You can track sport activity with buil-in GPS even without phone.
Ambiant sensor for automatic brightness.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed.
I actually went through the same dilemma. Watch some youtube videos of both of them hands on and see which on suites you better. The connectivity of the Gear S is what sold me. The "remote connection" via wifi/3G, as stated by previous poster, is a huge factor for me as I tend to forget my phone around the house/car/or even leave it at home. This allows you to receive your notifications over the air. The gear 2 has bluetooth and its done. May not sound too bad but the bluetooth range can be very spotty. Sometimes my bluetooth will cut out after less than 10ft (not sure why).
Gear 2 has the camera and ir blaster that's basically it. For the price difference I went with the Gear S it just made more sense in the long run.
The Gear S has one major feature not discussed, although its kinda useless at the moment there is only 1 app in the app store that supports it, the barometer. A lot of people think this sensor is completely useless but its not. On top of giving barometric pressure info it also records elevation changes and much more. GPS is good but is not accurate enough alone to measure these changes and relies on the barometer. Hence why a lot of new Samsung phones have this sensor.
Yes, Brometer and UV sensor on Gear S.
For example I made 2 same exercices (more longer on 2nd week) 2 weeks, first with Gear S in standalone et second next week with phone only.
With Gear S Altitude : 369-372m is right value by Gear S barometer
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3dhZYESs_5bQUZwRzJNSC1DZlU&authuser=0
With Phone 247-252m with GPS totaly Wrong
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3dhZYESs_5bdnZvS0haamd2V0k&authuser=0
The name of the barometer application? I can't seem to find anything on the store.
cydiamante said:
The name of the barometer application? I can't seem to find anything on the store.
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Click to collapse
Gear O' Clock: Geoscope. Its $1.50 and a clock so I apologize kinda misinformed saying it was an application.
Yes, Geoclock is good for use like a compass app : compass + altimeter/barometer
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3dhZYESs_5baU1tNTJ1T0NSZFU&authuser=0
My husband and I just got our Samsung Gear Fit 2 bands. Under the 24-hour log it says "not on wrist" alternating with "Light" activity. I contacted Samsung customer support and did a factory reset with no luck. They said it needs to be looked at by a Samsung service center. They said that they didn't have any other reports f this issue on their website, so I'm wondering if we got two that are defective?
Has anyone else had this problem or know how to fix it?
Mine says this too. No idea why, it's quite tight on my wrist!
And your Fit2 HRM works ?
Everything Works!
dersie said:
And your Fit2 HRM works ?
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Click to collapse
I discovered that the HRM sticker was still on, which was blocking the sensor. Now, everything works fine! It seems like Samsung support should have asked me that when I notified them of the problem, because the band works just fine. They wanted me to send it to a Samsung dealer to be looked at, glad I didn't. It was a simple fix
Greetings, I have my gear fit 2 showing not on rest repeatedly for the past week. It keeps showing more often with time, like if the sensor is dying or something.
I've been using it for the past 6 months, & it was working fine.
The sensor below is clean. it's tight on my rest. And I've tried a reset but didn't work!
Please advise. Thx
has anyone figured out how to pair the Gear fit2 to a Oneplus 2?
Hey,
Curious as to if any one uses a smart watch with their Note 8, if so which one and how has the experience been?
jwat_10792 said:
Hey,
Curious as to if any one uses a smart watch with their Note 8, if so which one and how has the experience been?
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Click to collapse
I've had a Gear S3 Frontier for some months with my Note 7. What's different is the battery life, already good on the Frontier, is even better paired with the Note 8. Hoping an update will come exchanging SVoice for Bixby. SVoice sucks, I never use it. The watch is excellent if you have to attend a lot of meetings. Checking notifications doesn't disrupt anything or draw stares.
jwat_10792 said:
Hey,
Curious as to if any one uses a smart watch with their Note 8, if so which one and how has the experience been?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ticwatch 2 works great and looks the best imo than any other smartwatch
Old school motto 360 gen 2. Perfectly in sync. Battery life on either device is stellar in my daily use.
I use the Gear s3 - love it - they go perfectly together.
I use the Gear 2. The original Gear and the Gear 2 are the only ones able to take pictures using the device's builtin camera. It's the feature that I use all the time when traveling. You can still find them available.
350julio said:
Ticwatch 2 works great and looks the best imo than any other smartwatch
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how's the battery life on the ticwatch 2? also can you reply to messages?
jwat_10792 said:
Hey,
Curious as to if any one uses a smart watch with their Note 8, if so which one and how has the experience been?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the Samsung Gear S3 LTE.
Its been great. I can't think of any negative experiences with it and it syncs flawlessly with S-Health.
krazieboy said:
how's the battery life on the ticwatch 2? also can you reply to messages?
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Click to collapse
It's actually amazing even with the always on display you can get 2-3 full days out of it depending on how much you actually use it's features and yes you can with voice, you can also add quick replies and make phone calls through it's speaker
Gear S3 Frontier LTE
Using both Gear S2 Classic and Huawei Watch with Note 8. Both work fine.
I have the gear s3 paired with my s8 now, next week I am get the note. While almost the same phone. I would say it's a great to use.
What I love about my gear s3
1. I can pair the watch to the phone and my Bluetooth headphones to the watch. This way i can control my songs off my s3.
2. Heart rate. Having high blood pressure I like to see my heart rate. It looks weird at work or social events taking out the phone and placing my finger on the back of the phone. With the watch I press a button and it reads it.
3. Watch faces! I love I can change the look of the watch. It's such a great thing. It's like owning a hundred different kind of watches.
4. Watch bands. I can change the look on the fly. It takes seconds to change bands.
5. Battery life is double edge sword. The phone does discharge a little more due the Bluetooth, but using the watch to check time, read messages and other good things also helps the phone battery.
6. For work it's a great thing. You can ignore calls without taking out ur phone. See messages and reply without getting in trouble.
The bad.
1. The cost of these watches is high.
2. Battery life on the watches are not that great as they say. I mean yes it can hold a charge for about two days which means less charging. With me I notice I have a whole day and the next day I need to charge it midday. Kind of piss me off. give me two days of 12 to 14 hours. I do not want to charge it at night when it's 60 to 70%
3. The looks you get talking to your watch lol. Might not be bad sometimes lol.
4. I wish more apps are available. Samsung messed up. They should of made it andriod based .
Pebble Round. Older watch but still one of the thinnest smart watches I have owned. Very basic for notification and etc came from a S2 Classic. Considered the S3 Frontier but I lucked out on eBay with this watch.
My only gripe is the persistent notification that you cant clear from the gear manger, and it shows on the lock screen too. ugh
jwat_10792 said:
Hey,
Curious as to if any one uses a smart watch with their Note 8, if so which one and how has the experience been?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the original LG Urbane as well as the Gear S2 classic and love them both with my Note 8.
I use the original Huawei Watch and it's been great so far. Very nice looking watch too.
+1 for the Gear S3 LTE, although I never actually use the LTE portion.
fschambe said:
+1 for the Gear S3 LTE, although I never actually use the LTE portion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 for Frontier LTE. Got an update for the tizen software a few weeks ago, and while paired, battery life dramatically decreases. Other than that, great pair.
gear S watch with curved rectangular screen. It may be 3 years old but works like a champ and constantly get complements.
Ian B
+1 Gear S
Works great for calls while working with hands (main feature i use it for).
And +1 constant compliments...i love the real estate the screen has.
Sent from my God Mode 8