Android Wear Device users

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MikeB4

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#195865 9-May-2016 11:22

Having retired my iPhone 6Plus and Apple Watch (undecided what to do with these) and now using a Galaxy S7 Edge I am trying to decide what Watch to get to go with the S7 . The two leading contenders

in my mind at present are the Huawei Watch and the Samsung Gear S2.

To the Android Wear users what device are you using and how have you found it in real life ? and some to for Samsung Gear 2 users how have you found it in real life. I know the Gear is not using Android Wear and that is OK. Of the Android Wear devices available here the Huawei offerings are very good on paper etc and seem to get get reviews.

Any feedback or recommendations will be gratefully received and thank you heaps in advance.

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#1548643 9-May-2016 12:19

I have the Huawei Watch. I really like the look of it, but I think that Android Wear has a LONG way to go, and is nowhere near as functional or polished as my wife's Apple Watch.

I think the Huawei is probably the best on the market at it's price point. I think it's the best looking but it is almost twice the price of many of the alternatives.

My biggest gripe I think is the notifications and how clumsy it is to open and scroll through them. When I see my wife using her Apple Watch, the notification pops nicely and can be scrolled with ease or ignored.

On Android I am swiping up sideways, back, down to open read dismiss etc. It's painful.

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tripp

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#1548645 9-May-2016 12:26

I have had both

I love the gear s2, sure it does not have google now voice etc and it has that dumb s voice (that does not really work that well) but the rest is a lot better than android wear.

I tend to have about 70% battery left at the end of the day (5am - 9pm).

MikeB4

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#1548648 9-May-2016 12:31

tripp:
I have had both

I love the gear s2, sure it does not have google now voice etc and it has that dumb s voice (that does not really work that well) but the rest is a lot better than android wear.

I tend to have about 70% battery left at the end of the day (5am - 9pm).

Thanks for that.

MikeB4

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#1548652 9-May-2016 12:33

ajobbins:
I have the Huawei Watch. I really like the look of it, but I think that Android Wear has a LONG way to go, and is nowhere near as functional or polished as my wife's Apple Watch.

I think the Huawei is probably the best on the market at it's price point. I think it's the best looking but it is almost twice the price of many of the alternatives.

My biggest gripe I think is the notifications and how clumsy it is to open and scroll through them. When I see my wife using her Apple Watch, the notification pops nicely and can be scrolled with ease or ignored.

On Android I am swiping up sideways, back, down to open read dismiss etc. It's painful.

Thanks for that. Are the notifications on the Huawei Watch persistent or do they disappear after a short time and gone?

ajobbins

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#1548655 9-May-2016 12:42

MikeB4:

Thanks for that. Are the notifications on the Huawei Watch persistent or do they disappear after a short time and gone?

They seem to sit there at the bottom of the screen until I do something about them, either on the phone or the watch.

But sometimes I would like to be able to dismiss say an email notification from my watch, but still would like to see I have an unread email when I pick up my phone next. But dismissing does both devices.

This will be the same as all Android Wear watches. As I understand, unlike phones, the manufacturer isn't allowed to customise the Android Wear OS.

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michaelmurfy

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#1548671 9-May-2016 12:50

Have had the Moto 360 since launch (upgraded from the Pebble Steel) and really like it. Should upgrade eventually though :)

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Dingbatt

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#1548717 9-May-2016 14:43

Have a Sony SW3 and an LG GWR. While the GWR is the better looking watch with a brighter display I find myself using the SW3 as my daily driver. Mainly due to better battery life and a more solid Bluetooth lock. Both watches are on Android 6.0.1 which added a little more gesture control, but I still think the S2's bezel control is the best. Better even than the "digital crown" on the Apple Watch.
Since i have an S6 I seriously considered getting the Gear S2 but have held back because of the lack of third party support. I use Wear Tasker and Tasker to control my phone without pulling it out of my pocket. But as long as you are happy to live by the maxim that Samsung knows best, the S7/GearS2 will probably operate best.

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MikeB4

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#1548729 9-May-2016 15:07

Dingbatt: Have a Sony SW3 and an LG GWR. While the GWR is the better looking watch with a brighter display I find myself using the SW3 as my daily driver. Mainly due to better battery life and a more solid Bluetooth lock. Both watches are on Android 6.0.1 which added a little more gesture control, but I still think the S2's bezel control is the best. Better even than the "digital crown" on the Apple Watch.
Since i have an S6 I seriously considered getting the Gear S2 but have held back because of the lack of third party support. I use Wear Tasker and Tasker to control my phone without pulling it out of my pocket. But as long as you are happy to live by the maxim that Samsung knows best, the S7/GearS2 will probably operate best.

Thanks for that, I am coming from the Apple know best about everything world so the Samsung way is nothing in comparison. I confess I am somewhat conflicted between Android Wear and Samsungs Tizen. I am probably wrong but I get a feeling that the S2 will integrate better with the Galaxy S7

Yabanize

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#1548835 9-May-2016 18:20

With android wear you're gonna have alot more choice with apps etc.

I don't know why Samsung are hanging on to Tizen for their watches.

Yabanize

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#1548836 9-May-2016 18:20

With android wear you're gonna have alot more choice with apps etc.

I don't know why Samsung are hanging on to Tizen for their watches.

1eStar

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#1548848 9-May-2016 18:41

Personally I'd choose the gear S2 over anything Android wear. I have a pre-androidwear Sony SW2, from what I can see, going to anything Androidwear would be like downgrading from Lego Technic back to Duplo.

On my 2013 vintage watch, I can reject phone calls, control ringer/silent, turn mobile data/WiFi on off, check phone battery level, read notifictions, get a GPS speedometer reading, do 2FA, run (an old version of) mytracks, dial out phone calls (both contacts and with dialpad) using hands free, get nav directions, all on wrist.

My ideal replacement watch would be a Gear S2 with a trans reflective screen, ie daylight viewable without backlight (the Sony SW2 and SW3 offer this).

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#1548849 9-May-2016 18:54

I have the Sony SW3. Spent the past week with the Asus Zenwatch 2, which is nice, but the OLED panel doesn't compare to the SW3's transflective display, and the Sony unit has ~twice the battery life. Bring on a SW4.

As for Android Wear itself, it's okay. I came from a Pebble and use the SW3 with an iPhone, so apps are essentially a no-go. For me it's all about the notifications and media controls, my phone never needs to make any noise and that's the killer feature.

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DaveB

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#1548869 9-May-2016 19:43

Luckily I won an Apple watch, so I did not feel any financial loss when I gave it away after a day of playing around with it. I have a Gear S2 and love it.

Battery life is anywhere between two and a half to three days and that is the key factor for me. It works well and compliments my Note 4 and I expect it to work well with the Note 6 when it becomes available.

Some people tend to measure how good a device or os is by the number of "apps" that are available. I tend to measure the device by how well it does the basics and the Gear S2 does it well, especially with the bezel control. My phone is still (and always will be), my go to device because I like the "real estate" on which to read the information sent to me. But the S2 gives me good notifications in terms of "time to work", weather, incoming email from work and home (which I can scroll through and read if desired) and events, alarms and reminders from my calendar. All calls are shown including missed calls. At the end of the day I get a reminder of time to home as the S2 integrates with Google Now cards to a certain extent

For those personal items - Heart beat measurements are taken every hour or so, walking steps, running etc. I might be incorrect, but I am sure you have mentioned that you have a mobility problem. If that is the case, you may want to turn off (or tweak) the S-Health app as it will nudge you occasionally to exercise. I spend most of my day in my office chair and the watch annoys me when I go out onto the balcony for a ciggie and it says well done!

For the social side, when at home this past summer. Many a time I found myself in the garden relaxing and there was something nice about moving my Spotify music list forward a track or two from my watch to the LG wifi speakers on the deck. There is no specific Spotify app for S2, but it just does it.

Luckily my watch does not beep - it just gives me a gentle vibration on my arm.

When making my purchasing decision, I was a little confused but at the end of the day I chose the Gear S2 because it is plain and discreet. More importantly it is slightly slimmer and sits well on my wrist and I thought that simple fact alone was more important to me than going with a trend.

MikeB4

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#1548872 9-May-2016 19:54

Yabanize:
With android wear you're gonna have alot more choice with apps etc.

I don't know why Samsung are hanging on to Tizen for their watches.

Thanks for that, yeah the App thing is a factor for sure, I will need to think of what I may want down the track.

MikeB4

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#1548874 9-May-2016 19:56

1eStar: Personally I'd choose the gear S2 over anything Android wear. I have a pre-androidwear Sony SW2, from what I can see, going to anything Androidwear would be like downgrading from Lego Technic back to Duplo.

On my 2013 vintage watch, I can reject phone calls, control ringer/silent, turn mobile data/WiFi on off, check phone battery level, read notifictions, get a GPS speedometer reading, do 2FA, run (an old version of) mytracks, dial out phone calls (both contacts and with dialpad) using hands free, get nav directions, all on wrist.

My ideal replacement watch would be a Gear S2 with a trans reflective screen, ie daylight viewable without backlight (the Sony SW2 and SW3 offer this).

Thanks for that appreciatef, The S2 is a great looking device and has a very slick UI, had a play with one over the weekend and did not detect any lag.

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