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Hi there, this is my first post and I have an interest in this phone. Can owners of this phone please briefly state the pros and cons of this device as it would be a real help for me (and others) to decide whether I purchase this phone or not.
I will create a list in the next post weighing out all the good and the not so good features of this phone.
Thanks in advance!
List of Pros/cons
The list so far:
Pros:
- Great value
- Very fast 2nd Gen Snapdragon CPU which is easily overclockable
- Adreno 205 GPU (very good graphics)
- 512mb RAM
- 2gb Internal memory
- Large 3.8" WVGA screen
- 3g / HSDPA / Wi-Fi b/g/n / Bluetooth / GPS
- 5mp Camera with 720p HD recording
- Parts are cheap to replace (batteries, chargers etc.)
- Feature packed
- Decent battery (personal preference)
Cons:
- Bulky
- Not the best aesthetics (personal preference)
- Low quality components (crappy Bluetooth, Mic, Camera, Internal Memory and Poor touchscreen/multi-touch implementation)
- Android 2.2 (However, you can easily flash a stable 2.3.5 Rom)
- Lack of knowledge/customer support from Huawei[
- Branding (I'm being picky )
only thing i could call a con and that's really stretching it is it's relative bulkiness.
No dual core
Actually Android 2.2 is pretty old already, that would be a bad thing. But we already have a stable 2.3.5-ROM so it is no big deal at all. Not the best aesthetics? I think it looks pretty expensive if you ask me. The galaxy s of a friend of mine does not look any better than the u8800. As far as I know the camera is not that great, and the megapixel do not provide any information about the quality (my old camera with 3MP makes better photos than any phonecamera, simply because it has a real object lens and a bigger sensor).
In my opinion the real advantage of this device is that you get the speed of devices that cost twice as much. Of course those devices have a much bigger screen, do not forget that.
There is one situation in which the processor will be too slow: Playing some n64-games; for example Zelda - Ocarina of time is not really enjoyable. Also the screen is almost too small if you do use the touchscreen-controls (you can use a ps3 controller).
Lack of prestige? You gotta be kidding, right?
If you have the money for the u8800, go get it. If you have slightly more money you can go for a used galaxy s. I would have bought the galaxy s but I wanted a phone with 2 years warranty. If you have a lot more money you could be a galaxy s 2 for example, it will have a dualcore (no problems with emulating n64, that i can assure you) and a bigger screen.
XphX said:
Actually Android 2.2 is pretty old already, that would be a bad thing. But we already have a stable 2.3.5-ROM so it is no big deal at all. Not the best aesthetics? I think it looks pretty expensive if you ask me. The galaxy s of a friend of mine does not look any better than the u8800. As far as I know the camera is not that great, and the megapixel do not provide any information about the quality (my old camera with 3MP makes better photos than any phonecamera, simply because it has a real object lens and a bigger sensor).
In my opinion the real advantage of this device is that you get the speed of devices that cost twice as much. Of course those devices have a much bigger screen, do not forget that.
There is one situation in which the processor will be too slow: Playing some n64-games; for example Zelda - Ocarina of time is not really enjoyable. Also the screen is almost too small if you do use the touchscreen-controls (you can use a ps3 controller).
Lack of prestige? You gotta be kidding, right?
If you have the money for the u8800, go get it. If you have slightly more money you can go for a used galaxy s. I would have bought the galaxy s but I wanted a phone with 2 years warranty. If you have a lot more money you could be a galaxy s 2 for example, it will have a dualcore (no problems with emulating n64, that i can assure you) and a bigger screen.
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Thanks for your input. Updated list accordingly.
XphX said:
Lack of prestige? You gotta be kidding, right?
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Just to clarify, from lack of prestige, I meant it as if somebody asks you what phone you have, and you say Huawei U8800, they'd probably think that you have a cheap chinese model. It's not really a big thing for many people but I thought it was worth mentioning.
Pro:
- Good specs for the price
- Good battery life on 2.3.5 (unofficial)
Con:
- Low quality components (crappy Bluetooth, Mic, Camera, Internal Memory - big but useless without hacking)
- Real problems with official Froyo Roms, which should have never go out on the market with so many bugs/issues (not going to sleep properly, unstable wifi etc etc)
- No official Gingerbread support, even Huawei actually owns the 2.3.5. license
- Lack of knowledge/customer support from Huawei (if you have an issue, they replace the handset and you get an identical handset with the same problem)
I would like to say, that this phone would have been one of the biggest fails on the market, if there was no support from excellent developers.
It's only because of people like Dzo, Stockwell and Genokolar, that I didn't throw this phone in the bin.
Huawei is fresh in the phone manufacturing industry and this handset reflects this aspect loud and clear. This is why no one really heard about it...
huawei is everything but fresh in the phone industry
darkado said:
huawei is everything but fresh in the phone industry
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I said phone manufacturing, not telecommunications (I know that they are major manufacturer of WCDMA backbone and access network elements), there is a small difference...
katu2006 said:
I said phone manufacturing, not telecommunications (I know that they are major manufacturer of WCDMA backbone and access network elements), there is a small difference...
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Thanks for your input. It's very disappointing that you get such a great value smartphone which is spoiled by basic features and low quality components. I'm really doubting if I should get this now.
everybody has a set of pros and cons on this phone, and i dont think its a good idea to make ur buying/non-buying decision purely basing on others comments..
for me, its only mattering "pro" is the high price-performance ratio..
(and one more now, after seeing such an active on-going development effort to make this phone better..)
and no "con" at all (as this is what i expect from a product of this price..)
thus if u think single-core cpu is a "con", no official support is a "con", little brand recognition (outside china) is a "con", u can alway pay a few bucks more to get dual-core, famous-branded models..
and honestly speaking, this phone is indeed NOT intended for everybody..
its just not as idiot-proof as iphone (as with most android phones..), not as good-looking (to some) as sensation, not as ego-boosting as sgs2, etc..
but its definitely easier to hack with, to manipulate with, and to brick with (not sure on this point though, as more flexibility does not necessarily imply easier brickability..)..
imho, its more suitable if u r the kind of person who would like to play with android instead of just using it..
as usual, the above represent my opinion only..
OP, just tell us what you are looking for and how much money you want to spend.
XphX said:
OP, just tell us what you are looking for and how much money you want to spend.
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Between £150 - £200 is my budget. The U8800 is more towards the lower end of my budget and as I can get it at that price brand new, it is quite appealing. However, you can get other phones like a second hand Galaxy S for a bit more while still being within reach of my budget.
What I'm looking for is killer hardware as well as a good community which makes the phone easily hackable and 'tweakable.' Regarding the U8800, it has exactly what I'm looking for at the price point but if it falls short of basic things like the touch screen, then what can you do. Being a previous ZTE Blade owner, I was extremely impressed as basic functions were not sacrificed.
There are a lot of people that switched from the Blade to the U8800 and are quite happy it seems. I think you do not have much choices here - luckily. You can either get the galaxy s or the U8800, as you already said yourself.
If the galaxy s is in a good condition and if you can live with a phone that has no warranty anymore, I'd say go for it. For me, none of my phones ever had any hardware-problem, so I could have easily bought all of them in used condition.
It is just that buying something off ebay is risky. I do buy little stuff there every now and then, but no expensive stuff - if the seller just lies about a "little" problem and you want to return it, you probably won't see your money again. If a friend of yours sells you his used galaxy s, take it. That would be the best choice in my opinion. Either get a galaxy s that you can inspect and try out before you buy it or go for the u8800.
katu2006 said:
Low quality components (crappy Bluetooth, Mic, Camera, Internal Memory - big but useless without hacking)
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Bluetooth was reported to be problematic, yes; some people reporting it to be fine (I just use the headset sometimes and it works perfectly well). Mic also works perfectly fine for me. Camera is not as good as with other handsets, yes. It takes 10 minutes to make the memory useable, but I admit, what Huawei did there makes not even sense.
katu2006 said:
Real problems with official Froyo Roms
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Froyo does not matter to me as it already is old and I would not recommend anybody to buy this phone if he wants to install Froyo.
katu2006 said:
No official Gingerbread support
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That with Gingerbread is a shame, right now I hope for support in the future. Worst case: You won't get the new features... but: it works fast and stable already, so you won't miss more than the new features (whatever they are and will be...).
katu2006 said:
Lack of knowledge/customer support from Huawei
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Instead we got the community. As long as everybody stays here at xda-devs or at modaco we will get support. When everybody leaves in one year or maybe in two, then you are pretty much f...on your own. On the other hand, in a year all the problems should be sorted out.
katu2006 said:
this phone would have been one of the biggest fails on the market, if there was no support from excellent developers
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Exactly, and now it is a fast and stable phone with android 2.3.5 - at least for me it works perfectly well.
Noob here....
I have this phone and bought it about 3 weeks ago. It's my first smartphone and did a little research on the reviews.
From my perspective, being a total noob, so far I've been really happy with the X5. Sure, battery life is horrible and the camera could be better but I've managed to take some nice shots and some OK video. For me it's great to have this capability in my pocket and liberating to be able to catch up on the day's news and podcasts siting by the pond in the backyard in the morning.
Strangely perhaps I haven't been having problems with the reported wifi problems nor any problems with the Hi Suite software from Huawei.
I have had a couple of little glitches but nothing a quick re-boot hasn't fixed.
My first android has exceeded my expectations but I come from a point of nothingness.
Towards the end of it's 1 year warranty I plan doing all what seems to be the fun things to do like rooting and other fiddling around
Even after reading about the X5 shortfalls I'm still happy with what I have and don't feel inferior at this stage.
I bought the phone for $AUD260. Have spent around $25 on apps and around a further $25 on accessories...like extra mini USB cables for my various stations where I can charge the phone, a in-car charger just in case, a case and some screen protectors.
I've been having fun on my X5 and that's what it all comes down to for me.
seems this phone doesn't support UMTS 850/1900Mhz
so it may only use 2G data service in North American
policeman0077 said:
seems this phone doesn't support UMTS 850/1900Mhz
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Someone said that he got an answer about that from Huawei and they told him they just forgot to write this on the description page... someone could try it out to make it clear.
Clevo89 said:
Sure, battery life is horrible
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Hold on, I get 2-3 days of standby when I do only use the phone for about 1 hour calling per day and about 20-50 sms per day. If I play n64 or something it lasts a day, maybe another half day. Actually this is the best battery life I ever encountered with a handset. I use 2.3.5 which seems to have a good battery management and SetCPU has 245min and 806max, scaling conservative.
XphX said:
Someone said that he got an answer about that from Huawei and they told him they just forgot to write this on the description page... someone could try it out to make it clear.
Hold on, I get 2-3 days of standby when I do only use the phone for about 1 hour calling per day and about 20-50 sms per day. If I play n64 or something it lasts a day, maybe another half day. Actually this is the best battery life I ever encountered with a handset. I use 2.3.5 which seems to have a good battery management and SetCPU has 245min and 806max, scaling conservative.
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You're exaggerating with 3 days... The most I ever got on this phone is 51h and that without using it at all, mostly on stand by the whole time...And I've tried ALL Roms available till today.
I'm 100% sure that NOBODY got 72 h of this phone.
You probably didn't had many phones and don't have a good term of comparison...This phone has average battery life and only on Gingerbread Roms. On any Froyo Roms, you'll be lucky to get 20 h out of it.
Pros:
If you can root it and install a good ROM, it can become really fast, faster than many android phones (except dual core).
Very nice price.
It seems expensive and has a really sturdy exterior. The screen crystal is also very hard and resistant to scratches.
It is fully featured (sensors, very nice screen, high resolution, etc).
I had not the slightest problem with any of its subparts (bluetooth, GPS, camera). (Maybe I am lucky, though).
If you root it and install a good ROM, video recording becomes very good.
If you dont play with it all the time, battery lasts for one day or two.
You catch friends with iPhones 1 and 3G looking at it with envy.
You catch friends with iPhones 4 looking at you with envy, as soon as they hear its price and find out about the prices of apps at android market. (They paid for many of the apps you will get free).
Cons:
As with all smartphones, if you play demanding 3D games, in 2-3 hours you will need to find a wall socket (so this is not really a con).
Something with the multitouch doesn't seem perfect. I don't know why.
It's not an iPhone.
It has not a dual core CPU.
It's not a tablet.
If you are amongst some friends with iPhones, you will still not have one.
Conclusion: I am very happy with the X5. My wife wants to steal it from me, and she plays with it all the time. She already has finished many games on it (Angry Birds, Angry Birds Rio, Diversion, Cut the Rope and others). I managed to read two books on it, while on vacations.
It was a good buy.
Please i want to buy this one, but i can't find any reviews on it at all..
I hope anyone can help me to make right decision..
Thanks in advance
Sent from my GT-I9300 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
From what I can find it's an MT6577. The MT6577 is a two year old chip that if you look at the S5, EC-309 and other threads, is known for issues when it comes to smartwatches. MediaTek also has a habit of packaging half finished firmware with security holes and BT issues.
Money vs overall device, you would be better off looking at a MT6572 or MT6582 based standalone smartwatch. And if all the MediaTek based smartwatch devs can get together then I expect a number of issues to go away.
Ok thank you loki for this deep knowledge information...
So can you recommend me a standalone one with this price range has better specs or at least with more recent chip?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
the zgpax s5 has a thread and it seems to be a good watch. I dont think that the company producing this watch would make the s6 worse than the s5, if anything it should be better than the s5. I plan on buying this in a few weeks.
m34n1ng said:
the zgpax s5 has a thread and it seems to be a good watch. I dont think that the company producing this watch would make the s6 worse than the s5, if anything it should be better than the s5. I plan on buying this in a few weeks.
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I am not sure how good the S6 is, but I was very interested. My only issue with all current Android 3G phone watches is that they seem to have the same specifications, which based on an earlier response, is a dated technology, and I wonder if it really is worth $130+ USD, when you can get smartphone with much better specs for less money.
What intrigues me with the s6 is that it seems to have the look I will be expecting from the rumored Samsung Galaxy Solo due out later this year.
I for one am opting for a Kickstarter phone watch (the XS-4) that seems to be a quantum leap in technology (MTK6592 octo-core processor, Android 4.4, waterproof and LTE among other neat specs.). Granted it sells for over $250 USD and it a Kickstarter campaign.
I gave up on the XS-4 and I have bought myself the CL-W211, which is another branding of the Zgpax S6. I will review it once I get it in a few weeks.
probstc said:
I am not sure how good the S6 is, but I was very interested. My only issue with all current Android 3G phone watches is that they seem to have the same specifications, which based on an earlier response, is a dated technology, and I wonder if it really is worth $130+ USD, when you can get smartphone with much better specs for less money.
What intrigues me with the s6 is that it seems to have the look I will be expecting from the rumored Samsung Galaxy Solo due out later this year.
I for one am opting for a Kickstarter phone watch (the XS-4) that seems to be a quantum leap in technology (MTK6592 octo-core processor, Android 4.4, waterproof and LTE among other neat specs.). Granted it sells for over $250 USD and it a Kickstarter campaign.
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The thing to look for when buying a android watch phone, is that you don't necessarily look for the newest / fastest but rather to acknowledge there WILL be compromises between price, battery life, performance due to the size of the watch.
things you want:
1. battery life
2. waterproof/resistance
3. at least dual core
4. at least 512mb ram
5. at least Android 4.0
things you DONT want
1. LTE or even 3g
2. octo-core
3. short battery life
4. single-touch capacitive display
The xs-4 failed aboved also its kickstarter... if you ever get it it'll be 2 years from now and it'll still be old tech and bad battery life.
s5/6 is an okay product however its battery life is problmatic..
like the other guy said, much better to look for a mtk6572 device which should cost ~$200 online.
beggerking said:
The thing to look for when buying a android watch phone, is that you don't necessarily look for the newest / fastest but rather to acknowledge there WILL be compromises between price, battery life, performance due to the size of the watch.
things you want:
1. battery life
2. waterproof/resistance
3. at least dual core
4. at least 512mb ram
5. at least Android 4.0
things you DONT want
1. LTE or even 3g
2. octo-core
3. short battery life
4. single-touch capacitive display
The xs-4 failed aboved also its kickstarter... if you ever get it it'll be 2 years from now and it'll still be old tech and bad battery life.
s5/6 is an okay product however its battery life is problmatic..
like the other guy said, much better to look for a mtk6572 device which should cost ~$200 online.
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Thanks for the advice, and BTW, because it was "too good to be true" and failed other Crowd Funding efforts, I have abandoned the pledge for the XS-4. With just over 44 pledges and two days left on Kickstarter, I think that there is too much risk with this product. I also have memories from my previous pledge for the Neptune Pine, which has turned into a fiasco - Fortunately I took there offer for a full refund when they failed to meet their first delivery dates.
In the meantime, I did order the CL-W211 (exactly the same watch as the Zgpax S6), and when I receive it, I will add a review.
Review of the Zgpax S6
needo said:
Please i want to buy this one, but i can't find any reviews on it at all..
I hope anyone can help me to make right decision..
Thanks in advance
Sent from my GT-I9300 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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Here is a review of the ZGPAX S6:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_-1Nfp3gCo
19mm thick
probstc said:
Here is a review of the ZGPAX S6:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_-1Nfp3gCo
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For $129, i can live with the low screen resolution and the 2MP cam, but it's19mm thick, shame, far too thick for me.
Other then that, i would have purchased it, cuz all seems good for the price. :good:
needo said:
Please i want to buy this one, but i can't find any reviews on it at all..
I hope anyone can help me to make right decision..
Thanks in advance
Sent from my GT-I9300 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just received my ZGPAX S6 today (labelled CL-W211), and here are my first impressions:
Pros:
- Bloatware free, full Android 4.04
- Screen is bright, easy to read and responsive
- Device has decent performance for such modest specifications
- So far all the features tested have work. I still have to test the GPS.
- Speaker quality is excellent
Cons:
- Battery life is terrible, especially if you use many of the phones features at once
- WiFi reception is very weak
- Build quality is not the best and makes you wonder about durability
- Chinese instructions and power plug were useless and a bit of a joke considering where the device was being shipped to
I think this watch phone has potential, and will serve me well as a proof of concept until more sophisticated models are released.
The zgpax s5 or sy have both not 2 finger multitouch?
Sometimes in videos it looks like it has.
Updated review on the ZGPAX S6
After having my S6 for the past 8 months, I am sad to report that my original concerns about quality build were justified, as the camera is no longer functional, and the original batter no longer holds a charge (I had to buy a spare one). What is most infuriating is the fact that ZGPAX has released an updated S6, using the MTK6572 processor, and therefore able to run Android 4.4, whereas the original S6 is limited to Android 4.04.
I even think the whole concept of a smartphone on a watch was flawed, as the ZGPAX failed in usability: It is difficult to have a device that when not used can last a reasonable amount of time, but the moment you do anything on it, the battery drains almost instantaneously. Also, while I love compact devices, a 1.54 inch screen is too small even for those with the best eyesight. Having a smart watch paired with a smartphone is still a decent option, but forget an all-in-one solution!
I have moved on (technologically), but to me this was the last straw in buying cheap Chinese tech, especially when the manufacturer abandons the product. For those who read this and are considering buying the ZGPAX S6, you have been warned.
Thanks for this post. But one has to really point out that for the price for such a watch and the fact that it is a "no name" brand. ie unbranded really. One would expect around 8 months to 12 months usage. It is not bad that your lasted for 8 months. It can now serve as a AP-tettering point connected to a small powerbank since it is still functional even with a very weak or non-functional battery. If you buy a branded product at 2.5 times the price, then expect that to last 2 years or around that. I expect most would switch after a year. It is no different from a phone where yearly switching seems to be the norm for many and a phone is clearly 3 to 4 times to price of the watch. My S8 is going on 7 months and I will replace it or add another in 6 months or so when the Android Wear software really comes of ago with funtionality and battery life. I really need a GPS-track on watch to last a full 12 hours on one charge. For now the Garmin Vivoactive looks like the closest match, but I will hold off for the next iteration. The screen is lower resolution as I expect 320X320 at the very least.
I want to buy le pro 3. But it is interesting for me
1) will it be affective after one year usage? I mean about hardware and body how is it quality? Can it be withstand one year usage?
2) Software? What are you thinking will it upgraded to android 7?
muradheydarov said:
I want to buy le pro 3. But it is interesting for me
1) will it be affective after one year usage? I mean about hardware and body how is it quality? Can it be withstand one year usage?
2) Software? What are you thinking will it upgraded to android 7?
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1. Any phone will last up to 10 years (minimum) if you take good care of it. My LG Optimus T is still up and running just so you know. =D
2. Nougat is in the pipeline (maybe early next year). Somebody is already testing 7.1.1 AOSP and CM13 and maybe 14 should be available early next year.
No worries. This is a PRO phone from LeEco and not some kind of Samsung explosive.
After 6 weeks of usage, I am still really impressed, quality of the product seems same as any popular brand such LG,HTC,Samsung...
Should last.
I love my Superphone more than i loved Samsung's S3 and Apple's 5c. I won't to overpriece next time. Pro 3 6/64 give me as high as i except for phone. Updates will come, but it's not neccessary for daily usage. I wish only Polish locale. I won't to root my '3'. It's amazing, pretty, fast and stable phone with large battery and hudge screen.
Joms_US said:
1. Any phone will last up to 10 years (minimum) if you take good care of it. My LG Optimus T is still up and running just so you know. =D
2. Nougat is in the pipeline (maybe early next year). Somebody is already testing 7.1.1 AOSP and CM13 and maybe 14 should be available early next year.
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The problem with your first point is that currently the best lithium ion batteries have an expected life of ~500 cycles, so you'll probably see diminishing battery life within 2 years. I doubt, at that point, it will be worth your time/money to replace the battery. This is the problem with all non-removable battery phones.
The real question is, who cares... We have a warranty through LeEco for 1 year. I used my citi mastercard, which apparently extends it 2 more years(so i'm almost hoping it craps out somewhere between 13-34 months, as I assume it'll just get totaled).
I've had mine for about 3 weeks, and it is certainly more powerful then my nexus 6. The screen size is nice, it's plenty bright for Colorado sunshine. The stereo speakers are actually really good, despite the odd placement.
The only problem I have is the Camera is lacking, and gets significantly worse as ambient light gets lower. It's never even in the same ballpark as my girlfriend's iphone 7.
The battery life is as advertised, excellent, even on the very early(un-optimized) cm13 rom. It seems to make it through a whole Sunday of obsessively checking my nfl fantasy app. My nexus 6 certainly didnt. My friends various samsung and iphones certainly don't either.
It's also noticeable faster then my nexus 6, although the nexus had a 2k screen(although this is just not worth it on a tiny screen)
I tried a lg v10, which I sent back. This phone was junk, and all of $50 cheaper used then the pro 3 new! The snapdragon 810 is actually worse then the 805.
For a modder/hobbiest/person who uses xda dev, its hard not to say the pro 3 is the best value in mobile phones(unless the camera is a huge deal for you). There is already a experienced developer working on a 7.1 rom(http://forum.xda-developers.com/le-pro3/how-to/7-1-progress-t3511474)
As a person who is consistently in various states of buyers remorse, I have, so far had none.
My Pebble Time has been on it's last legs for a while but I held out last year hoping that they'd release a Pixel Watch but they never did. Then I heard about the Snapdragon 3100 chip and that a ton of watches would follow once that was released but that never did (I think Fossil Sport was the only watch that came out). However, my Pebble Time has now completely given up the ghost and I'm watchless. I was hoping to string it out until later this year as there are again more rumours that the Pixel Watch will come out this year. If I was to get a watch today then I think the best watch is Huawei Watch 2 Sport but this is over 2 years old now and I'm worried that it won't be supported much longer so it would be a terrible time to buy. How strong is the thinking that the Pixel Watch will come out this year? Where are all the watches that were supposed to come with the 3100 chip? I have a non-smart watch that I can use to tie me over for a few months but only if I can get something in 2019.
Thoughts?
The Montblanc Summit 2 has a 3100. But it's also $1100... I'd gladly wear one but I don't think I'd buy it. I did the same searching a while back. I think the Falster 2 might be a 3100 too and looked pretty reasonable. I ended up buying a small cheap MTK watch to play with for the moment. Which kind of works but isn't in the same league...
I have almost all Wear Watch (and also pebble) but I think the last is the better : Ticwatch Pro. Better battery life for all Wear Watch even better than my Huawei 2. About 2% by hour when all others have at least 3.5-4.5% by hour. So real 2 days battery life and can charge the 3rd days. Big, big point is also the real LCD screen (FSTN) for always ON mode. So it is always ON like the pebble and no light emmitted by the watch.
Actually i'm a Fossil Smartwatch Gen. 4 user and it's awesome from all the way. I don't why any topic exists in here. It has heart rate function, built-in GPS and a premium design with a good price
For 3100 i think it's very expensive now, my next watch will be a 3100 one, also i'm thinking to buy again a Fossil. There was rumors that Google will work with Fossil on next smartwatches and that made me glad about it.
none ...wear os is garbage
I also had the Pebble Time Steel which was killed after I entered a salt water pool with it.
After a few month of walking with a "normal" watch I bought a Fossil Q Explorist Gen 4. which is based on the 2100 cpu.
I thought about getting the Fossil Sport which has the 3100 cpu for the same price, but the Q looks much better.
I get over a day of battery with always on display, wifi and bluetooth on, and with the periodic heart rate monitoring.
I use it mostly for showing the time and for notifications. Despite all the reviews trashing Wear OS, I must say I disagree and I like this watch.
I got it for $200 which is much cheaper than Apple and Samsung (the Pebble was $350!) and i wouldn't think twice for buying it
dersie said:
I have almost all Wear Watch (and also pebble) but I think the last is the better : Ticwatch Pro. Better battery life for all Wear Watch even better than my Huawei 2. About 2% by hour when all others have at least 3.5-4.5% by hour. So real 2 days battery life and can charge the 3rd days. Big, big point is also the real LCD screen (FSTN) for always ON mode. So it is always ON like the pebble and no light emmitted by the watch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I second this.
Currently using TicWatch Pro for weeks, and very happy with it.
If you can splurge some budget, I can also recommend Casio ProTrek WSD-F30 which, like TicWatch Pro, also has dual layer display.
Tough it has twice the price, the added protection and features really worth your money.
AW
Sorry to tell you,
Android Wear is dead.
And so is it's pathetic tiles update.
Buy a Samsung watch.
I finally came to this realization when I caught myself trying to fix the shortcomings of my Ticwatch s using Tasker, IFttt and and another app.
When you wear a Galaxy watch, after wearing a Wear watch for some time, you instantly feel the difference. It's like driving a Mustang while all you did in your life was walking ...
Watches with SIM cards
I have never seen much purpose in a phone-dependent watch, much like the Bluetooth earpiece I quit carrying after less than a year (back in 2006), why do we want ANOTHER thing to schlep around, charge, etc.?
However, a number of smart watch phones have come out which handle 4G SIM cards making them phone-independent, and I _can_ see a use case for leaving the bulky phablet phone home and wearing a (bulky) watch instead.
Sort of at random, I got a Kingwear KC05 4G 8MP Camera IP67 Waterproof WIFI GPS Smart Watch Phone, and it's a nice quality piece, particularly for the price, but as mentioned above, even though it runs full Android 7.1.1 and doesn't need to pair to a tablet phone for anything, it's pretty hard to navigate the super high DPI round touchscreen, though I am surprised how easy the on-screen keyboard is to use accurately.
Any other smart-watch-phone experiences out there to share?
IDK1985 said:
When you wear a Galaxy watch, after wearing a Wear watch for some time, you instantly feel the difference. It's like driving a Mustang while all you did in your life was walking ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The common conception is that Ford introduced the Mustang in 1964 to incredible success, and the folks at arch-rival Chevrolet simply copied the concept to unveil the Camaro in 1966 for the 1967 model year. Fact is, though, the story is not quite as simple as that. americanrodeo dot com/story/12690615/the-origin-of-the-chevrolet-camaro
For what I do,a connected watch is a must. Live being able to see messages, control music devices and other things like that when I can't have my phone in my hand. It's fantatsic.
Are you using your Galaxy Watch with a non-Sammy device? My incomplete understanding is that the Samsung framework is required in a phone for full functionality of their watches.
IDK1985 said:
Sorry to tell you,
Android Wear is dead.
And so is it's pathetic tiles update.
Buy a Samsung watch.
I finally came to this realization when I caught myself trying to fix the shortcomings of my Ticwatch s using Tasker, IFttt and and another app.
When you wear a Galaxy watch, after wearing a Wear watch for some time, you instantly feel the difference. It's like driving a Mustang while all you did in your life was walking ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just bought the ticwatch pro, it’s bothering me the lag in ui response. I can only hope that it’s sorting itself out being new, and will improve with time.
Maybe I should return while I still can, that falster 2 isn’t much more expensive...
ha7msterx said:
I just bought the ticwatch pro, it’s bothering me the lag in ui response. I can only hope that it’s sorting itself out being new, and will improve with time.
Maybe I should return while I still can, that falster 2 isn’t much more expensive...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's lag? I just picked up a 2nd hand Huawei Watch 2 for £70 and it's quite laggy. I was going to go for the Pro but it's £220,im glad I didn't now!
Sent from my GM1913 using Tapatalk
mangocats said:
The common conception is that Ford introduced the Mustang in 1964 to incredible success, and the folks at arch-rival Chevrolet simply copied the concept to unveil the Camaro in 1966 for the 1967 model year. Fact is, though, the story is not quite as simple as that. americanrodeo dot com/story/12690615/the-origin-of-the-chevrolet-camaro
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This makes me smile.
I just grabbed the Fossil Explorer... This is my first non-Samsung smartwatch and so it's a bit different. WearOS is cool, but I've noticed it's slow to completely boot ( 2 minutes or so ) and not as buttery smooth as the Tizen OS. The OOB experience was great right up to the point of updates... sweet Jesus that was a horrific experience as the watch slowed down, had incredibly long response times and was generally frustrating until they all got done.... that was done being waded through, things got much much better... the integration of Google things is spot on and really nice to have and works really well. The gesture system is good, if somewhat quirky ( I think most of this is because I'm used to the Samsung gestures and just need to get used to the WearOS way ) . the screen is great, it charges quickly and looks terrific. I'd say consider this model if you're in the market. If you can survive the initial updating, you'll like it a lot.
Fossil Generation 5 is the best in 2019
Do not listen to trolls that visit an Wear OS board just to say the Galaxy Watch is better or Wear OS is dead.
Galaxy Watch requires you to add Samsung bloat to non Samsung devices, and it is expensive.
Me personally I would not buy a watch without Google Pay.
The Snapdragon 3100 is fast.
It has more internal memory than pass devices
and excellent battery life,
After 4.5 years running Wear OS on my Moto 360 (gen 2) the battery finally died, so I decided it was time to upgrade. I just bought the Fossil Carlyle HR (gen 5). Only had the watch for 2 days, but I love this watch! Great design, runs quick, charges quick, battery lasts a couple days or more depending on your settings, and the addition of having Google Pay in my watch is a game changer.
AstroDigital said:
Fossil Generation 5 is the best in 2019
Do not listen to trolls that visit an Wear OS board just to say the Galaxy Watch is better or Wear OS is dead.
Galaxy Watch requires you to add Samsung bloat to non Samsung devices, and it is expensive.
Me personally I would not buy a watch without Google Pay.
The Snapdragon 3100 is fast.
It has more internal memory than pass devices
and excellent battery life,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I concur. My new Gen 5 is a beast. I do admit the Samsung Gear Sport I had was a real smooth watch. The issue with the Samsung is that it died after 4 months. Samsung does not put the serial number on the watch. Since I had thrown the box away, Samsung told me I was SOL. What that means for me. No matter how good a Samsung product seams to be. I still will not buy it because there business practice and customer service down right sucks.
IDK1985 said:
Sorry to tell you,
Android Wear is dead.
And so is it's pathetic tiles update.
Buy a Samsung watch.
I finally came to this realization when I caught myself trying to fix the shortcomings of my Ticwatch s using Tasker, IFttt and and another app.
When you wear a Galaxy watch, after wearing a Wear watch for some time, you instantly feel the difference. It's like driving a Mustang while all you did in your life was walking ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One demoralizing word: Bixby!
I never bought a smart watch in the past but am interested in doing so now. What's the best bang-for-the-buck smart watch I can buy? I use a Samsung Galaxy Android phone so I'm guessing an Apple Watch is off the list. I would prefer one that has a heart rate monitor and all the standard sensors.
TIA for your help.
look at these playlists:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGZLicZ6A2vW40mQ7D5yjsUxc4ms5Z-zj
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGZLicZ6A2vWfrpYV3AZRSKCBDXxoU8yi
I am considering getting the Ticwatch Pro 3 GPS as it seems to have all the latest and greatest.
A lot of info here on some of the Samsung Galaxy's Watches...
Noidremained said:
look at these playlists:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGZLicZ6A2vW40mQ7D5yjsUxc4ms5Z-zj
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGZLicZ6A2vWfrpYV3AZRSKCBDXxoU8yi
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks but those are a lot of smart watches! It wouldn't really help me narrow it down to one because they're not comparison videos.
SirDigitalKnight said:
I am considering getting the Ticwatch Pro 3 GPS as it seems to have all the latest and greatest.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is this better than, say, the samsung galaxy watches?
galaxys said:
A lot of info here on some of the Samsung Galaxy's Watches...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is it pretty natural to think that since I'm a samsung galaxy phone user, their smart watch is the most logical thing to go with?
Yes, it is a much smoother coexistence...
kevindd992002 said:
Thanks but those are a lot of smart watches! It wouldn't really help me narrow it down to one because they're not comparison videos.
Is this better than, say, the samsung galaxy watches?
Is it pretty natural to think that since I'm a samsung galaxy phone user, their smart watch is the most logical thing to go with?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be honest, I do not think there is one, not one, Smartwatch /Band that is at this moment 100% recommendable. The Fitbit Sense seems to have every single sensor you could possibly ever want or need but everything I have read says it is way to buggy to be worth the price and they have a Fitbit Premium Plan at $10 a month that I think should be included in the price of the watch since it one of the more expensive watches out there. That and I just don't do the monthly plan stuff for anyone.
Samsung is a big company and has a good reputation but it looks like the latest updates to their watches has disables some of the new features, at least for US users: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=83816129&postcount=3088
I also waited for the Amaxfit X for many months as it looks cool but have since cancelled that as it seems way to buggy and most have had nothing but issues with it.
I have read or watched on Youtube just about every review on every device out there and not one ticks all the boxes of what would make a perfect smartwatch or band. Most of the garbage out there is made in China and the software that you have load on the phone to pair the watch with is questionable. Also it seems you have a 50/50 chance of getting a good or bad device if it is made in China. I am not saying that all are bad from China but you really need to research it and look at reviews to see if it is reliable and what the companion software is accessing on your phone.
The Withings Scanwatch: https://www.withings.com/us/en/scanwatch seems like a nice one but with such a small display and not temp sensor for the very high price I do not think it is for me as I am getting up there in the years and my eyes are not what they used to be. I need a bigger display with large fonts to be able to read my data.
It really boils down to what you need on your wrist. Like I said I am older so I would like ECG/BP/SPo2 with Sleep Apnea detection and with Covid a temp sensor all on an easy to read display that can last a week of real time use, not what the manufacture claims but real life use. And I can tell you said Smartwatch/Band does not exist at this moment.
The good news is new devices seem to be coming out on a daily bases so who knows, maybe one will be release very soon that checks all the boxes that I am looking for!
Good luck on your search and lets us know which you end up getting! :highfive:
First you must choose between "Tracker" or "Smartwatch" ?
Smartwatch battery life about 3 days max (Like Samsung Galaxy watch)
Tracker between 1 and 2 weeks. (Like Huawei or Amazfit watch)
dersie said:
First you must choose between "Tracker" or "Smartwatch" ?
Smartwatch battery life about 3 days max (Like Samsung Galaxy watch)
Tracker between 1 and 2 weeks. (Like Huawei or Amazfit watch)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most of the features of a Tracker are already in a Smartwatch, right? I would pick a Smartwatch even though it has less battery life.
dersie said:
First you must choose between "Tracker" or "Smartwatch" ?
Smartwatch battery life about 3 days max (Like Samsung Galaxy watch)
Tracker between 1 and 2 weeks. (Like Huawei or Amazfit watch)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SirDigitalKnight said:
To be honest, I do not think there is one, not one, Smartwatch /Band that is at this moment 100% recommendable. The Fitbit Sense seems to have every single sensor you could possibly ever want or need but everything I have read says it is way to buggy to be worth the price and they have a Fitbit Premium Plan at $10 a month that I think should be included in the price of the watch since it one of the more expensive watches out there. That and I just don't do the monthly plan stuff for anyone.
Samsung is a big company and has a good reputation but it looks like the latest updates to their watches has disables some of the new features, at least for US users: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=83816129&postcount=3088
I also waited for the Amaxfit X for many months as it looks cool but have since cancelled that as it seems way to buggy and most have had nothing but issues with it.
I have read or watched on Youtube just about every review on every device out there and not one ticks all the boxes of what would make a perfect smartwatch or band. Most of the garbage out there is made in China and the software that you have load on the phone to pair the watch with is questionable. Also it seems you have a 50/50 chance of getting a good or bad device if it is made in China. I am not saying that all are bad from China but you really need to research it and look at reviews to see if it is reliable and what the companion software is accessing on your phone.
The Withings Scanwatch: https://www.withings.com/us/en/scanwatch seems like a nice one but with such a small display and not temp sensor for the very high price I do not think it is for me as I am getting up there in the years and my eyes are not what they used to be. I need a bigger display with large fonts to be able to read my data.
It really boils down to what you need on your wrist. Like I said I am older so I would like ECG/BP/SPo2 with Sleep Apnea detection and with Covid a temp sensor all on an easy to read display that can last a week of real time use, not what the manufacture claims but real life use. And I can tell you said Smartwatch/Band does not exist at this moment.
The good news is new devices seem to be coming out on a daily bases so who knows, maybe one will be release very soon that checks all the boxes that I am looking for!
Good luck on your search and lets us know which you end up getting! :highfive:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Argh, ok This is going to be a hard and long research then. I'm targeting Black Friday to buy one if they ever have sales. I hope I can find one that I like before then.
I must say, the Amazfit X does look cool indeed. Are they continuously fixing things with firmware updates?
there's also the 11.11 sale on aliexpress, gearbest, banggood etc.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/smartwatch/amazfit/amazfit-x-t4164887
That is also my plan for Black Friday. The Honor Band 6 is going to be announced this Tuesday so I am keeping an eye on it.
kevindd992002 said:
Most of the features of a Tracker are already in a Smartwatch, right? I would pick a Smartwatch even though it has less battery life.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really, almost all smartwatch are really POOR tracker. Main default is the sleep tracking, and for track 24/24 we need a not bad battery to keep watch days and night.
95% of the tracker series are really almost 0 smart.
Almost all Chinese tracker are bad tracker.
Stay maybe 2 brands witch are good tracker : Fitbit and Garmin. This 2 brands are also not very good but enough good Smart Thing. Smart mean app store Fitbit has an app store for the Versa series and Garmin has also an app store for most of his tracker Forerunner/Fenix/Vivoactive.
Samsung not bad has tracker and just correct has smartwatch.
Amazfit almost 0 for smart and rather bad as tracker.
What do you guys say about the KoreTrak watch?
Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
BUMP! Any more ideas here? It's already Black Friday week and I still don't have a choice but I think I'm going with a fitness tracker instead.
Pebble or amazfit bip. Pebble is the best one still imo, Fitbit is overpriced and breaks often, almost no devices have always on display even today, very depressing! Bip can have bipOS installed and does everything I need (notifications, shows time, continuous heart monitor, sleep tracking) and I never have to take it off. It has gps but I don't use that.
Dratini said:
Pebble or amazfit bip. Pebble is the best one still imo, Fitbit is overpriced and breaks often, almost no devices have always on display even today, very depressing! Bip can have bipOS installed and does everything I need (notifications, shows time, continuous heart monitor, sleep tracking) and I never have to take it off. It has gps but I don't use that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you give me a link to Pebble? I can't seem to find it anywhere unless you're referring to the Kickstarter project that already died?
XDA Pebble section but not much there
Smartwatch is still a very new thing to a lot of people. You don’t absolutely need one to get through the day, and some of the best smartwatches are much too expensive to own and use for daily purpose. The range of fossil men smartwatch is moderately priced with innumerable features. They can provide you with an easy way to get information, allow you to dismiss or reply to new messages without having to pull out your phone, and much more.
kevindd992002 said:
What do you guys say about the KoreTrak watch?
Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Kevin, I placed an order for KoreTrak Pro myself. Received it after 3 weeks and it was working fine. But don't expect much as what you'll be getting for such a low price.