No1 A10 initial impressions - Other SmartWatches

Best things about the device:
1) Light weight, but feels like a solid sport watch
2) Seems to be waterproof (40 minutes in lap pool, so far so good)
3) Touch screen looks good in indoor light and is responsive/accurate
4) Reasonable battery life (70% after all night sleep monitoring and tethered to my phone via BLE)
5) Surprisingly good remote camera app - displaying center of phone camera image on-screen (great for no-hands selfies)
Negative things about the device:
1) Side button is very difficult to press
2) Blank bottom "trough" (doesn't really bother me but it *is* a negative)
3) Fake buttons (Timex Triathlon form factor) make the unit too bulky and makes it difficult to reach the one *real* button
4) The "gray" color of the watch is actually green-ish in tint. (again, not a negative for me - but definitely *not* like the product photos)
Best things about the software/firmware:
1) Very good BLE pairing and contact sync
2) Apps function, limited as they area, and UX is relatively slick and quick (response to screen action is good)
3) No discernible lag in functions like media player control
4) Very small lag between notifications on phone and the notification showing up on wrist
Negative things about software/firmware:
1) Default apps are maddeningly limited in certain cases (calendar is not a calendar, but more of a date display app)
2) Apps to not play well with each other (you must actively dismiss some apps in order to run others)
3) Bluetooth media control is EXTREMELY inflexible - refuses to recognize connection to phone if connected to a BLE speaker.
4) Limited themes/watch faces, with seemingly no means to download/augment
5) Horrendously limited ring tones/sounds (some of them made me LOL at how bad they were)
6) Many, many, many software features promoted on the Gearbest page are *not* available. (hello, swimming app/activity tracking by category)
7) No indication of ECG display of heart rate (see #6 above)
Other notes/oddities:
1) USB charging cable is highly irregular - to fit through water-stopping port - so it's *not* interchangeable with 'standard' micro-USB cables.
2) Activity monitoring apps don't sync with anything - no save functions for data (WTF?)
3) Cannot install any apps on watch, even apps listed on the companion app as available fail (no memory error)
4) All measurements are metric (temperature, height, weight) with no setting to switch to Imperial
5) Screen not visible in daylight (not that controversial, but still worth noting)

Related

Universal-2 Wishlist

Hi
I have now had my Universal for almost a year. It will soon be time to upgrade. Seems to be no sign of a Universal-2 - perhaps HTC will not bother, I have no idea how popular they were.
The Tytn comes the closest, but has a very small keyboard with no dedicated number keys, its only QVGA and it does not have a full sized SD-Slot.
I like the form factor of my universal, and can handle another phone of the same size/weight. I would prefer it to be narrower across-ways at the expense, perhaps of being a little longer. Here's my wishlist:
- 800x480 widescreen display
- External display (b/w fine) showing time, name of caller etc etc
- Retain full sized SD slot
- GPS built in
- HSDPA
- More sturdy hinge design
- Better battery life
- More sturdy (click-in-click out) stylus hole (like Psion Series 5 please)
- Hardware 'OK' button
- Jog dial like Tytn, and loose the daft hardware volume control
- Have the backlight button do something useful instead (turn on camera LED for use as a torch for instance
- Instant ring from standby when someone calls
- Access to SIM card without having to remove battery, or dual sim holder and option within OS to switch sims.
- White LCD backlight rather than flourescent aka Sony T3XP (better batt life)
- Modern, efficient Samsung processor
- More memory - ideally 256MB to save installing to SD card
- 802.11G wifi or even WiMax if delayed that long!
- 6MPix camera with digital zoom controlled by jog dial giving 2Mpix image at 3x zoom.
- Ditch the aerial holes on the spine - nothing was ever made available that used them.
- Light up the pickup/hangup buttons on the spine when unit closed and call recieved.
- Appear as flash disk when connected to PC without activesync running
- Retain full sized headphone socket
- Sould not require 6 months of firmware updates before it becomes usable
- Drop stereo speakers on front & IrDA if nessesary to house stuff above in compact package
Anyone else got things to add?!
Nigel

Review of Chinese Pebble clone.

So I have been living with this little guy for over a week and I believe it's time to write up a review on it.
I wont deal with unpacking as it came in an OEM unbranded box containing only the watch and usb cabble.
I have been using it paired to my Galaxy Note 2 running the official 4.4 update.
Specs :
* Sharp Memory LCD 1.26" 144x168 resolution
* Dimension: 37x55x12.7mm
* 10 days or more standby time
* Weight 98 grams
* Supports Android ( iOs support coming soon )
* IP67 rating
* Pedometer / Accelerometer
* EFM32 Gecko Cortex-M micro-controller
* Bluetooth 3.0 and 4.0 BLE
Latest Android Companion App ( I will post newer ones as I receive them from the manufacturer ) : https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_0tZLvAcbvCR1pZcWw0OHdxcWQxQUt2bUFJczNRSXdtV3A0/edit
*Watch pictures : http://imgur.com/a/XE6EN
The watch looks like the illegitimate child of the Nike Tomtom GPS watch and the Pebble. It is a bit on the chunky side and made entirely out of a very rubbery black plastic that feels nice to touch and doesn't feel bothersome around the wrist.
The screen is protected by a glass lens that I'm pretty sure isn't scratch resistant. As for being able to view it in bright light , nothing can beat Sharp's Memory LCD. It's crisp and has a nice contrast. With the back-light ( blueish hue ) on it's perfectly usable at night too.
Button layout is identical to that of the Peblle and they are also mapped in the same way. One on the left for back. Three on the right , top one is up , middle is select and bottom is down. They are nicely textured and require a bit of pressure to click making accidental presses less likely.
The charging port is magnetic with an almost identical connector to that of the Pebble. It comes with an usb cable but no charger. The connector is held in place well and has an little key to make sure you won't inverse the polarities by mistake.
* Charger : http://imgur.com/53LSyqc
The first screen you will see is of course the watch face , it comes with four different ones to choose from : http://imgur.com/a/ASc8D
Pressing the select button opens up the menu with a nice side scroll animation. Here you will see a list of the watches features and a small info bar at the top that shows battery charge , time and if you are connected to your phone.
Menu pictures : http://imgur.com/a/NYat1
Features are as follow :
1. Call notification that will show the phone number and contact name , if such exists , and the ability to mute the incoming call.
1. Ability to read a newly received SMS.
1. Music player remote control. Sadly enough it lacks volume control , only having pause/play , next and previous. Artist , album and song name are displayed.
1. Next we have the camera remote shutter. It works even with the phone locked. The screen doesn't turn on when you take a picture but it still makes the camera sound when triggered.
1. This is followed by weather which displays the current and max temperature for a chosen location plus a little icon that illustrates the current conditions.
1. The find phone feature triggers an alarm that uses the same ringtone as a call and has to be manually disabled on the phone screen after you unlock. This means if you have an unlock pattern there is no way to stop it until it is used. The watch also vibrates if the phones gets far away enough to loose Bluetooth connection.
1. There is also a Running feature which basically is a pedometer. It shows how many steps you took , how many calories you burned , distance traveled , average speed and time. All this info is synced on the phone where you can see the hole history and charts. The pedometer requires you to set your height and weight. It can be turned off to save battery.
1. In the settings menu we have :
1. Bluetooth where you can turn on or of the radio module or activate the power saving feature.
1. Alarm where you can set simple alarms. This is pretty useless as you can choose to receive alarm notifications from your phone. I supposed this makes sense if you are using the watch alone.
1. Date and time settings which are also pretty unnecessary as the watch constantly syncs with your phone for the current time so no need to ever set them manually.
1. Back-light has three settings : off , always on or automatic which means it turns on when you press any button.
1. As language support goes it only has Chinese and English.
1. The about window will display the firmware version , the device ID , Bluetooth status and battery status.
1. Power of turns the watch of .. surprise surprise.
As battery life goes it is at least on par with that of the Pebble if not better. Now it really depends on how many notifications you receive and how often you flip around your songs. I got with quite the use about 5 days and a half on the charge that came from the factory , around 50%. I'm now on my first full charge.
The watch for now has only an Android companion app so no support for iOs.
The app allows you to choose what notifications you want to receive , this works with notifications from absolutely any android application. Basically the watch screen becomes a second notification bar where you can scroll through all of them in the order they are received.
Within the app you also set the location from where to receive weather updates , the units used and the refresh frequency.
Here it's also the place where you can view the synced pedometer data.
Currently the app is at version 1.03 and the manufactured claims they issue monthly updates.
Screenshots : http://imgur.com/a/OUB2K
So now for the big question , how is it to live with the watch ? Well it does everything it's supposed to and haven't discovered any issues since I updated to 1.03 ( 1.02 would have occasional Bluetooth interrupts ). Being able to check all my notification without ever having to take out my rather large phone ( Note 2 ) makes it all worth it , that and the music control app. For 58 usd , 83 with DHL express shipping , it's pretty hard to find a down side to this little guy. Yah it isn't the greatest looker but it does feel sturdy and the fact that it is water resistant is a great plus , dare I say a must . If you are looking for a basic smart-watch you should definitely give it a look.
The supplier I used : http://imesmart.en.alibaba.com/prod...mart_watch_blue_tooth_iphone_smart_watch.html
lgstoian said:
Currently the app is at version 1.03 and the manufactured claims they issue monthly updates.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Many thanks for your efforts, very informative. I know its not been a month yet, can you let us know if there's any software or apps update please.
lgstoian said:
So I have been living with this little guy for over a week an.....
Specs :
* Sharp Memory LCD 1.26" 144x168 resolution
* Dimension: 37x55x12.7mm
* 10 days or more standby time
* Weight 98 grams
* Supports Android ( iOs support coming soon )
* IP67 rating
* Pedometer / Accelerometer
* EFM32 Gecko Cortex-M micro-controller
* Bluetooth 3.0 and 4.0 BLE
The supplier I used : http://imesmart.en.alibaba.com/prod...mart_watch_blue_tooth_iphone_smart_watch.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So the sensors are not the same as the pebble.
Pebble Sensors:
3D accelerometer
e-compass capable (with future software updates)
Ambient light sensor
This watch looks interesting.
I'm looking for a smartwatch, but want a e-ink or similar display so the time is always readable and I want one that I can track my sports activities with.
Does this watch have a option to link it with an Android app so you can read your speed and distance with it?
I saw it has a pedometer but that that's not what I'm looking for.
Could you give us some pictures of notification from e-mail or text messages?
Does it show the whole message, only the topic or does it only let you know you received a mail?
Did you order one piece or a batch?
Interested in your future dealings with the watch, so please keep us posted!
I ordered a single piece. The app does track the number of steps you take , distance and calories burned in a chart.
It only shows the subject and a small part of the message / email / notification. If it is a small sms or hangouts message it will be shown completely.
lgstoian said:
I ordered a single piece. The app does track the number of steps you take , distance and calories burned in a chart.
It only shows the subject and a small part of the message / email / notification. If it is a small sms or hangouts message it will be shown completely.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your reply.
I assume it's not possible to check upcoming calendar appointments with this watch?

List your 'small' things that make this phone great.

Well it's not even out for sale yet but we've all seen plenty of reviews & videos giving us a taster of what's in store when we get our hands on one. Of course we're all well aware of the headlining specs - 20.7mpx, waterproofing, small form factor etc. but what about the lesser known bullet points, the small things that may have escaped attention or been quickly glossed over but still contribute to making this a great device. If you have any, share em here. Here's my three -
F2.0 camera aperture - great, nice & big
Dust proof - yes, not just dust resistant like other phones, this is fully dust proof.
Smart window case available - I'll be having one of these. Smart window with smart orientation, awake on opening, and phone still fits in the charging dock when folded back.
For me it came down to the battery life and a quality camera. Everything else is just icing on the cake.
I like how the percentage is inside the battery icon. It saves notification space. I like how they removed the consumer logos from the back of the phone and hid it inside the phone. It looks cleaner.
I'm also liking the 'smart connect' app it comes with. I plug in my headphones, it's set's the volume, opens Google play, starts playing, when I unplug headphones volume gets reset.
It's also got configurable settings for charger dock, headset and normal charger.
The stamina and ultra stamina modes - I wish those and the FM Radio could be ported to AOSP too.
Small thing but coming from exynos devices it's a blessing:
Whenever you hit the power button or double tap, the screen is on_instantly_ no lag or anything. considering how often you wake up your phone that is kinda important!

Oukitel A28 [Full Review]

[size = "6"]REVIEW POWERED BY[/ b][/ size]
Oukitel A28 SmartWatch[/ b][/ size][/ url]
​
Presentation:
At this time when all the major brands have their own Smatwatchs, Oukitel launched the A28, in order to take advantage of the attention that this type of equipment begins to arouse. Well, I had the opportunity to spend some time with the SmartWatch, and now we're back with my analysis to the Oukitel A28.
Specs
The Oukitel A28 features a 1.54 "display IPS with a resolution of 240 * 240, the processor is a MediaTek 2502A has 128mbs of RAM, has 32mbs of internal memory, and has a battery of 250mAh. The Outikel A28, uses Bluetooth 4.0 to communicate with our mobile phone. Additionally, also has a pulse sensor, Pedometer. Besides it has a speaker and a micro integrated so that we can communicate through it.
Along the packaging, have a micro-USB cable, the charging base and the manual.
Aspect
One of the most important things when buying a watch, is the look of it.
The Oukitel A28, being a smartwatch, is very light, only 58g, has its housing constructed of aluminum, I think the look is quite well done. For this, much contributes fully chromed bezel and leather strap.
The version we received has the silver bracelet with black leather strap, and there is also a version with the bezel in gold and a brown leather strap.
There is only one button which is on the right side of it, that serves to turn the clock display, and to go back to the previous menu.
At the rear we find one of the points that distinguishes this smartwatch of the other Chinese competitors, the pulse sensor.
The IP53 certification, ensures that we can use the watch normally, since this is sweat and splashes resistant, so we can wash your hands with it in place, or use it while it rains, however, must be removed for bathing.
Features
The Oukitel A28, allows us to receive and make calls, read messages, view notifications of any program me may have installed on our mobile phone, etc. Navigation through the menus is extremely simple, swipe your finger across the screen to the left or right to scroll through the menus, from the bottom up or top to go back to Clock.
Its use for calls, works relatively well, the sound of the integrated speaker is quite loud and perfectly perceptible, even in noisy environments, the micro, is not that good, for us to be understood by those who are hearing us, it is necessary to approach it to the mouth, or speak a little louder, no need to shout, but we are not that far from needing to do so.
Reading messages is extremely simple, since the message we receive is automatically appears on the screen when we turn it on, but the answers are limited, contrary to what happens to the vast majority of smartwatchs I have seen, the Oukitel A28, does not allow us to writing any type of text, instead, there are a set of pre-defined messages that can be sent in response.
Although not a device with android wear is compatible with some of the Google program, such as Fit, when connecting the smartwatch the phone, the phone automatically starts Google Fit, and monitors our movements, subsequently giving an indication of the time "exercise" or walk.
In addition to these functions, you can use the Oukitel A28 to locate your phone, as Alarm or Calendar, we can control the playback of music on our mobile phone, besides we can use the Oukitel A28 to operate the camara of our mobile phone, and We can view on the smartwatch screen what the camera is capturing. We still have the Sound Recorder, and Calculator.
Pedometer and Pulse Sensor
The smartwatch are aiming for the market of fitness and exercise, and the Oukitel A28 is no different, despite having an aspect that wouldn't be suitable for a gym or a jogging, it has some features that make it a good companion for such situations.
The Pedometer in the Oukitel A28, is fairly accurate, and contrary to other models is not easy to deceive, wave your arms in a chair does not make account more steps, and calculating the distance traveled is quite accurate.
Another very interesting feature is the Pulse Sensor, there are few devices that provide one, which is integrated in Oukitel A28, is surprisingly accurate, as you can see on the photo.
Bluetooth, Battery and MediaTek Smart Device
A smartwatch without connection to a mobile phone is as smart as a normal watch. So it is critical that the Oukitel can connect easily.
The A28 Oukitel using the Bluetooth 4.0 can connect the any equipment android or apple, then simply install the software from Mediatek so we can to ensure the use of all potential of the clock.
The Bluetooth connection ensures a range of about 10m without the sound start to lose quality, and until this distance you can use the smartwatch to make call without any kind of problems, more than that and we began to have some cuts both in sound we hear as the sound we send , despite continuing to be able to use the smartwatch to take pictures or to locate your phone.
The battery despite having a small size gives good length, connected to a mobile phone with a lot of use lasts about two days, more than that, only if we do not use any of the sensors, such as pedometer, or the pulse sensor, and if we only use the smartwatch for incoming calls and notifications, managed to get to about three days, but it is not exactly easy.
One of the advantages of having a small battery is that it charges quickly, it takes just 20 minutes for the battery reaches the maximum load , which is great, since it turns out to compensate for the fact that a relatively short duration.
The charging base is a necessary evil, since this is a device with IP53 certification, which is resistant to sweat and water splashes, placing a micro-USB port for charging, would create an opening in the box that let in water.
The Smart Device MediaTek is the software that we have installed in our mobile phone in order to use all the functions of the smartwatch, otherwise, is limited to being a speakerphone on the wrist, and read messages.
The Smart Device MediaTek can later install new software for these devices at this time is only possible to install the Yahoo Weather in order to see the weather in the smartwatch, Digital Clock which is another skin for the clock, and Codoon that is a program that Chinese social networks, so for us little use.
With MediaTek Smart Device installed we can also manage the type of notifications that will appear on the wrist, so the Oukitel A28 will just give the signal that we consider important.
Evaluation and Final Thoughts
Pros:
- Very good build quality with a premium appearance;
- Very precise pulse sensor;
- Connection to the mobile phone is excellent ;
- Price;
Cons:
- The lack of more skins at the clock, there are only 4;
- Failure to respond to messages with a written text, being forced to use that come pre set from factory.
If you are looking for a smartwatch with a premium appearance, with a low cost, and can offer a very good quality of construction, in addition to some extra features, this may be the smartwatch suitable for you.
I want to thank Antelife for having provided this equipment to be tested, and could share my opinion with you.
For those who are interested in purchasing this excellent machine can follow the link below.
[url="http://www.antelife.com/oukitel-a28-mt2502a-1-54-inch-ips-bluetooth-4-0-smart-watch-heart-rate-monitor-support-health-tracking-smart-reminding-silver.html"]Silver and black [/ url]
[url="http://www.antelife.com/oukitel-a28-mt2502a-1-54-inch-ips-bluetooth-4-0-smart-watch-heart-rate-monitor-support-health-tracking-smart-reminding-gold.html"]Gold and brown. [/ url]

Atongm w013 aka Reedone X2 first impressions

I bought the Atongm W013 from efox and it arrived on September 2.
I only have it for one day so i will post first impressions and hopefully i will follow with further info.
Design :
The watch is slim and light , weighing 60 grams, it sits very comfortable on the wrist. The leather feels real and it should fit most people.
There is black outline of the screen is visible. The clasp feels plastic. The button on the side (rotating) seems sturdy but if it will hold, only time will tell.
The metal is prone to smudges.
The transflective screen is good. You can see the time clearly in almost all conditions. The lcd screen seems to have a low dpi and dull colors, which i suppose, is a consequence of the tech behind transflective.
Hardware:
You can find most of the specs on internet i cannot verify at the moment anything. If someone knows of an apk (or adb shell command) that will allow me to check this, please advise. Note: it must work on Indroid!
There is one button that acts as on/off/stby/wake switch and an invisible capacitive button on the bottom right corner of the screen which acts as BACK.
The touchscreen is responsive and feels ok. You can type on the onscreen keyboard with greatest ease than with the ZGPAX S8 i have.
The software:
It runs on a version of android 4.3 named Indroid. The firmware on mine is v1.6-x2-hwv1.1.0-20150402.
The heart rate and step counter work as expected: not accurate but close enough. Both functions DO NOT work on the background, which is plain lame. Once you press back it stops counting.
The companion app did not work for me when i was running CM12.1 on my galaxy s4 (i could no install it). I think it has problems running on ART. I downgraded to 4.4.4 and it works flawlessly so far.
Notifications work nice, the screen lights up automatically and the notification text is displayed in size 10 letters.
The vibration on the watch is perfect. Not to strong not to weak.
Audio is weeeeeeaaaaak. The speaker is on the back side of the watch and i can barely hear anything.
The settings allow some developer options but are very limited compared to normal android.
Ingenic provides an adb driver for the watch that works fine and i have been able to get root through adb and perform basic ops.
The watch faces are 8. 7 of them is -imho- crap and one (the digital display) is nice.
Remote control camera works but with some lag.
Remote music control, find my phone, weather, contacts sync, sound recorder and calendar work fine.
Overall:
Very happy. I payed 60 euro and it is totally worth it. I already have the ZGPAX S8( heavily modded both soft and hardware) which i use for my runs. So i wanted an elegant watch that i could wear at work and get notifications for calls,sms and mail. Most people do not notice that this is a smartwatch until i tell them and then most of them ask if it is the apple watch.
If this guys could come up with a decent firmware that would allow some sensible use of the sensors (like heart rate transmission through BT to phone, or heart rate sampling every 30 minutes to present data ,or just keep the step counter...counting) it would be better.
Hi, I got the same smartwatch yesterday. I have the Prob to find an App for sync to my smartphone. The Link of QR Code isn´t exist. Where can I found the sync App. Please help me. Thanks.

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