So I was almost ready to buy the Gear S AT&T (refurb) for $145 off e-bay, then decided to check out XDA and been looking at different watches for the past few hours and am kinda lost.
I'm looking for a watch that has a fairly large face (6 feet tall, & like bigger watches) 2G/3G capable, Bluetooth, long battery life, easy to buy charging cradle separately, waterproof (not gonna shower with it or anything, but needs to be able to wear it when washing hands & in the rain & stuff), I'd need an app to push missed calls & SMS's to my android devices & preferably Chrome extension somehow for notification under windows 10 ( I currently use pushbullet & LOVE it).
I currently live in the USA, I have 2 sim cards, metro pcs + international sim that roams on AT&T towers (no data, just use it for calls & SMS). I'll be using the international sim in the watch for the occasional call + sms, instead of finding the right phone that supports dual sim + mSD card (F u samsung S7 edge, but I read there's a hack; oh well).
Thank you.
Via PM
zolo111 said:
I've been doing nothing but reading tons of forum posts, but can't seem to find what I'm looking for; could you please read my thread and help me out?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/smartwatch/other-smartwatches/help-picking-3g-watch-please-t3329759
Every smart watch I read about doesn't seem to support 3G 1900Mhz for AT&T.
Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Proper 1900mhz 3G support is rare. Most smartwatch makers don't even bother to support it. Reading your requirements in your thread limits your choice to something like a 3 year old Omate TrueSmart U.S. version and not much else as you want features that would require it run Android.
Thank for the info, I have to have 2 sim cards (international sim that roams on AT&T towers+ metro pcs), so I thought I could buy a 3G sim capable watch, this way I can buy a single sim phone. I guess I'll continue researching for a proper dual sim phone.
I'm on my 2nd cheap Chinese watch, and still looking.
I want a phonewatch, it doesn't have to be smart, just able to do phone calls, notifications, and stream audio, without being tethered to a smartphone. Apparently that's asking too much, because all I can find that meet those needs, are Chinese watches. They look ok on paper: providing maximum flexibility by running full Android. The problem is poor execution.
My first watch stopped working when water splashed on it when I was washing my hands. Learning my lesson, I replaced it with one that claimed water resistance. It has wcdma 850/2100 so its missing 1900 which means data is very slow in my area. When streaming audio, it overheats. And it cannot get through the whole day the way I use it: as a standalone device, handling all phone calls and messages.
The only Chinese watch I've found so far with all the 3G frequencies used on AT&T (I haven't found any with T-Mobile's 1700+2100) is the Doogee S1. Its just been released and I haven't found any reviews online that weren't from the manufacturer.
The Gear S and S2 are not quite standalone devices, but they are the closest to it that any major manufacturer designing for US networks, has come thus far. I think the Omate TrueSmart has wcdma 1900 or 2100 but lacks 850. The LG Urbane 2 seemed promising, but was pulled from the market. I've seen write-ups on soon to be released watches, so maybe 2016 will be the year...
afblangley said:
.....The LG Urbane 2 seemed promising, but was pulled from the market. I've seen write-ups on soon to be released watches, so maybe 2016 will be the year...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you haven't already seen, the LG Urbane 2 is taking pre-orders from AT&T and Verizon and will hit the market next week. Full price is $360 on AT&T and $499 on Verizon.
Sent from my ASUS_Z00AD using XDA Free mobile app
mward1995 said:
If you haven't already seen, the LG Urbane 2 is taking pre-orders from AT&T and Verizon and will hit the market next week. Full price is $360 on AT&T and $499 on Verizon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm waiting to hear reports on it. The first edition of the 2nd Edition had a major flaw: bluetooth headsets didn't work with phone calls. I hope they've fixed that. If so, it (or the Doogee S1) may be my next watch.
afblangley said:
I'm waiting to hear reports on it. The first edition of the 2nd Edition had a major flaw: bluetooth headsets didn't work with phone calls. I hope they've fixed that. If so, it (or the Doogee S1) may be my next watch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the original release and you are correct, I can't make calls through the headset. However, I believe this is an Android Wear 1.4 issue and not a watch issue. https://support.google.com/androidwear/answer/6321349?hl=en
I know 1.4 has been released for other watches now. Has anyone confirmed use of a headset to make calls? I know "calls over bluetooth" posts can get confused because the watch is paired over bluetooth but I haven't specifically seen anyone mention calls using a headset.
Bluetooth does work great for music and I use the audio feedback option in the settings to have texts dictated to me when I'm running.
mward1995 said:
I know 1.4 has been released for other watches now. Has anyone confirmed use of a headset to make calls?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nobody wants to be limited to speakerphone only. If it's an OS issue, Google needs to fix it ASAP. There are no other Android Wear watches to test this. The U2 is the only one that uses a SIM, so it has a phone number to make/receive calls from. All the other watches are bluetooth tethered to a smartphone.
Yeah I agree. I'm hoping they do fix it soon. I would definitely be more inclined to make calls with it if I could use the headset. For now, I can still use it as an emergency phone when I leave the phone behind. Maybe the new release will have an updated AW version, hopefully.
Hey mward, besides calls and texts, what other functions of the LG can be operated standalone (ie. with smartphone off)? For example, can it stream audio (ie. Pandora, podcasts)?
afblangley said:
Hey mward, besides calls and texts, what other functions of the LG can be operated standalone (ie. with smartphone off)? For example, can it stream audio (ie. Pandora, podcasts)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't found an app that installs on AW that will allow streaming in standalone. I haven't searched too hard though. I used Wear Media to transfer 1 GB of music to the watch so I'm usually listening to my music or transferred podcasts through Wear Media when I'm running and the phone is in the car. My phone is always on though so I am always paired through cell data to receive notifications/texts from my phone. My main use when away from the phone is tracking runs with GPS, listening to music through BT, responding to texts paired through cell. It's also my emergency phone, but I don't make too many calls with it. I have 'web browser for Android Wear' installed so I can browse the web in standalone if needed.
Thanks!
I'm trying to move some activities currently handled by my smartphone to a smartwatch. Ideally, all phone calls, notifications, and audio streaming. Basically, I want the watch to be my primary phone, with capabilities comparable to a feature phone. Then my smartphone becomes a secondary phone and doesn't always have to be with me.
Thanks for tips, but I ended up ordering the Contixo Smart Watch W3 from amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Contixo-W3-An...&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00
It's advertised as HSPA 850/1900/2100 capable, but turned out it's just a K8 watch. I figured that Amazon won't let me down if I wanted to return it. This watch supports 850/2100 3G only, no 1900 (based on K8 specs).
fun to play with (my first watch). I changed the settings so it connects to HSPA only, and it seems to work fine under 850Mhz ( I live in S. Jersey). Don't need DATA, just voice calls a few times a week.
But I'd prefer a larger screen though, +2" would be better.
The Doogee S1 screen has less resolution (240X240), but supports 850/1900, would I really need 1900 for voice calls only? Can't seem to find any detailed map that shows AT&T 3G coverage, which area covered by which band, or are all towers have both 850 & 1900?
The LG urbane 2 LTE has even a smaller screen.
Why does it have to be so hard!
1G (GSM) = Plain old voice and texting
2G and 3G (EDGE and HPSA)= Data (can be as fast as 7-15Mbps on HSPA)
So if I only want to use my sim card for phone calls/ SMS only, what bands/ tech do I need on AT&T network (Roaming)?
What you're saying is that I shouldn't be worried about 2G networks shutting down by the end of the year?
zolo111 said:
So if I only want to use my sim card for phone calls/ SMS only, what bands/ tech do I need on AT&T network (Roaming)?
What you're saying is that I shouldn't be worried about 2G networks shutting down by the end of the year?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AT&T would have a better idea about the voice text bands, but you should be good.
As long as you have 850 and 1900 support on the watch, the 2G shut down shouldn't be an issue. That will give you voice/text and data when you need it.
Yep, it's a K8, albeit overpriced. I have one, which I referred to in post #5.
No one has confirmed that the Doggee S1 has UMTS 1900 band. This is needed for voice or data on T-Mobile's network and in some places for AT&T. The only map delineated by band that I could find was last updated in 2008:
http://www.cellularmaps.com/att_850_1900.shtml
Your described usage is not very demanding, the LG U2 is capable of handling those tasks, and should deliver a quality user experience. The only question is whether that's worth $360 to you. The Samsung Gear S (older but still sold by AT&T) would also work and is $200. Another option is to stick with a cheap watch for now and look for a replacement later this year.
Based on my disappointing experience with cheap Chinese watches and the belief that better watches coming out in the next few months, I wouldn't pay more than $100 for any off brand watch at this time.
Thanks fo the info, I ended up returning the watch to the amazon seller; seeing that the LG U2 has a smaller screen, I don't think I'll like that + the high price, agh.
I guess I'll wait and see what will be released in the next few months.
Related
Since it doesnt feature the 850mhz frequency, how well does this perform on AT&T's service? particularly the southeast region?
it's a Quad band phone in GSM
as long as your carrier can use any of those, then you'll be fine
Voice calls are great. (quick story):
I drive home from work along Route 202 in NJ and have always had 3 really bad dead zones (actually 4 but the last one is hit or miss). I know the dead zones so well that I start telling people that I will call them back when I lose signal (before its dropped). Well I stopped using my iPhone 3G and migrated to the Samsung Galaxy S and what is amazing is that I have only one area that is still dropping calls (the longest dead zone). So this was not saying the galaxy S is good, it just says that most of the cursing of AT&T that I did was possibly because of the crappy iPhone.
Regarding Data; I see no difference that with my iPhone, except when I go to Manhattan (NYC) where I get mainly Edge and some 3G. At home and work (most places in NJ) I get HSDPA (?) (you know the "H" signal) and I have great download speeds (upload sucks so does latency)
The results here:
http://www.speedtest.net/android/7113153.png
Great (super) Phone
3 issue remain for me though:
1) Fix the Damn GPS issues
2) Properly support the enterprise email (sorry Exchange is a requirement for most serious business phone....the definition of a smart phone) *
3) Get a standard and solid copy and paste solution (iPhone is the best, Blackberry is also good, android SUCKS)*
* only issue (1) is unique to hardware/firmware issues (2-3) are for google to fix!
Updatelease note I have an unlocked/imported SGS. the only ones I would have trusted to not be too dumbed down are the Sprint, Tmobile and Verizon versions (I needed a GSM phone and I hate Tmobile). AT&T's version changes things too much and the phone scores less than the other (rebranded) SGS's on all the benchmarks.
hmm, so should i grab the tmobile version of it or should i get the unlocked SGS? i think the main differences is the tmobile/att versions add the gyroscope, but take away the front camera...theres no other real changes correct?
kurtkbee said:
Voice calls are great. (quick story):
So this was not saying the galaxy S is good, it just says that most of the cursing of AT&T that I did was possibly because of the crappy iPhone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From June 14th
"Samsung claims the Galaxy S showed 20 percent greater success rate of transmission and reception than any other smartphone out on market when they were tested in mountainous and major commercial areas."
I assume this relates to the international version, with possible similar service levels for US carriers but that would depend partially on the carrier and frequencies (though it still could be relatively better than the carriers other offerings). Then again, it is Samsung, so it's biased and we don't know their testing procedure.
http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_View.asp?nseq=103976&code=Ne2&category=2
so should i get the captivate or should i get the unlocked i9000? the only differences are the front camera and gyroscope right?
I found a android 4.1 OS phone, dual core mtk 6577 3G smartphone 4.7 inch screen
they call cubot A8809, selling only $173.49. free shipping.
This link:http://www.mcbub.com/item/CUBOT-A88...Android-4-0-GPS-3G-WIFI--8-0MP-Camera-152607/
how do you think guys?
Specs are nice, price can be found elsewhere too
I like the specs; but it can be found at the same price elsewhere (for example here)...
Until a couple of weeks ago, I was very sceptical towards buying a cheap smartphone, but I've had some good experience with the Huawei Ascend 300G...
Wemelboy said:
I like the specs; but it can be found at the same price elsewhere (for example here)...
Until a couple of weeks ago, I was very sceptical towards buying a cheap smartphone, but I've had some good experience with the Huawei Ascend 300G...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oh ye the same price.
huawei_ascend_g300 is a good one and many good review but expensive than this one.
wslimk said:
oh ye the same price.
huawei_ascend_g300 is a good one and many good review but expensive than this one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oh ye website you suggest GEEKBUYING.COM has updated a review and video.
I decide buy from them now
finish night work back home sleep....
i got it's fast and pretty design
real android 4.1 OS that's cool
love it
I've bought some I phone clone on early model and had bad experience, reception was horrible, I think I stick with the real thing
wslimk said:
i got it's fast and pretty design
real android 4.1 OS that's cool
love it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CAn you say how is the battery life??...is it really 2500 mah or some fake??
And how is the camera? Is it really 8mp or 5mp one?
the battery is soso, some times it can last one and half day, but you must charge it every day, when i play games or watch video from youtube, cant last one day, maybe 7-8 hours.
the camera is good as geekbuying shows, it is clear and sensitive.
Just wondering has anyone tried this phone in North America? It says it supports WCDMA 850/1900/2100 MHz so technically 3G should work in North America. Just want to confirm before ordering.
At&t 3g should work...but tmobile 3g wont
Sent from my Nexus 10 using xda premium
Manan79 said:
At&t 3g should work...but tmobile 3g wont
Sent from my Nexus 10 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably depends on whether it's used in an area T-Mobile has refarmed. They have 3G on 1900 in many metro areas now.
Was going to buy but payment page is not secure
amandez said:
Was going to buy but payment page is not secure
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
paypal? are you serious?
Guessing you haven't heard the PayPal horror stories?
amandez said:
Guessing you haven't heard the PayPal horror stories?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hahah, and how do you pay on internet?
Using trusted sites and my bank card
amandez said:
Using trusted sites and my bank card
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
500000000 people in world know that using bank card for online international payments is unsafe. You are crazy. Learn what paypal is and how it works first
Mini-Review from an AT&T user in the US:
I bought one of these for my wife (I figured it was a good trade --- Just kidding.) I don't feel like committing to AT&T for another 2 years.
I bought it from Geekbuying.com. It arrived in only a few days.
It seemed to have the best specs, and the correct frequencies for AT&T in the US. For these types of phones, the dual core MTK6577 SoC is actually not a bad chip.
I can confirm that it does report an "H" connection (HSDPA) almost everyplace an AT&T signal is available.
My Acer Iconia Smart (HSDPA 900 / 1900 / 2100 non-US version) Rarely connects as 3G since it does not have 850 HSDPA.
She only uses the 1 SIM. I have a T-Mobile SIM/Account I use for testing, but since it is her phone, I have not tested it on T-Mobile. T-Mobile 3G may actually work, at least in some areas, since as part of the failed takeover of T-Mobile by AT&T, they have a 7 year frequency-sharing agreement. With Quad Band GSM/GPRS, Calls, and 2G data will work fine on T-Mobile.
Performance is also good. Switching Apps, scrolling on the browser, returning to home screen all happen without any irritating delays.
It is a very clean and stable version of Android 4.1.1. Google Play is present, but see below for a problem. Force closes are rare to never.
The screen is beautiful for a Chinese phone. Overall the phone also looks very nice for the price (I bought her the white one.)
Call quality, Mobile signal, and WiFi are also all excellent. -- No compromise as compared with a name-brand phone.
Battery life is also good. Runs fine for a whole day, and with some effort to do battery management, (WiFi on only when needed, BT off, Conservative Brightness and Screen time-out settings) it will go a second day if she forgets to charge it.
But I do have some complaints:
The back, and the way it attaches to the phone is very cheap. I am not sure how many times you can take the back off without it breaking.
It's not bad to hold and use, but I'm pretty sure one good drop will kill it. Of course, 1 drop can kill even a name-brand phone.
It seems to only have one microphone. Most newer "real" phones have 2 or even 3 mics for noise cancelling or for use in different orientations (like using Voice search, or using it in speaker phone mode). This would only be a problem in noisy environments.
Edit: I had previously written something about filesystem corruption. That gave an incorrect perception of a minor problem.
My wife had a problem installing a paid app from Google Play. I believe I could fix the problem, but that would require a factory reset or user data wipe, or rooting. The problem seems limited to the installation of that one app. Other apps install fine.
--
Linuxslate said:
Mini-Review from an AT&T user in the US:
I bought one of these for my wife (I figured it was a good trade --- Just kidding.) I don't feel like committing to AT&T for another 2 years.
I bought it from Geekbuying.com. It arrived in only a few days.
It seemed to have the best specs, and the correct frequencies for AT&T in the US. For these types of phones, the dual core MTK6577 SoC is actually not a bad chip.
I can confirm that it does report an "H" connection (HSDPA) almost everyplace an AT&T signal is available.
My Acer Iconia Smart (HSDPA 900 / 1900 / 2100 non-US version) Rarely connects as 3G since it does not have 850 HSDPA.
She only uses the 1 SIM. I have a T-Mobile SIM/Account I use for testing, but since it is her phone, I have not tested it on T-Mobile. T-Mobile 3G may actually work, at least in some areas, since as part of the failed takeover of T-Mobile by AT&T, they have a 7 year frequency-sharing agreement. With Quad Band GSM/GPRS, Calls, and 2G data will work fine on T-Mobile.
Performance is also good. Switching Apps, scrolling on the browser, returning to home screen all happen without any irritating delays.
It is a very clean and stable version of Android 4.1.1. Google Play is present, but see below for a problem. Force closes are rare to never.
The screen is beautiful for a Chinese phone. Overall the phone also looks very nice for the price (I bought her the white one.)
Call quality, Mobile signal, and WiFi are also all excellent. -- No compromise as compared with a name-brand phone.
Battery life is also good. Runs fine for a whole day, and with some effort to do battery management, (WiFi on only when needed, BT off, Conservative Brightness and Screen time-out settings) it will go a second day if she forgets to charge it.
But I do have some complaints:
The back, and the way it attaches to the phone is very cheap. I am not sure how many times you can take the back off without it breaking.
It's not bad to hold and use, but I'm pretty sure one good drop will kill it. Of course, 1 drop can kill even a name-brand phone.
It seems to only have one microphone. Most newer "real" phones have 2 or even 3 mics for noise cancelling or for use in different orientations (like using Voice search, or using it in speaker phone mode). This would only be a problem in noisy environments.
Edit: I had previously written something about filesystem corruption. That gave an incorrect perception of a minor problem.
My wife had a problem installing a paid app from Google Play. I believe I could fix the problem, but that would require a factory reset or user data wipe, or rooting. The problem seems limited to the installation of that one app. Other apps install fine.
--
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This phone will not work on T-Mobile it only has 3G 850/2100 like all the other China mtk6577 devices do not buy if you're expecting it to work on T-Mobile 3G! The specs are false saying it supports 3G bands 850/1900/2100!
That's what I'd say too. The specs are good and price is ok for the specs but not exactly a deal.
wslimk said:
I found a android 4.1 OS phone, dual core mtk 6577 3G smartphone 4.7 inch screen
they call cubot A8809, selling only $173.49. free shipping.
This link:http://www.mcbub.com/item/CUBOT-A88...Android-4-0-GPS-3G-WIFI--8-0MP-Camera-152607/
how do you think guys?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wemelboy said:
I like the specs; but it can be found at the same price elsewhere (for example here)...
Until a couple of weeks ago, I was very sceptical towards buying a cheap smartphone, but I've had some good experience with the Huawei Ascend 300G...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I returned my Designed by You DT2 to a V store and got a 32GB DT2 because my calls kept fading out according to people and clients I call. So now I'm having the same issue with the new DT2, so before I throw in the towel and completely return this device, I want to know if anyone else is having the same issue. Calls fading in and out.
I've reset my phone twice, and played around with the Advanced Calling feature by turning it both off and on. I'm just really bummed because I'm really liking this phone now.
Only use advanced calling if you live/work in a very strong LTE network.
elzeus said:
Only use advanced calling if you live/work in a very strong LTE network.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I guess that is it. I guess for some reason I always thought it was on on my DT1. My 4G LTE coverage at my house (where I also work) is typically bouncing between 2-3 bars out of 5 bars of service.
Yeah I've noticed issues too. I got 2 bars in my house with both my DT2 and my old Moto X 2013. Although audio is choppy at best and some calls are dropped altogether with my DT2. I saw the same thing with the Nexus 5X I test drove though.
Advanced calling is a new feature for the Verizon network. I live in a major metro area and I have no issues. I am not always so lucky when I'm travelling. This is a limitation of the Verizon network. If you want simultaneous voice/data on the newer devices with a single radio, you need HD Voice enabled. Otherwise, if you'll need to switch carriers, or downgrade to an older device with dual radios. Unfortunately, there is no free lunch. Progress comes with transitional pains.
Martingitdave said:
Advanced calling is a new feature for the Verizon network. I live in a major metro area and I have no issues. I am not always so lucky when I'm travelling. This is a limitation of the Verizon network. If you want simultaneous voice/data on the newer devices with a single radio, you need HD Voice enabled. Otherwise, if you'll need to switch carriers, or downgrade to an older device with dual radios. Unfortunately, there is no free lunch. Progress comes with transitional pains.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it does!
Altogether I'm happy with my 32GB vs the Design Your Own 64GB simply because I have rather large micro SD cards...lol So I don't really care how much onboard storage I have. But it does suck having to learn this lesson the hardway, a little part of me was looking forward to the design refresh I'll admit, but it's not the end of the world. =)
"To help support the explosion of mobile Internet usage and give customers a great experience, AT&T plans to fully discontinue service on its 2G wireless networks by approximately January 1, 2017."
"AT&T expects to fully discontinue service on our 2G network by approximately January 1, 2017. As AT&T progressively frees up valuable spectrum for our mobile broadband network, we may conclude that some markets or territories need to turn down 2G service prior to the nationwide turndown."
Source -AT&T Corporate Website
This is not an AT&T thing either. T-Mobile is also in the process of turning off 2G coverage and is expected to happen around the same time.
That sticks. Time to unload all these Chinese smartwatches. At least I can use the Pine, Truesmart and Gear S.
I'm currently in the market of getting a Smart Watch/Cell Replacement with WiFi Hotspot abilities in the USA. With these new changes to both AT&T and T-Mobile, are there any Smart Watch/Cell Replacements that work in the USA? And with what carrier?
Rodimus80 said:
I'm currently in the market of getting a Smart Watch/Cell Replacement with WiFi Hotspot abilities in the USA. With these new changes to both AT&T and T-Mobile, are there any Smart Watch/Cell Replacements that work in the USA? And with what carrier?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You want 850Mhz (limited coverage area) or 1900Mhz 3G capable smartwatches. Those will work with AT&T.
Only 1900MHz 3G will work on T-Mo and that's if you are in a 1900MHz coverage area.
I won't provide a list as that would take days of research to do, and it would have to be done on a continuous basis to keep the list up to date.
I have a T-Mobile 4G HotSpot Z64. In my town it only connects to 2G. But if I go to the next town over it's on 4G. Suburb of Buffalo, NY here. I have a ZGPAX S8 coming tomorrow and that says 3G only on WCDMA 2100MHz. Was this a wasted purchase in my area on T-Mobile?
Rodimus80 said:
I have a T-Mobile 4G HotSpot Z64. In my town it only connects to 2G. But if I go to the next town over it's on 4G. Suburb of Buffalo, NY here. I have a ZGPAX S8 coming tomorrow and that says 3G only on WCDMA 2100MHz. Was this a wasted purchase in my area on T-Mobile?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You will get 2G until they turn it off and that's it. T-Mo doesn't use 2100 but 1700+2100 or 1900.
The specs on the Hotspot say it's GSM/EDGE:850/1900MHz - UMTS/HSPA: 850/AWS/1900MHZ. If it's 2G at my home but 4G in a different town, then would it be my tower hasn't had 1900 upgraded? And if so, will a Android Smartwatch with 2G 1900 work still?
I got the ZGPAX S8 yesterday. I threw in my SIM from a T-Mobile Hotspot and the watch was up and running on what the watch is calling 3 E. Home and abroad. Download speed is crap but I can stream music and make texts and calls. Wonderful little device.
Again, a friendly reminder to those buying cellular capable Chinese smartwatches in the U.S
AT&T 2G GSM 850/1900MHz network shutdown
To help support increasing mobile Internet usage and continue to provide you with a great customer experience, we started to discontinue service on our 2G wireless network as of December 31, 2016.
AT&T wireless customers attempting to use 2G devices on this network after the shutdown will be unable to:
Make or receive calls, including emergency calls.
Send or receive text messages.
Use data services.
Device Requirements Post-2G Shutdown
After December 31, 2016, the minimum requirement needed to operate on AT&T’s network is 3G WCDMA (UMTS) HSPA 850/1900 MHz Band 2 and Band 5.
In short. If you don't have working 3G support now, your device is a paperweight after December 31st 2016.
T-Mobile still works in Toledo on an A1 from Agptek. Its a $20 smartwatch. Not good for much but the mp3 player and the ability to make calls. Bluetooth allows headphones to be used when making calls, and hooks up to the hands free in my Mazda.
I have a Lemfo Lem5 which has 3G 850/1900/2100. Works in Canada on Koodo, which is 3G only. AFAIK, it's the only one of these phones that has that combo. I hope that changes this year.
Rodimus80 said:
I got the ZGPAX S8 yesterday. I threw in my SIM from a T-Mobile Hotspot and the watch was up and running on what the watch is calling 3 E. Home and abroad. Download speed is crap but I can stream music and make texts and calls. Wonderful little device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How is it going with the ZGPAX S8 these days?
Greetings from Flensburg, Germany
KrautHolg
Not worth the hassle. Replacing SD card, putting everything back together, and then just using the damn thing always lead to me wanting my phone for control which defeated the purpose of the watch. I suggest trying a higher priced device. But I have no experience with those. I'll be jumping back into the watch game maybe in another year or two. Right now it's beta.
DZ09 smartwatch
Does the DZ09 smartwatch use only 2G network?
Microsoft Cortana
Rodimus80 said:
Not worth the hassle.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tried to install various personal assistants without success, but then got Microsoft Cortana to work. I can just ask the watch pretty much anything, so long as I have Internet. Oh yeah, it has to be in English, too. Voice recognition works almost 100%, whereas answering by voice only works about 2/3 of the time. The other 1/3 I get a list of links. This is still pretty useful, as I simply have to touch to open them without the need to type anything on that tiny screen. I could well get used to this! In fact, I am convinced that this is the future and sooner or later many of us will go this way.
Oh, and BTW, I use watch as a standalone device, not connected to my phone.
Cheers!
KrautHolg
hi
Rodimus80 said:
I'm currently in the market of getting a Smart Watch/Cell Replacement with WiFi Hotspot abilities in the USA. With these new changes to both AT&T and T-Mobile, are there any Smart Watch/Cell Replacements that work in the USA? And with what carrier?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hi
2G works in Toledo
2G from T-Mobile (and Mint, which uses T-Mobile) still works in Toledo Ohio as of today. I have an A1 smartwatch from AGPtek. It's a cheapo $20 watch, but it does make calls, send texts and the Bluetooth works with my wireless headset. Hands free works in my car. None of the Apps work but that will be no surprise to anyone here.
Lokifish Marz said:
"To help support the explosion of mobile Internet usage and give customers a great experience, AT&T plans to fully discontinue service on its 2G wireless networks by approximately January 1, 2017."
"AT&T expects to fully discontinue service on our 2G network by approximately January 1, 2017. As AT&T progressively frees up valuable spectrum for our mobile broadband network, we may conclude that some markets or territories need to turn down 2G service prior to the nationwide turndown."
Source -AT&T Corporate Website
This is not an AT&T thing either. T-Mobile is also in the process of turning off 2G coverage and is expected to happen around the same time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go for a 4G WCDMA/LTE watch as I did with the DM2018.
Didn't know if it had the necessary Hardware and might be possible with a new SIM card.
No.
Lol
Thought I read somewhere that the V20 won't be exactly compatible with 5G, but will get a slight speed boost when in 5G markets. Thoughts?
baldybill said:
Thought I read somewhere that the V20 won't be exactly compatible with 5G, but will get a slight speed boost when in 5G markets. Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only way if you are still using v20 when 5g fully rolls out is when majority of lte users move onto 5g. Thereby freeing up bandwidth space for the now legacy lte for you to use so it will be faster.
joaovictorsouza said:
Lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fantastic contribution
darkknight200 said:
The only way if you are still using v20 when 5g fully rolls out is when majority of lte users move onto 5g. Thereby freeing up bandwidth space for the now legacy lte for you to use so it will be faster.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most insightful comment I have read in a while.
That is exactly what happened when they rolled out LTE. I stayed on HSPA+ and got great speeds because everyone else was jumping on the LTE bandwagon.
Once LTE was fully deployed, and you couldn't buy a phone anymore without LTE support, things were much better -- 120mbits average for the area I am in.
Once T-Mobile fully deploys band 71 (600Mhz) with 5g, then I will bite the bullet and buy the least sucky flagship phone that is available and supports it (I think I will have my V20s for many years yet )
-- Brian
runningnak3d said:
Most insightful comment I have read in a while.
That is exactly what happened when they rolled out LTE. I stayed on HSPA+ and got great speeds because everyone else was jumping on the LTE bandwagon.
Once LTE was fully deployed, and you couldn't buy a phone anymore without LTE support, things were much better -- 120mbits average for the area I am in.
Once T-Mobile fully deploys band 71 (600Mhz) with 5g, then I will bite the bullet and buy the least sucky flagship phone that is available and supports it (I think I will have my V20s for many years yet )
-- Brian
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like to hear that! . Still Loving my v20 also. Guess I am a little bit old school and like the Legacy device
runningnak3d said:
Once T-Mobile fully deploys band 71 (600Mhz) with 5g, then I will bite the bullet and buy the least sucky flagship phone that is available and supports it (I think I will have my V20s for many years yet )
-- Brian
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is mainly what I'm waiting on for a new phone. My next phone I would definitely want that band to have as future proofing but since I'm in a rather low populated part, I don't think I will be seeing this band on a tower in my area for quite a few years at least.
Thanks for the replies and information everybody. Hope you're all having an awesome weekend. Or soon-to-be weekend that is
It is not possible as the radio inside the phone would need to be changed. So 5g compatibility is something on the hardware level that needs to be available not something able to be turned on with software.
Unfortunately the v20 seems as if it will be the last phone to have removable battery everyone has since moved to the glass laminate design apple uses.
mirrin said:
It is not possible as the radio inside the phone would need to be changed. So 5g compatibility is something on the hardware level that needs to be available not something able to be turned on with software.
Unfortunately the v20 seems as if it will be the last phone to have removable battery everyone has since moved to the glass laminate design apple uses.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am hoping that when 5G fully rolls out that a manufacturer releases one more smartphone with a removable battery. As long as the specs are ok, and by ok I mean a minimum of 4 GB of RAM and a 4K (or greater) display resolution and of course Micro SD card support then it would be up for my consideration.
I recently purchased a brand new LG V20 H918 (the Unlocked T-Mobile variant) phone. The very first purchase that I did was getting the PowerBear extended battery on Amazon, with the 2 day prime shipping that's what I got much sooner than the actual phone since the phone I also got it brand new but on Ebay since there it was significantly cheaper ($150) compared to any price I was seeing for a new phone for any variant on Amazon, you could only get a "renewed" (another way of Amazon saying "refurbished" I guess) for the same price I got my new phone on Ebay. (I guess the price inflation could be another way of Amazon getting back their 5% cash back they pay their Amazon Chase Visa card holders).
The V20 replaces my Samsung Galaxy S5 that also had an extended battery (the iPossible battery) and then it dropped onto a hard porcelain floor facing down, and while the screen didn't crack, it started zooming and unzooming erratically at random times and it would only reset back to normal if I power off the screen and turn it back on. Faced with having to purchase a new LCD screen and having to do the repair something that I know how to do since I have done it many times to other users I took the opportunity to search for a newer phone with a removable battery since I didn't have the time to dedicate to perform this repair with my super busy schedule, replacing an LCD screen off any smartphone is a tedious task, I just didn't wanted to bother this time. So after 3 days of hard research I finally discovered that the LG V20 is the latest smartphone to actually support a removable battery and then my next research turned on to determine what variant should I exactly go for: I had many options, I could have gone with Sprint's variant (the LS995) the Verizon's variant (VS995) or the T-Mobile's variant (H918). The Sprint's unlocked variant seemed very promising, being compatible with most networks here in the USA, except that it didn't support one of T-Mobile newer LTE Band 66 but other than that it supported every LTE band the Galaxy S5 supported and I guess it could have been a great compromise giving me the future option to go with Sprint or any of their MVNO's, except that when I checked if that phone was rootable I was dissapointed to hear that if my phone came with a certain firmware version or greater then it was unrootable and there has been more than 1 year without a method being discovered yet, um I need to be able to root, certain producttivity apps that I use depends on rooting, including the use of Titanium backup that allows me to import all of my Google Authenticator keys that aren't backed up in any other ways. Next to my list: the verizon's variant: it was a good choice except it didn't support all of Sprint's LTE bands which would mean a spotty Sprint coverage shall I go with Sprint in the future, and no Band 12 support for T-mobile either, that automatically was a no-go. At the end, I just went with the T-Mobile's unlocked variant and T-Mobile is my actual carrier too. In my area I used to get 25 Mbps speed test on my old Galaxy S5 phone that lacked Band 66 support, on this new phone with B66 support I got 100 Mbps. I got surprised when I saw that speed and I was only able to get that speed after I changed the Access Point Name from the default IPv6 only configuration into IPv4 only, under IPv6 I only got 35 Mbps don't exactly know why IPv4 outperformed IPv6 by a factor greater than 3 but those were my results here in the city of New York.
Overall, I am very happy with this phone. Its a super fast performing phone for a phone that was introduced in 2016 and by the looks of it, this phone can continue being relevant for many years to come.
Once again, I really hope to see another phone with removable battery being introduced somewhere in the future that actually supports 5G.
kaluna00 said:
Didn't know if it had the necessary Hardware and might be possible with a new SIM card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this is a fuzzy answer and not one many would tackle due to the efforts gained. the V20 series can NOT handle the data (think volume) rates of 5G , BUT...
i have no doubts the physical device would work on a 5G network. 5G is a VERY short wave, but the V20 is unique because the antennas are easy access with room to spare. ( top/bottom cases)
so with time , a 30,000.00$ -S2-test set- network analyzer, YES its quite simple. but no matter what is done, the core of the device is only capable of the original design for MAX 4G speeds (100-300megs/sec?) PLUS i cant say how the device would hold up to the MAX rates 100% of the time. would be a cool experiment, but this is far out for a 2016 spec phone. T-mobile network would be the best bet for easy tune, but again, how will hardware handle
i wouldn't know where to start for the software side, but tuning an antenna isn't too bad.
Speeds are often be more down to what your network provider is capable of giving you rather than your fones capability.
3G working at full speed as advertised can be absolutely fine for streaming video.
4G+ is more than good enough for me, not all the time but most of the time. Don't care less I don't have 5g on my V20, my fave fone ever.
kaluna00 said:
Didn't know if it had the necessary Hardware and might be possible with a new SIM card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, as that would require changes on the SoC level and I don't think any of us have the hardware or qualifications to do stuff like that.