I have already been looking around a lot, but there are so many watches with little nuances that are hard to keep track of. I am a regular watch wearer, never wanted a smart watch because they were a little too gimmicky when they first started. The technology is getting so good and useful now, that I am finally interested in swapping my regular watch for a smartwatch. I would like to find something on the cheap end for the first one in case I don't like it. Old and discontinued is fine if it meets my requirements
My requirements are:
1) Good battery, it needs to make it through a whole day at the minimum
2) Always on face is preferred. If I am ditching my regular watch, I would like for the face to be on and at least look like I am still wearing a watch. Kind of petty, but I prefer it. I can do without depending on how easily and quickly the face comes on.
3) Ability to use faces from places like facer or facerepo, and custom make my own face with watchmaker if I can't get what I want. The biggest thing for me is that I want an interactive face with a rotating on-screen bezel. I am wiling to design my own. I don't know how, but I learn well and will figure it out if I have to.
4) Round screen of good resolution without the notch on the bottom like the moto 360. I want to make a bezel face that needs the whole round screen.
4) Alert notifications for text, email, alarms, etc. is all I require for smart features. I do not care, nor do I really want fitness features like heart rate monitor, pedometer, etc. So if they don't work well on a model that otherwise meets my needs, that's fine.
5) Size on the smaller side. I can't really wear anything bigger than abut 45mm, so smaller than that is preferred.
I have been looking a lot and found some watches like the No. 1 and KingWear that seem to use their own version of Android OS. The battery life is amazing, but the faces are too limiting. My biggest concern is being able to make an interactive watch face with the moving bezel, zoom, and chronograph subdials. From what I have read, those watches take VXP faces, and they are not compatible with the features I want to have. They just have hour, minute and second hands. So am I supposed to be looking for something that just uses Wear OS or straight Android OS? The Fossil watches look good, as does the Galaxy, but I don't want to spend that much to try this out. Is there an older, sluggish, discontinued watch that will let me mess with faces on Watchmaker and make the face I really want? I feel that once I have a face I like, I will buy a newer watch and just use my proven face on it and be done. I would like to spend under $150, obviously the less the better. I have seen older Samsung watches like the S2 available at a fair price used, just not sure if there is a clone I could order new for less money, or something even cheaper I could use to get my face dialed in. I am totally open to suggestions if anyone can help.
For always ON and facer/watchmaker there are just Samsung > S2 (S2 has only a degraded always ON) or Wear watch. All are higher than $150. Always ON with an OLED screen is not very good idea I think, it feel strange with a wrist star war laser
dersie said:
For always ON and facer/watchmaker there are just Samsung > S2 (S2 has only a degraded always ON) or Wear watch. All are higher than $150. Always ON with an OLED screen is not very good idea I think, it feel strange with a wrist star war laser
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the response. I didn't realize how limiting the always on feature would make my choices. But you're right about the OLED. So if I scratch that requirement for always on face, do you have a recommended way to proceed looking? Like what to look for and what to avoid? Specific models if you know any, but I would like to know what to look for in the specs, like OS or firmware that will allow the faces I want to be used.
Almost same answer.
Facer/Watchmaker works only on Tizen (Samsung) and WearOS. So your choice stay only in Samsung or Wear Watch.
Just Gear S2 is OK without real Always ON.
To increase your choice you must delete the Watchmaker/facer option.
dersie said:
Almost same answer.
Facer/Watchmaker works only on Tizen (Samsung) and WearOS. So your choice stay only in Samsung or Wear Watch.
Just Gear S2 is OK without real Always ON.
To increase your choice you must delete the Watchmaker/facer option.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, thanks. I actually like the looks and size of the S2, but I don't know if I would actually like it. They can be found easily for under $100 USD, so the price is right. But going to a straight Andorid watch (non Tizen or Wear OS) might be the smartest thing for the future.
One thing I really don't understand. On a straight Android watch, are the faces just ordinary APKs running as a widget or regular application on the watch? Or is there a different file/application type that is used to make a face for an Android watch? I think that's what I have not been able to really understand.
I have tried making an Andorid app in the past and it was beyond my ability. That's why I thought Watchmaker would be a little easier for me to use. But if I can't get what I want because of the hardware, I will try my hand again at making an app or hiring someone to do so, if that's what needs to be done.
Gear S2 is really a very nice Smartwatch. Just screen a little small : 1.2". But very better than any pure Android Watch.
All pure Android watch are not really "smart" because they have almost 0 connected features. Just notification and almost nothing else.
Watchfaces for Android only watch ? we can almost say that they are non existent. We can not really found any faces for Android only, try to search on the store. Existent faces are only for special Android watch where the manufacturer has created special option for, ex Amazfit Stratos.
dersie said:
Gear S2 is really a very nice Smartwatch. Just screen a little small : 1.2". But very better than any pure Android Watch.
All pure Android watch are not really "smart" because they have almost 0 connected features. Just notification and almost nothing else.
Watchfaces for Android only watch ? we can almost say that they are non existent. We can not really found any faces for Android only, try to search on the store. Existent faces are only for special Android watch where the manufacturer has created special option for, ex Amazfit Stratos.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see now, watches like the Kospet advertise as having customizable faces, but it appears all you can really do is customize the background image. It is not false advertising, but it is misleading a bit. And I see other watches like KingWear say something like "hundreds of watch faces to choose from", which like you said, come from the manufacturer. So I get it now, without a Wear OS watch or Tizen, I am limited. That's fine and understandable.
What I have not tried yet, is to see how the Watchmaker app works. If I want a face with a rotating bezel around the edge, and subdials for chronograph features, can I build that in Watchmaker? The biggest one is the ability to have a round graphic around the edge of the watch that rotates by touch like a dive bezel on a diver's watch. If that can be done in Watchmaker, I'll go for the S2 to play with it. If not, I will see if I can get an Andorid app to work with the features I want and then run that on a watch.
All I really want is a watch with rotating bezel, chronograph subdials and an analog or digital clock. I've seen the faces available, but the subdials don't do what I want, and I don't think the on screen bezel rotates like I want.
Sorry for all the questions, but I'm finally getting a good understanding here and I think you've pointed me in a good direction with the S2 for a very affordable watch to test.
gadsden said:
What I have not tried yet, is to see how the Watchmaker app works. If I want a face with a rotating bezel around the edge, and subdials for chronograph features, can I build that in Watchmaker? The biggest one is the ability to have a round graphic around the edge of the watch that rotates by touch like a dive bezel on a diver's watch. If that can be done in Watchmaker, I'll go for the S2 to play with it. If not, I will see if I can get an Andorid app to work with the features I want and then run that on a watch.
All I really want is a watch with rotating bezel, chronograph subdials and an analog or digital clock. I've seen the faces available, but the subdials don't do what I want, and I don't think the on screen bezel rotates like I want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use facer and after Watchmaker for the beginning of this apps. If I can resume : I think we can do all we want with Watchmaker. The apps has all needed features. For rotating it has a "rotate" on his field for the item image, so you can rotate all you want and in the way you want because it has also an user "script" (LUA) applied on all items you want.
dersie said:
I use facer and after Watchmaker for the beginning of this apps. If I can resume : I think we can do all we want with Watchmaker. The apps has all needed features. For rotating it has a "rotate" on his field for the item image, so you can rotate all you want and in the way you want because it has also an user "script" (LUA) applied on all items you want.
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Click to collapse
Cool, thanks. I'll buy the premium and just try it out to see if I can do what I want. If I get anything going, I'll let you know what happens. Thanks again for your time and replies.
gadsden said:
Cool, thanks. I'll buy the premium and just try it out to see if I can do what I want. If I get anything going, I'll let you know what happens. Thanks again for your time and replies.
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Click to collapse
Even with Free version you can test all you want. I think premium is just for unlimited faces.
Related
Hello, I am looking to buy my first smartwatch. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'd really like features such as a camera and handsfree. But the only one I found so far with both of those are the Galaxy Gear 2. It looks like a good watch, but I'd rather have a watch that runs Android Wear.
Thanks in advance.
23732 said:
Hello, I am looking to buy my first smartwatch. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'd really like features such as a camera and handsfree. But the only one I found so far with both of those are the Galaxy Gear 2. It looks like a good watch, but I'd rather have a watch that runs Android Wear.
Thanks in advance.
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Click to collapse
You can either chose between the G Watch or the Gear live. Both very similar, mostly design differences.
G Watch has bigger battery.
Gear Live has heartbeat sensor and amoled display.
That's the difference, everything else apart from the design is the same. So if you want an android wear watch there's not much to chose from.
23732 said:
Hello, I am looking to buy my first smartwatch. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'd really like features such as a camera and handsfree. But the only one I found so far with both of those are the Galaxy Gear 2. It looks like a good watch, but I'd rather have a watch that runs Android Wear.
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I were you, I'd rather wait for the Moto 360. Though it doesn't have a camera, it still would pack in some of the best features otherwise. If you are in ahurry to lay your hands on a watch, you could go for the Gear 2, its a great watch too.
Here at XDA, we typically do not allow threads like these to remain open as these type questions truly can only be answered by the individual and based on their own research and reading of the information here on the threads. "Best" device or "best" anything is really in the eye of the beholder.
I am trying to choose the right smartwatch for me and I am sort of losing my mind. I really can't decide which one to get. So I have finally narrowed my decision down to two. Sony Smartwatch 3 and Moto 360. I like Sony when it comes to mobile hardware - I currently have a Z3 Compact and it would seem only logical to pair it with a smartwatch from Sony. But... I like Motorola as well. Never had any problems with them before.
Both have their pros and the cons. Moto 360 basically looks way better. It also has a heart rate monitor which I like but it isn't a must. On the other hand Smartwatch 3 has a much smoother interface, better battery, is cheaper and has micro USB for charging.
My main problem is this - I am a pretty small guy and I have small wrists as well. So a big watch would just look ridiculous on me. My wrists are about 46mm in diameter at the widest point where the watch would sit. So that's a big issue and the determining factor will be the size. I know that the Smartwatch 3 is slightly larger in one dimension, but it is designed much differently and is thiner. But it is pretty new and I haven't seen much comments about its size.
Anyone with similar issues? What would you suggest?
I own Sony smart watch 3 for the following reasons:
1. All round watches will have troubles with ui in one app or another, they just awkward to code for
2. Sony one is waterproof, has GPS, transflective LCD, great battery life and better chipset (moto uses prehistoric chipset same as in their motoactv from 2011)
3. I have medium sized wrist it fits perfectly, you could try one and return if it doesn't fit.
Overall I would not bother with any round watches unless to show off and from current wear offerings I feel like sw3 is the best and if you'll use GPS it is the only one.
I personally am a Moto 360 person myself. I have fairly skinny wrists and haven't noticed an aesthetic or comfort issue wearing it. In terms of app support: it is indeed harder for coders to deal with round screens but it seems like most have figured them out. The marker for round watches just seems large at this point which forces most to support them if at all feasible.
I also do not trust Sony when it comes to Android based devices. They always seem to release products in that space that flop and thereby do not get as much updates/support compared to peer manufacturers.
Good luck in your decision!
I get a SW3 today. I've also a small wrist and it fits very well.
Why I choose SW3 not Moto 360? A round watch is pretty cool, but I cannot tolerate its black bar below, it makes me crazy...
And also consider the battery, SW3 finally becomes my first android wear.
Same here, wanted a moto 360. But after looking at everything I bought SW3 yesterday. Never had android wear before or actually worn a watch. But SW3 for £130 was an easy decision. It should arrive on Thursday.
I am 2 meter tall guy so size ssd never a concern to me. Only thing I didn't like about SW3 was that weird watch band. A standart 22mm watch bands would be much better. But I will see how it feels when it arrives. Can't wait! [emoji2]
Well I have finally decided and bought a Moto 360. It has arrived yesterday so I've had about a day of "play time" with it. A bit mixed feelings for now. But not really a HW problem. Android Wear seems very much like a huge beta for now.
First my thoughts on hardware - I love the design. It really is a beautiful watch. And just a tad too large for my wrists. Smaller would be better but size isn't too big of an issue on the current model. It could be a bit thiner though. I don't particularly like the leather strap to be honest. The leather feels a bit too stiff for my liking. I've seen much softer leather bands on watches before. I would probably prefer one of those. Or maybe textile. But maybe it will soften up a bit with time.
Battery doesn't seem like a particularly big issue. I am at 55% right now (I started using it in the morning and it is 9 in the evening now) and I have been playing with it a lot today. Installing apps, using things, ... So it seems like it will last me a day just fine.
Pedometer seems useless. I can't check how accurate it is because it doesn't update in real time - the ****? Who thought that this was a good idea? If I make a step I want to see it change immediately. Not two hours later. Heart rate sensor isn't much better either.
And now for android wear... What was google thinking? What's the point of having the ability to read an email or to reply to it but no ability to delete that thing? I delete 80% of my emails after I read them. Why can't I do that on my wrist? What about a keyboard? We know it isn't impossible. So why isn't it there? Something similar to a standard numeric keypad that we can see on old mobile phones would work (T9 anyone?). Or a full fledged keyboard in some other form. Not because I don't want to talk but because voice input is useless for anything but English. And we will be seeing support for Slovene in ... let's be honest ... never. So I can't send a message to anyone, I can't send an email to anyone, start a navigation to somewhere, ... KEYBOARD!
Why do "apps" like Yatse remote hide/close when the watch goes to sleep? This makes it pretty much useless then.
Deleting emails is just swipe left, delete.. I do it all the time as 90% of what I get is spam anyway.
IME the watches work best as notification devices.. they're great for telling you that an email or tweet has arrived, or that you have to leave to get to an appointment, without having to fish in your pocket to work out whether it's an important message or not. During meetings a quick glance at the watch is pretty unobtrusive.
They're too small though to be general purpose devices, and they're not designed to be (hence no real launcher.. 'apps' is buried at the bottom of a menu). Once you get into serious amounts of interaction you're better off just taking the phone out and using that.
TonyHoyle said:
Deleting emails is just swipe left, delete.. I do it all the time as 90% of what I get is spam anyway.
IME the watches work best as notification devices.. they're great for telling you that an email or tweet has arrived, or that you have to leave to get to an appointment, without having to fish in your pocket to work out whether it's an important message or not. During meetings a quick glance at the watch is pretty unobtrusive.
They're too small though to be general purpose devices, and they're not designed to be (hence no real launcher.. 'apps' is buried at the bottom of a menu). Once you get into serious amounts of interaction you're better off just taking the phone out and using that.
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Click to collapse
The funny thing here is this - I've found it performs the worst as a notification device. It performs great when I need a timer or when I need to quickly check one of my notes.
Notifications are just... meh. I want f*** email notifications. And no I don't have a delete option when I swipe left. I have reply, mark as read and open on phone. No delete. What is even worse - the thing doesn't vibrate when I get an email. Probably it has something to do with the email client I am using - the stock (AOSP) android one. Not gmail or something else. How am I supposed to have faith in a platform when even the thing that is most advertised doesn't work with the built in app?
The first thing I installed on there was an app launcher. I also found a neat app that enables you to send text messages with an actual keyboard. So at least there is that.
I have a "swipe left" to delete also. It depends what you use for your email. I use "Blue Mail"
tonyguy2000 said:
I have a "swipe left" to delete also. It depends what you use for your email. I use "Blue Mail"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably.
I am not happy with the fact that something so basic as deleting emails and vibrating when that email arrives is not supported with the app made by Google. On their own platform.
I was also hoping that Lolipop update would bring us some improvements in that regard - the watch got an update today and it didn't improve any of my issues.
i don't know which one is more suitable for you .
but people are often talking about moto 360 ,
sony watch i havent heard it many time .
so i guess this maybe be able to help you decide .
I understand its pretty much what you pay is what you get but I do not wish to buy an expensive Gear or Apple iWatch right now. Please recommend me a good chinese smart watch? I have gone through Amazon and Gearbest however its my first time into this and I rather buy something with recommendations from you guys.
Basically Im looking for something which is less than $40. I dont care about all the bells or whistles as long as it shows me time, shoes me text messages, has as good battery life and hopefully have face plate changes. Really dont care about making calls, or other sensors, or video or photo recording etc.
I'm in the same boat but looking to spend up to $80
I feel the same freaking way. There's so freaking many of them. I just want one that at least has a wifi chip and is water resistant but I can't find any that has both and under $100
Bump. Appreciate your help guys,
If you're willing to live a little dangerously ... the Weloop Tommy might be up your alley. It functions as it is with an older apk than the one on the play store and the firmware 3.18 seems to be stable. There is also an open source project that seems is pretty close to fruition.
relevant links -
http://forum.xda-developers.com/sma...s/weloop-tommy-smartwatch-looks-best-t2864444
http://forum.xda-developers.com/sma.../weloop-tommy-smartwatch-faq-updates-t2995858
https://hackaday.io/project/4510-open-source-sportsmart-watch
I'll be reviewing some new budget watches (around $50). stay tuned to the forums :good::good::good::good:
I have been looking and looking through the fabulous forums about reviews and features. I, too, am looking for a new "toy". I don't wear a watch typically so I it would probably not last, hence why I don't want to spend a lot of money. However I do really have a need to easily dismiss a ton of notifications remotely. I am hoping that I can pick up a cheap one to get my feet wet, get a little experience with what I want and need.
I REALLY like the Galaxy Gear S, with the curved display... but I do not have a Samsung phone/tablet to pair it with. I have been looking for knock off, but have not found one yet. I think something similar to the Gear S is what I am looking for. Something that has a browser, wifi, GPS for maps (I travel a lot), and of course the ability to answer/speakerphone calls and view/dismiss notifications (exchange, gmail, FB Messanger, snapchat, etc.).
I am not looking for a sport watch, but maybe something with a metal band that looks classy. I really liked the Round watches... but I think a lot of screen space is wasted. With the chinese versions, it seems the UI is built around a square display and looks goofy. The Android Wear looks great but I am not sure the capacity of its ability.
I think I would prefer a android device with a good interface. And a decent charger (magnetic/wireless)
Same here, if any has a complete mind in this can you share with us.
Like $50-80, which is the best to get?
Go for gear s I have one I M satisfied it can be used as stand alone device and u can have extra no.
far56 said:
Go for gear s I have one I M satisfied it can be used as stand alone device and u can have extra no.
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Click to collapse
I would love the Gear S but I do not have a Samsung phone thus makes it almost completely worthless. If the Gear S had a Android Wear rom, that would be an instant buy.
player911 said:
I would love the Gear S but I do not have a Samsung phone thus makes it almost completely worthless. If the Gear S had a Android Wear rom, that would be an instant buy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes exactly then go for LG g watch r or moto 360 or any android wear watch.
I actually just picked up the LG G Watch for $50 (refurbished) from CowBoom shipped.
http://www.cowboom.com/product/1553348/
$5 off $50
"CowBoom5"
It is an Android Wear device, waterproof, and a SD 400 which is snappy. I really liked the magnetic charger but I wish I had an AMOLED display like the Samsung Gear Live for its battery sipping and deep blacks. The LG also lacks WiFi but... I think it is a good start watch for the price. It will let me play with the notifications and see if a watch is something worth investing more money into.
I paid through Amazon which apparently has a 30-day return policy. This will at least give me time to trial it. I figured the waterproof display will at least allow me to control my phone from the pool, if nothing else. So even if I do not wear this every day, it will still have some use around the house.
This seems to be the best buy for the money compared to the other Chinese watches. There seems to be a few roms and hacks for the LG G Watch and fairly good support.
WARNING:
If you buy from CowBoom, make sure you look at what is included. Mine included the charging dock but others just include the watch and band. The G Watch has a priorietary magnetic charging dock required to charge... without it you will not be able to charge. I thought it was weird they would sell the watch without the required charging dock but make sure you pick one that includes one.
They also have other watches on there. The Samsung Gear Live (AMOLED + WiFi) was $129. You can take $10 off $100 using CowBoom10 making it $119. But that that price range, I would almost OPT for the Motorola 360 ($150 new at NewEgg) or LG G Watch R ($179 used at Cowboom = $169 with discount).
This is why the $50 LG made sense. They all run Android Wear so will function the same. I always carry a phone and this is meant to compliment it for notifications.
player911 said:
I would love the Gear S but I do not have a Samsung phone thus makes it almost completely worthless. If the Gear S had a Android Wear rom, that would be an instant buy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does look pretty nice. Don't have a Samsung phone and the price is too much for me tho.
Hello,
Which Chinese smartwatches offer full voice call? Not only dial, but whole conversation via mic and speaker of smartwatch.
I see Zeaplus Watch dm360 offer this function. But what about U Watch UO, S360, Zeaplus S2 or ZenGear/Zeaplus G3 or others new?
My personal experiences with smartwatches:
Bluetooth phone companion: Moto 360, my cost $150
Looks nice. Runs android wear, works with any andriod phone (I think 4.4 and higher). With 5.1.1 update can tether to phone via wifi. Receive notifications, answer calls, but lacks speaker, so need to continue conversation on the phone. Remotely control music play on phone. Remote control of phone camera. Voice control (OK Google) to send text hands-free, or start call and search web hands-free. Available apps growing. Battery life 1 day. Can change watch face easily, lots of choices in playstore. Cannot be used independent of phone.
I returned this. Too limited for my needs.
Hybrid bluetooth companion/standalone phone: Aplus GV18, my cost $25
large, square-ish face. light-weight silicon strap. proprietary software. Can pair with phone via bluetooth to receive push notifications. Connection has been stable for me up to 10m without obstruction (android, not iOS, phone). Has speaker and mic, so can answer and carry on full conversation on watch (sound quality on both ends is good). remotely control phone music (but plays from watch speaker) or load music onto SD card (user provided, format FAT32, upto 32GB) to play music independently. remote control phone camera or use built-in 2Mp camera for photo and video (low quality). Can also play loaded videos (AVI VXR MP3 format). Also accepts SIM card for voice calls and texts, to use as standalone phone. When used as standalone, can pair with bluetooth headset. Water resistant. No wifi, no GPS. Pedometer not that accurate. has calendar and alarm but OS is proprietary, so will not sync with Google. Will not sync contacts. Battaery easily lasts 2 days with light to moderate use. Limited watch face - choice of 3. I love it!. I have a pay-as-you-go SIM card in it. When I go for a jog, I leave my phone at home and forward calls and texts to the watch. (too much hassle to transfer the SIM card from phone to watch). I pair with bluetooth headset and listen to my downloaded songs. It is my go-to smartwatch.
Stand alone watch phone: ZGPAX S82, my cost $125
large, square-ish face, rubber strap. 2G/3G calls and data, wifi, bluetooth, GPS (worked intially, now doesn't work on mine anymore). Full android 4.4. Basically, a full android smartphone in a watch size. Small size can limit apps, as apps not created for screen this small, cannot see everything on the screen. Limited watch faces. Full android OS uses alot of power. if you tightly regulate antenna use (i.e. turn off wifi, data and bluetooth when not in use) and reduce screen brightness, battery can last 1 day (i.e. 8-10 hours). Has Google Playstore. Sign into your account, and download you apps and receive your notifications that way. Or can use SWapp Link app if want bluetooth pairing with your phone, but will use lots of battery. Good visibilty in sunlight. keyboard is tiny. can use OK Google for voice control. low res camera. Can expand memory with TF card to 32 GB for music,videos. pairs easily with bluetooth headset. I have watched YouTube on it. Some people have used this as their main phone. Since I have my cell phone with me most of the time, I primarily use my GV18. This device is a fun gadget for me that will be my back-up phone.
The right smartwatch for you is the one that best suits your needs. I would love the functionality and style of the moto 360, but with the ability to also function as a standalone phone. I think the Gear S has that ability, but too big and too expensive for me. New models coming out soon. If you need a smartwatch now, try out with cheap one and decide which functions you need, then invest in the right higher-quality model.
I started a small webshop selling smartwatches about a year ago, so I buy different design smartwatches from different manufacturers, pick the best, buy those in a small bulk (sometimes fixing software issues and sometimes add proper quality straps) and resell them on the European market with proper warranty.
My point:
Even I don't know which one (of the proper ones) to choose
I'm wearing the Omate TrueSmart for over a year now because it's the best stand-alone Android smartwatch with proper robust casing and sapphire glass, but I don't like the design when I compare it to my latest lines of companion smartwatches...
I'm in the same boat. I am stuck between the ZGPAX S8 and iMacwear M7. The S8 is more popular by far, but the M7 seems to be fairly equal, but more water resistant and really doesn't seem to have anyone complaining from what I've seen so far. I'd really like to have a daily smart phone watch.
So did anyone come up with a conclusion? i gave it a good read. Even i am planning to buy one too. not looking to spend much. $70-$80 is fine by me. Can anyone give me the best options to help me chose. please.
I like my LG G Watch. For $45 it is probably the best the money can buy. The chinese ones are ok but they just look and feel cheap. I have 1 and I cant even get it to fully pair with 2 phones I have. Speakerphone is nice but not at the cost of not being waterproof
player911 said:
I like my LG G Watch. For $45 it is probably the best the money can buy. The chinese ones are ok but they just look and feel cheap. I have 1 and I cant even get it to fully pair with 2 phones I have. Speakerphone is nice but not at the cost of not being waterproof
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Click to collapse
LG G Watch for $45. How come? i will buy from Amazon and its $96 there. :/.
And about the chinese smart watches not being water proof. yeah that sucks. Although they do advertise it as being waterproof. so isnt there any smart watch around my budget of a bit more good quality and water proof?
Hello!
1. Why nobody says that round smart watches -lack the ability to show everything that needed on the round screen.
2. there is a problem of showing whatsapp notifications?
3. A way to integrate between the smart watch heart rate sensor and sport tracker apps?
With such problems-there is a question about buying such watches.
Waiting for your opinions.
Thank
alfi07 said:
Hello!
1. Why nobody says that round smart watches -lack the ability to show everything that needed on the round screen.
2. there is a problem of showing whatsapp notifications?
3. A way to integrate between the smart watch heart rate sensor and sport tracker apps?
With such problems-there is a question about buying such watches.
Waiting for your opinions.
Thank
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I see your points. I prefer the round design because it more like the traditional watches I wear. Also, there are so many great custom watch faces that look awesome and I don't see as many square faces that are as great. While you can put a round watchface on a square watch, to me it just doesn't look right. As to apps, there has been some great work done on making apps work for the round face. I know there are some problems with some, but I don't find it too bad. The two things that cause me pause with smartwatches in general is: 1) the lack of 3G US bands (1900) and 2) if you have an iPhone like me, there is still a lack of connectivity versus an Android phone. I know that has a lot to do with Apple locking down their operating system and not giving true access because they want you to buy an Apple watch. But knowing this does not change the fact that since I have an iPhone, my connectivity issues or just simple lack of connectivity, it going to make the smartwatch experience less than stellar.
Hello.
So I managed to get a OnePlus Watch when pre-orders went live about a month ago. It was delivered today. After spending almost 24 hours with it, here are my thoughts (might be a little long winded).
1. It is missing ALOT of basic features, chief among which are tap-to-wake and no Google app support. The no Google support is major seeing as you cannot sync apps to the watch properly. My LG urbane does a million more things than the OP watch does.
2. Heavy focus on fitness. I like that they're trying to get people more active but come on, at this point it's basically a fitness tracker. For the price they're selling for, there are much better options out there that are dedicated to fitness. This is meant to be a proper smart watch from a company that is trying to take on the big boys like Samsung and Apple (obviously they have very little chance against Apple but, they can at least give it a go). With their recent products like the OP 8 and 9 series, they're starting to tell the world that they're no longer going to hold back and that their Nord line is for users that are on a tight budget but want something "premium feeling". To come out with a smart watch that focuses heavily on fitness and 0 Google support or features was a mistake.
3. It was clearly rushed to market. Very obviously, it was rushed to market before it was even ready. Personally, I believe that the hardcore OP fans put pressure on them to release a budget friendly smart watch. OP caved and just released what they had. Given more time for development and refinement, this could have been a solid product and I would have happily paid around the £200/€200 mark for it.
4. Notification issues. This has to be in top 3 gripes about the device. When you receive a notification on your phone, it pops up on the watch like normal but, you can't do much with it. If it's a group chat notification and you're getting quite a few messages, the notifications will not stack into one. Instead, you'll get several notifications on the watch about it. Dismissing a notification from the watch also doesn't dismiss it from the phone too and vice versa. There have been several times where I've dismissed from the watch, only to look at my phone later and it still showing up there or vice versa.
5. Poor step counter accuracy. MKBHD pointed this out in his review. I thought that maybe it could have been an issue with his review unit but no, it's an actual thing with the watch. A normal work day would get me 5000-7000 steps according to my LG urbane, the OP watch only registerd 3300. How?
That's my little rant over
Anyways, what's your experience with the watch been like so far? Overall, this watch has a lot of potential but it was let down due to OP wanting to get it to market as soon as possible. This needed a lot more development time and refinement. I'll keep a hold of it for now and see what improvements they bring in the near future.
5H1R42
thanks for your reviews.
MKBHD made me hesitating ; ''buy for what is is, not what it will become''
Cyberpunk like, rush ****, and then is a kinda waste of money.
Anyway, since I did NOT own any watch, and I was looking for a simple smart watch that looks classy (not like a gadget) , I hit on that watch. It was a good 'deal' here in canada, since 20$ off, no duty fee, no shipping and only 1 tax.
Hopefully one plus wont let this watch down. They are pretty good for old phone updates anyway, I guess they will do it on this watch.
I also wish some dev do great port on this watch, I dont know it it will be possible tho...
Any idea how to change the firmware? I got one from aliexpress, when they went out of stock in the US, and it can't be paired with the oneplus health app, only with the chinese oppo app.
I think the firmware is way behind (A38, vs B48 as of today), and I would like to have the oneplus app and updates... Half of this app is in chinese.
Thanks
RSchmauk said:
Any idea how to change the firmware? I got one from aliexpress, when they went out of stock in the US, and it can't be paired with the oneplus health app, only with the chinese oppo app.
I think the firmware is way behind (A38, vs B48 as of today), and I would like to have the oneplus app and updates... Half of this app is in chinese.
Thanks
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Thank you, I will try it.
Is there any hacky way to pair it to a iPhone for some alerts, until official iOS support arrives?
Hello guys. Help me pls
Updated to the global firmware and the exclusive watchfaces cyberpunk edition disappeared. Can you help me with the return of the cyberpunk firmware?
Contact 1+ and ask them about the watch faces, and see if you can liberate some firmware for our hopeful/eventually getting google wear on this B# either via official means or otherwise with the help of the sleepless xda unsung heros.
So I got the watch about the first wave from the store app (which I have not been able to reinstall since after the crash the 7pro had otw to 11) and I'm very impressed with the slick hardware... Shame on them not going the 'lazy' route and doing the Google wear thing, but instead doing their own thing and seemingly not even half-assing many a feature available on a cheap Chinese 30$ watch (with 3g/lte mind you) just because their æsthetic/simplicity metric. If I had nfc ability, the ability to just get coords via gps, or even midi sounds for timers then I could understand not using the hardware to full potential, but as some of the hardware isn't even being used right now, or at least the software provided doesn't allow it's use, the positive isn't much but here is what I got:
The damn thing at least lasts forever, even with 24/7 heart/0² monitoring... (I use only low light levels, no aod)
The first day I had it, I jumped in a pool and everyone was trying to tell me that maybe I should take it off, but it recorded all my strokes & movement amazingly well (if only it was exportable to kml/anything). I shower with it too, w/e.
Charge time is warped to a good ratio of charge/use, so realistically not much miss in data if monitoring is what you're after...
It's quite nice looking, responsive, and screen is anything but dainty. I don't think it's ever lagged.
The fact it does play music via BT is quite decent for a musician, as you can play someone your music on the fly considering there is a speaker with bt on in the vicinity. It's storage is huge as the space that could have gone to good use leaves gigs available...
I hope that oppo seriously gets to convince them that they must make wear a thing so we can choose to kill our batteries like we intend to, rather than have them force 2weeks battery life because it's good for them, rather than our choice to live with that allowance, or be realistic about how ridiculous we know we are being watching netflix on it...
It should be my call afterall. We'll see how it plays out, at least my sister with the iwatch was like "You don't have to charge it everyday, 2weeks!?” That made it almost acceptable...