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[Q] Sony Smartwatch 3 or Moto 360 - small wrists

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"
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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 .

[Q] Smartwatch in $60 range?

With so many options of clones what's a good solid one in the $60 range?
I was thinking about trying the Soyan M9?

Ok I was wondering since I was reading some other threads do any of these watches able to do Google now?

the ranking of this watch in Amazon is passable
but few customers bought it and few customers reviews
i don't recommend it

I know I'm late to the party, but anyone else thinking about getting this watch - it's pretty alright. It's definitely better than the U8, and definitely not able to do anything fancy though. It definitely is midrange, and it looks nice to boot. I want to flash it, but I haven't even looked into firmware flashing before I got this. So if anyone knows what I can do, let me know.

Please don't call them clones! These watches have been around for years before Gear, Pebble, etc. Soapbox away, I just got my GV08. A few flaws, sure, but for $60 I wasn't expecting miracles. This all comes down to the features. I've not seen voice commands on the lower price points yet. Waterproofing seems to be another issue. And most of these manufacturers are in China, so good luck with support. Beyond that I can say the construction seems sturdy. The touch screen is remarkably accurate. Any camera without a flash does poorly unless in full sun. I was glad to see my device accept an H2o SIM card with no issues. It now identifies its network as AT&T and allows me to make calls. And with bluetooth pairing to my Galaxy S4, I can avoid running up those minutes as well. I'm digging for firmware upgrades and driver support at the moment. One missing feature that I would like is a CALENDAR sync. And bluetooth filesharing is possible but terribly slow. It's going to see some stress in the next few weeks and if it self-destructs I'll let you in. Otherwise for the price I believe this was a good purchase.

GV08s Comment
LukosTheWolf said:
Please don't call them clones! These watches have been around for years before Gear, Pebble, etc. Soapbox away, I just got my GV08. A few flaws, sure, but for $60 I wasn't expecting miracles. This all comes down to the features. I've not seen voice commands on the lower price points yet. Waterproofing seems to be another issue. And most of these manufacturers are in China, so good luck with support. Beyond that I can say the construction seems sturdy. The touch screen is remarkably accurate. Any camera without a flash does poorly unless in full sun. I was glad to see my device accept an H2o SIM card with no issues. It now identifies its network as AT&T and allows me to make calls. And with bluetooth pairing to my Galaxy S4, I can avoid running up those minutes as well. I'm digging for firmware upgrades and driver support at the moment. One missing feature that I would like is a CALENDAR sync. And bluetooth filesharing is possible but terribly slow. It's going to see some stress in the next few weeks and if it self-destructs I'll let you in. Otherwise for the price I believe this was a good purchase.
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Click to collapse
I have a GV08s which is a nice smartwatch but it keeps disconnecting from my Galaxy Note 2 and will not keep a BT connecting. I also have a U8 which is not as nice, but connects without a problem. The problem appears to be with the GV08s...just not sure if it is this particular watch or if the GV08s has a problem...also I cannot change the weather to our local weather...nice screen, can see it in the sun and also the menus are great, just wish it would hold a BT connection.

Confused with so many watches. Help me pick a smart watch

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.
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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?

ZGPAX S29 Quick Review

Hi everybody
I know there are a few reviews of the S29 around but I didn't find them useful for my decision to purchase the S29 so I'm going to throw in my own 2 cents (I'm Australian - if you don't know what 2c means then just google it). Hopefully if you are reading this review you are considering buying an S29 and probably (like me) you are faced with an overwhelming array of different devices and options. My plan is to present information that is helpful.
I decided that I wanted to get a smartwatch about three months ago because I'm a teacher and I don't like it when I miss important texts or phone calls from my wife. When I'm in class I will not bring out my phone, and sometimes I'm so busy teaching I don't even notice the phone vibrating anyway. Sometimes, if I had known that I had gotten a text or phone call, I could have gone at the end of the lesson to the staffroom, sorted things out in a minute, and proceeded to the next lesson.
I was also in a situation where the watch I used for running was really irritating me, and it had no way of telling me how I was going, other than the time it took me to run. If I run the same route, it's fine, but if I do extra bits then I have no way of comparing.
I'm also a bit stingy and a bit wary of buying into the next big thing when the price is high. The prices of first generation smartwatches have come down a fair bit in the last 6 months but I would have to spend at least $120 if not more for something that didn't have a great review of battery life and for something that my wife was telling me was a waste of money.
So, my criteria was that it needed to be cheap, have a battery that would last easily through a full day, show me texts and emails, have some kind of pedometer. I was also looking for some sort of storage just in case (some watches have very, very small amounts of storage) but things like camera, photos, and music weren't a big part of this decision for me.
I narrowed it down to about 10 chinese smartwatches that ranged in price from $30 (U8) to $80. Bear in mind that these were AUD.
As I was wading through all the information I decided that I was really drawn to the fake G2 look. Something about the colour and the icons just seemed attractive - it was just a personal taste thing. It wasn't a game changer for me, but looks count for something.
I really wanted a Bluetooth 4.0 or 4.1 but I decided that it was really going to go above my price range (I didn't really want to spend more than $60AUD) and that pretty much knocked that out. That really meant that the No.1 range was out.
After a lot of deliberation I ended up with the S29 and I have to say that I am really glad that I chose it. I managed to get it from Aliexpress for $55AUD (around $34USD) and I got it from China to me in about 2 and half weeks which is pretty good (so kudos to Aliexpress for that).
Having used it for half a week now, I can tell you a number of things about it. It's never going to beat any kind of Android wear for functionality and the software is fidly, but for what I wanted it is perfect.
The look and feel is great - very comfortable and just like the photos.
The software that you can download by QR scanning is useless on Lollipop so don't bother. I am using the Mediatek app (make sure you get the version that was released April 2015 or later) and it makes sure I get all my texts and emails. I have turned off my accuweather notifications (it didn't show the temperature) and chromecast notifications because they were just annoying and I could probably turn off a lot more. I haven't tried Facebook because I don't allow FB notifications on my phone (too many, too annoying, too distracting).
I have been for a run with it, and I'm pretty sure the pedometer works really well. I say pretty sure because it says mileage, but reads km. I knew the distance I ran and converted it from miles to Km and it was spot on.
Battery life is great. I've had a few days worth of fiddling around and changing things and hardly used any battery to do it. I'm up to day 2 without charging and it's still more than half full (according to the icon). I changed the screen on time to 15sec because I just don't need it to be longer and 15 seconds actually feels like a very long time once I've done what I need to do - it's not like a phone where I might be reading a lot of text and not touch the screen for a while etc.
Sound through the speakers is tinny which I expected but it's clear enough for me to listen to if I want - I just can't control the volume using the phone, and I can't get it through the audio icon (it goes for the bluetooth on the phone and opens up my podcast app - who knows why?) but I can get it through the file manager. The Camera is great for low resolution grainy photos but that's about it. The remote camera for the phone works really well. I accidentally had a conversation with my wife through the bluetooth (I haven't got a sim in it even though there is a spot for it) and it was clear enough and I didn't have to hold the watch up to my mouth and ear.
I have sent texts using the tiny keyboard without too many problems, but it's probably easier to get my phone out really.
I was pleasantly surprised by the "multimedia" function which is just sound or video recording - I haven't tried video, but sound was good enough and simple enough for a quick memo.
The interface is quite good. There's no real lag and mostly it's easy to get to the feature you want.
Here are my problems with it...
There is nothing on the screen normally so to see the time I have to press the button. I can't therefore surreptitiously look at the time.
The bluetooth is quite aggressive and wont let me turn it off if it is connected to my phone. I have to go to my phone settings to swap to my car bluetooth. Thankfully I have "trigger" (an app similar to IFTTT but simpler) and it there were enough options to create a rule to hand over the connection to the car and then back again afterwards without any dramas. I think the fact that I have the 450MH Battery is certainly an important part of the battery life with BT3.0 and I think they have made a good choice with it.
There is no way of recording the pedometer readings. I've tried a few apps but they just don't play nicely with the watch. It's no biggie to me, but if you were interested in that kind of thing then you would want to spend a little bit more for a No.1 watch and use Fundo (though be careful which app you download because fundo isn't a unique app name...) You'd also get a heart rate monitor which might be useful. The S29 tells you that it records your calories burnt, but really it just calculates your steps and comes up with a number of calories that you might have burnt.
The pop up notifications are just enough information to tell you who sent you a text and the first line, likewise with email but it's the name with a subject. I'd probably like a little bit more, but lets face it - it's a watch.
These are only very minor problems and I'm really happy with my purchase. My plan is to use it for about a year and then get something with android wear (or Tizen ... maybe).
At the very least I feel like I know the one feature I will have to have on my next watch is the ability to turn on the screen just by turning my wrist.
I hope this has been useful if you are making a decision about a smartwatch.

Hi! Im planning on buying this ZGPAX S29. Have you tried the Watchmaker app with this? Does it really work?? Thanks in Advance!

First smart watch. Huawei Smart Watch 2 Classic?

Looking to get my first smart watch. Around £250.
I would like it to do the following without a having a phone on me:
Pay with tapping.
Track runs via Strava.
Play music (possibly Spotify?).
I would like the following when I have the phone on me:
Email alerts
SMS
Whatapp
Facebook Messenger
Answer / Make calls (would this count as legal hands-free? ).
The Huawei Smart Watch 2 Classic looks to do all this for about £230 (unless someone else can find it cheaper?).
Any other alternatives that can do the above?

Ticwatch Pro is my favorite. I don't own one yet so I can't really back that up, other than on paper and community reviews.

I had the Huawei 2 classic for about a week. The battery didn't get me through the day, and at least for me, the 1.2 inch screen was just too small. It's a really good looking watch though. Had the screen been bigger and the battery lasted a day, I would have kept it no questions asked. Hopefully the 3 whatever fixes those two things. Also, at this point, you *should* be able to find a 2 classic cheaper. Keep looking around. Or wait until Amazon's black Friday week.
OR, do what I did and buy a Fossil Q Explorist HR. I LOVE this watch. It looks great, the battery last more than a day, the screen is 1.4 inches, and super fast charging. Brand new, just came out they go for $250-270 depending on the color and band type. I got the gunmetal with the metal band just because I love that color. I don't even use that band.
OR, wait a couple more months for some smartwatches to come out with the new chip.

WillyShatsWig said:
Looking to get my first smart watch. Around £250.
I would like it to do the following without a having a phone on me:
Pay with tapping.
Track runs via Strava.
Play music (possibly Spotify?).
I would like the following when I have the phone on me:
Email alerts
SMS
Whatapp
Facebook Messenger
Answer / Make calls (would this count as legal hands-free? ).
The Huawei Smart Watch 2 Classic looks to do all this for about £230 (unless someone else can find it cheaper?).
Any other alternatives that can do the above?
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Click to collapse
OK, hopefully I am qualified to provide you with a reasonable answer.
I have had Smartwatches since the beginning I think.
My Huawei watch 1 has finally given up after 3 years, a great service, may it rest in pieces (literally) and my backup Sony SW3 just never feels 'right'.
in my search for a replacement, I have since bought/returned or tried the Samsung Galaxy Watch (46mm), Ticwatch Pro (Amazon deal 180£), A fossil gen 3.
The Samsung is faster than a speeding bullet, well made, awesome bezel thingy, and a great screen. But there's bugger all app support, notifications don't work to my liking (eg it notifies of Twitter feed but not the actual message), slow to charge and battery simply not as great as stated and Samsung Pay, doesn't include Halifax (my bank (well not my bank as in I own it, but rather they have all my money)), expensive additional chargers and expensive watch in the first place.
The Ticwatch Pro - uses same tech as all current items and the LED screen cant be seen in low light or dark, and it was the laggiest of all watches owned/tried and isn't particularly cheap.
I didn't want to buy another HW1 so I purchased an Amazon WH special HW2, just to give it a whirl.. £130
Glad I did. Agreed the screen is too small and was a backward step compared to HW1 but this helps with battery life. It doesn't look like anything special (like a mid range Casio). But it is comfortable, all apps work as they're supposed to, cheap to buy, low-cost spurious chargers (£4!), and once you disable a couple of bloatware apps the battery is incredible and Android Pay works (never had this before).
If you can't wait for watches with 3100 chip (and they're unlikely to perform much better, but hopefully have improved staying power, then I recommend the HW2 .... especially an Amazon special.
I'm currently experimenting with different settings to understand battery implications but with 'Always on' set to off, I can get 3 days if careful), currently trying always on, with simple screen and looks like a comfortable 2 days ... which I could never get with my HW1. Additionally I just discovered it has a watch only facility (bit like the Ticwatch) giving you a month's use as a dumb smart watch.

Thanks for the above... I took the plunge and bought the HW2, A-grade second for £170. It turned up still sealed, with all the protectors on it. Great!
However, it looks like I'll be sending it back unused, as Huawei have leaked that they will be release the GT (baiscally HW3) THIS MONTH and it looks gorgeous.
Available in Classic, Sport and Fashion versions. It will have the new Snapdragon 3100 chipset, a bigger screen, be completely water-proof and a much longer battery life. Whether it will be running Wear OS remains to be seen:
https://www.techradar.com/news/first-huawei-watch-gt-photo-leaks-showing-the-new-design

BobDunn said:
OK, hopefully I am qualified to provide you with a reasonable answer.
I have had Smartwatches since the beginning I think.
My Huawei watch 1 has finally given up after 3 years, a great service, may it rest in pieces (literally) and my backup Sony SW3 just never feels 'right'.
in my search for a replacement, I have since bought/returned or tried the Samsung Galaxy Watch (46mm), Ticwatch Pro (Amazon deal 180£), A fossil gen 3.
The Samsung is faster than a speeding bullet, well made, awesome bezel thingy, and a great screen. But there's bugger all app support, notifications don't work to my liking (eg it notifies of Twitter feed but not the actual message), slow to charge and battery simply not as great as stated and Samsung Pay, doesn't include Halifax (my bank (well not my bank as in I own it, but rather they have all my money)), expensive additional chargers and expensive watch in the first place.
The Ticwatch Pro - uses same tech as all current items and the LED screen cant be seen in low light or dark, and it was the laggiest of all watches owned/tried and isn't particularly cheap.
I didn't want to buy another HW1 so I purchased an Amazon WH special HW2, just to give it a whirl.. £130
Glad I did. Agreed the screen is too small and was a backward step compared to HW1 but this helps with battery life. It doesn't look like anything special (like a mid range Casio). But it is comfortable, all apps work as they're supposed to, cheap to buy, low-cost spurious chargers (£4!), and once you disable a couple of bloatware apps the battery is incredible and Android Pay works (never had this before).
If you can't wait for watches with 3100 chip (and they're unlikely to perform much better, but hopefully have improved staying power, then I recommend the HW2 .... especially an Amazon special.
I'm currently experimenting with different settings to understand battery implications but with 'Always on' set to off, I can get 3 days if careful), currently trying always on, with simple screen and looks like a comfortable 2 days ... which I could never get with my HW1. Additionally I just discovered it has a watch only facility (bit like the Ticwatch) giving you a month's use as a dumb smart watch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good for your detailed review. I have gone ahead with HW2 and currently getting almost 20 hours battery life including 1 hour of training with BT headset playing so that itself uses almost 30% with GPS on for tracking activities. Would like to know which 2 apps you froze to give you better battery life. On other items my watch is always on power saving mode and connected to BT all the time with Wifi off and GPS off (on when only needed). At night, its on airplane mode.
ChrisMarin said:
Thanks for the above... I took the plunge and bought the HW2, A-grade second for £170. It turned up still sealed, with all the protectors on it. Great!
However, it looks like I'll be sending it back unused, as Huawei have leaked that they will be release the GT (baiscally HW3) THIS MONTH and it looks gorgeous.
Available in Classic, Sport and Fashion versions. It will have the new Snapdragon 3100 chipset, a bigger screen, be completely water-proof and a much longer battery life. Whether it will be running Wear OS remains to be seen:
https://www.techradar.com/news/first-huawei-watch-gt-photo-leaks-showing-the-new-design
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you get that watch? i have seen this watch and tho it looks awesome it based on Huawei OS and not on Wear OS. Second thing which killed it for me was the lack of internal storage. It only has 128 mb ROM. Not sure what you can do with it.