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Thinking about getting a smart watch. Has anyone tried these? haven't seem much discussion. Looking at this one:
http://outgrow.me/product/cookoo-watch/
seanvree said:
Thinking about getting a smart watch. Has anyone tried these? haven't seem much discussion. Looking at this one:
http://outgrow.me/product/cookoo-watch/
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Click to collapse
I kickstarted (is that a verb now? that makes it sound like I started it though...) the pebble watch. Still a couple months from actually getting it though. Not a whole lot of them out there.
I have a WIMM 1 and I really like it. It's actually an android device in a watch. It has blue tooth and wi-fi.
The screen is color and is a 4 position touch screen.
Battery life is just one day for the most part if you use blue tooth or wi-fi.
But they include a charging paddle so its easy just to set it down in the paddle at night for charging.
It's not a sports watch (no gps I think) but there are some basic programs for walking etc I think they use the accelerometer
If you go their web site you can see they have some pretty cool options.
I also still have an InPulse watch (they are making the pebble now). I don't like this watch nearly as much. And not much
hope of updates to make it better since all they are doing is workign on the pebble now.
Yaotl said:
I kickstarted (is that a verb now? that makes it sound like I started it though...) the pebble watch. Still a couple months from actually getting it though. Not a whole lot of them out there.
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in the same boat waiting on my pebble
the cookoo watch looks way nicer aesthetically than the pebble, but looks like the pebble has more backers and has been in the business a bit longer than the cookoo
Why do you need a smartwatch when you already have a smartphone? Sorry to me just doesn't make sense. It just makes everyone that much more lazy.
babymatteo said:
Why do you need a smartwatch when you already have a smartphone? Sorry to me just doesn't make sense. It just makes everyone that much more lazy.
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did you guys see the one from sony,they had a smartwatch too,but its kinda ugly lool.the most look a like,i think is the cookoo watch,and its kinda cheep i think,but if you had two phone i guess you must have 2 watches lol.
babymatteo said:
Why do you need a smartwatch when you already have a smartphone? Sorry to me just doesn't make sense. It just makes everyone that much more lazy.
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I agree.. I know it's not cheap technology but geez, $129.99? I'd wait a few years until the price drops dramatically
---> Brought to you in part by my T999 / T-Mobile Galaxy SIII
I had the Sony smartwatch for a day. The build quality was horrible. It also felt awkward to use it for anything other than checking the time.
I too am waiting for the pebble. E-ink is the way to go for a watch IMO.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
bork.it.consulting said:
I had the Sony smartwatch for a day. The build quality was horrible. It also felt awkward to use it for anything other than checking the time.
I too am waiting for the pebble. E-ink is the way to go for a watch IMO.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
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so i'm the few people that like more the cookoo watch then the pebble lol.
I have a new WIMM I would sell if a reasonable offer were made to me...
babymatteo said:
Why do you need a smartwatch when you already have a smartphone? Sorry to me just doesn't make sense. It just makes everyone that much more lazy.
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I won't buy this until they make a blue tooth ear piece that can notify when my cookoo watch notifies me that my phone has a notification....
Sent from my unlocked GTab 2 running CM10
I got a Metawatch Frame a few weeks ago while waiting for my Pebble to arrive. Well, I got the Pebble today, and I really dig it.
Between the two, I kinda like the Metawatch Frame better for the appearance - it's a metal case with a leather band. It just looks better than Pebble. The screen is pretty nice, although being very reflective can be tricky to read.
But I like the Pebble more for the more reliable functionality. See, the Metawatch's software support is still spotty. The official app doesn't do much at all yet. They're supposed to be releasing an update to the Market any day now. In the meantime I've used the Community Edition, which works much better. It still has major issues. Notifications only pop up as "Mail received on [mail account]", or "SMS message received", but no subject or sender information. Then with both the MWMCE and Noah editions, the watch resets itself after receiving the alert.
With Pebble, I connected it to my Galaxy Nexus and tested a few things. The only thing that didn't seem to work was SMS messages. I had found the Pebble Notifier plugin for Tasker, and played with it, and it worked pretty well. Then I noticed the developer set up Pebble Notifier as a standalone application. You can select apps from a list of your apps, and any notification that shows up in your phone's notification tray will be sent to Pebble. It works well, and Pebble doesn't reset every time, either! In fact, after testing many notifications I have not seen the Pebble disconnect or reset.
I'll probably end up selling the Metawatch Frame. I would list it here, but it seems the for sale forum has been closed. Guess I'll have to fall back on Egay.
mshifai tou
The COOKOO watch case dimensions are 44mm x 16.3mm.
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That's a huge wrist-killer watch.
Talking smart watches as anyone heard of this one
VEA Buddy Bluetooth watch its on indiegogo
was thinking of joining in on it with a pledge just not sure yet plus i am waiting on getting the pebble did,nt get to back that though just got one on order so its gonna be a long long wait for that
Sent from my KFTT using xda premium
I got the Pebble Smartwatch and it is pretty slick. I think they will really become popular after Apple releases their own version.
dkouzou said:
That's a huge wrist-killer watch.
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The watch is not that bad.. my watch is 50mm x 15mm.. No biggie...
Still waiting for the android app.. till then, I will be holding off buying it..
well it looks cool. problem is you have to charge often... not ideal specialy if your the type who's always in an adventure...
Smartwatches
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2152256
I posted my thoughts on the Sony Smartwatch at the above link. I tried the Sony and the Pebble and I prefer the Sony. For those who wonder why the need for a watch when you already have the phone, I think it'll change your mind once you have a smartwatch. It's very liberating not having to pull the phone (in my case, the big Note II) out of your pocket as often. All of my notifications, weather, facebook, twitter, e-mails, sms... can be glanced quickly with the watch, especially when I'm driving or in a meeting.
With the new smartphones shouting out connectivity and innovation all it does is tieing up a soul to the internet. Facebook, Twitter, notification here, notification there, your whole life is becoming a bleep.
Kind regards,
Thomas
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Premium XDA-developers app
Hi everyone
I am considering a smart watch for multiple reasons but mainly so i know when somebody calls me at work.. must say though I LOVE customizations like everyone else on XDA
I have researched up on the following three watches
sony smartwatch
motorola motoactv
i'm watch
all three of these watches are nice and have their ups and downs.
i loved the motoactv because of its customizations however after reading up on the size of the actual thing i was a little more sceptical about it!
my wrist is not the biggest at about 47mm.. the motoactv is 46mm and quite bulky from the images and wanted to know what people think about its size. the i'm watch is a little bigger than the motoactv and bulkier however it is curved.. what do you guys think of that? the sony smartwatch would seem to be the best option thanks to its slick design and size however its functionality makes it more of a half smartwatch.
what do you guys think would suite my needs and wrist size? what are your opinions on the watches and what do you have and why did you pick it?
Just to say the pebble watch does not interest me because it lacks rich functionality.. i use whatsapp.. phone.. sms.. calendar.. music as my core apps and i would expect most of these on the watch (understand if whatsapp is not useable as long as there is notification)
Motoactv is my choice.
Yeah, it's kind of big, and my wrist is tiny, like girls wrist tiny. I personally don't give a crap about the looks, and it never feels in the way or like it's weighing me down, in fact I forget I'm wearing it sometimes.
The very few people that actually do make a comment or a little joke about the size have always eaten their words when I either show them or tell them what it does. And I work at a building supply store, so if anyone would think it was dorky it would be them. Yet they still always leave blown away, or asking where to get one.
I mean sure, sometimes I wished it was curved slightly to fit my wrist a little better, but out of all the smart watches out there currently this one is definitely the most capable.
Yeah I get where you're coming from.. functionality wise you don't have to take your phone out of your pocket! The only reason I am considering the sony smartwatch is because it is a size my wrist can cope with.. is there something out there like the motoactv but more ergonomic and a tad smaller or landscape?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
aadil7 said:
Yeah I get where you're coming from.. functionality wise you don't have to take your phone out of your pocket! The only reason I am considering the sony smartwatch is because it is a size my wrist can cope with.. is there something out there like the motoactv but more ergonomic and a tad smaller or landscape?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
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Nope, at least not one as functional. All the smaller ones don't do anything by themselves but tell time. Out of the 4 you can get that run full fledged Android and as such can perform as independent Android devices, the Motoactv beats them all for me.
The other three being:
WIMM One - developmentally dead, uglier than the motoctv, lower res screen, and was never able to be modified to use as a full android device. Good CPU and RAM though, and always-on screen is nice
I'm Watch - Looks nice but lacks wifi, slow CPU and little RAM, no hardware buttons and Android 1.6 limit app compatibility
Z1 Smartwatch - A fully functioning watch Smart phone with cell radio, but MASSIVE, way bigger than the Motoactv, also very slow CPU and little RAM
Hmm I see thanks for that.. being able to use android on your wrist is an amazin pheat however I am still contemplating my uses for the device.. its a real shame I cannot see these in person.. that would greatly help!
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
I honestly dont think this market has been struck with THE device of all devices just yet.. in the neptune pine I see the future
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
aadil7 said:
Hmm I see thanks for that.. being able to use android on your wrist is an amazin pheat however I am still contemplating my uses for the device.. its a real shame I cannot see these in person.. that would greatly help!
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
What I like about it, customization. I can change SO many things on my Motoactv to make it mine. I mean, a plethora of clock widgets, wallpapers (static or live), custom lock screen with apps like widget locker, calender widgets (DAMN handy on a watch), and apps. Oh man apps. I've installed a notepad with widget support, awesome for reminders or other things. Also a calculator (reminds me of the old casio watches), Poweramp for an amazing music player with custom equalizer, Gameboy emulator for simple RPG games, MXPlayer for videos...I can make my watch essentially what I want it to be, thanks to the nature of Android.
I've got videos of it on Youtube if you're interested. Just search my username, it's the same as on here.
My smartwatch comparison
Feel free to check out all the stats there. MotoACTV for my vote of course.
imho... at $18 with free shipping on ebay, the sony liveview mn800 (NOT THE SMARTWATCH)
is badass! it's tiny, sips power, can run all day, runs standard CHIBIOS RTOS on oled screen.
There's a custom firmware/rom functioning and under active development; an OPEN source app manager for the phone; an official app from Sony still being updated... tons of support and devs. Over 50 plugin apps available at the moment. AND liveview takes standard micro usb power so no proprietary cables and chargers.... use your phone charger if you must.
I agree it's not anywhere near the power of the motoactv (which is my second favorite but good luck finding motoactv below $160ish !almost 10 times as much!) and while it does have a degree of independence and I LOVE that it runs fullblown android... it's wifi/bt only ... so for most things you are still tethered to phone anyway. And it's mini usb... so plan on carrying around an additional adapter or charger.
Liveview is tiny, extensible, and dirt cheap and universal.
imho that's hard to beat!
if motoactv comes down to $80 I'll reassess.
---------- Post added at 03:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:00 PM ----------
I want the motoactv... I lust after it.
BUT. It's discontinued. Before sinking close to $200 and then more on the accessories in to something... I'd wonder how many more charge/discharge cycles the battery statistically has? MTBF type stuff.
Is the battery replaceable? Can you get a suitable replacement battery at a reasonable price?
If the screen breaks... can you get replacement screen or digitizer? Is the device easy enough to tear apart and operate on?
Is there an Open motoactv client app for phone? Will moto/google release this to allow extensibility? Will it remain compatible with future android versions/apis? What kind of a power drain will you get maintaining a connection btw phone and motoactv?
But if you have cash to burn - go for it It looks awesome.
Otherwise. $18 on ebay for the liveview lets you wade into the water slowly and if it breaks... **** order two!!! This thing is awesome!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sony-Ericss...er_Cell_Phone_Accessories&hash=item589938963b
I'm in the process of trying to build a solar watchstrap for it with this guy:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Thin-Film-L...675?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a8132e5db
and this guy:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1PCS-DC-DC-...420?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cd02d1204
if this works... battery should run forever!!!
---------- Post added at 03:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:13 PM ----------
But the biggest feature for me is that at $18 with free 2 day shipping from NYC... this thing is cheap enough with enough functionality that people will impulse buy it and then want more features... so the DEV community is set to grow exponentially as the price continues to fall.
As we've seen time and again - there are no feats the XDA community is unable to traverse. With an exponentially growing DEV and lay community... this thing is going to continue to become sicker and sicker.
PS if you google liveview, don't be turned off by negative reviews... Imho they are older, by unsophisticated users on older android versions and older firmware and app versions. In my experiences across the evo 4g, evo 3d, and note 2, this watch is solid. The connection and battery issues have largely been obviated by the new firmwares, new phone companion apps, and 3rd party app solutions. I love this little watch. I've bought 4 of them and donated to the local hackerspace until my primary breaks - but it's been several years already and she's still ticking.
I've got both, they're both microusb and both use my regular sgs3 charger.
I like my liveview, just not nearly as much. Can't play music on it or do anything standalone really. Can't even keep time without being tethered.
Hell, I can play angry birds on my actv lol.
Sent using XDA-funded carrier pigeons
ClearD said:
I've got both, they're both microusb and both use my regular sgs3 charger.
I like my liveview, just not nearly as much. Can't play music on it or do anything standalone really. Can't even keep time without being tethered.
Hell, I can play angry birds on my actv lol.
Sent using XDA-funded carrier pigeons
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
New Sony firmware or the open firmware allows to keep time even without connection to phone.
Motoactv is MICRO? same connector as liveview? man, apologies. my search, though cursory, showed mini. Good save. thanks.
I agree Motoactv is awesome; especially if you are will be in wifi areas.
But at $200ish vs. $20ish...
If you don't like it... makes a great gift to a geek when/if you want to upgrade.
Any advice on where to get a cheap motoactv?
EBay, for sure. I've seen them there for under $150, but they're still in high demand after they discontinued them, sadly.
Sent using XDA-funded carrier pigeons
Damn I never knew someone would rate the tiny sony watch so highly I may have to look into it.. maybe even buy it to try it n see what all the fuss is about!
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
willfck4beer said:
so for most things you are still tethered to phone anyway.
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I feel the exact opposite. The connection to the phone feels much more like an extension than a reliance. In fact there was a period i hadn't connected it to my phone for months. This was due to Android 4.2.2 having bluetooth issues on the GNex. I've since downgraded to 4.1.2 to get my text messages and caller ID function back, because it's damn handy at work. Otherwise, everything else runs right on it. For what I use it for mostly I don't need an internet connection most of the time.
willfck4beer said:
I'd wonder how many more charge/discharge cycles the battery statistically has? MTBF type stuff.
Is the battery replaceable? Can you get a suitable replacement battery at a reasonable price?
If the screen breaks... can you get replacement screen or digitizer? Is the device easy enough to tear apart and operate on?
Is there an Open motoactv client app for phone? Will moto/google release this to allow extensibility? Will it remain compatible with future android versions/apis? What kind of a power drain will you get maintaining a connection btw phone and motoactv?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The battery is replaceable, and available last time I checked. Screen/digitizer will be hard to find. Lots of people have opened this thing up and worked on it. There are tutorials online even. No open client, but people have found ways to communicate with it despite this. It uses Bluetooth 4.0, which is only just now being introduced to Android. The only thing that could stop it in the somewhat near future is companion app compatibility, and that's only if a new Android version breaks it. It wouldn't be hard for motorola to update the app with a simple compatibility update either.
I had my motoactv connected to my phone for 8 hours while I was at work today. It's been on for a total of 12 hours from when I unplugged it this morning, and I have 77% left right now.
Happen to have an extra Moto actv laying around?
willfck4beer said:
Happen to have an extra Moto actv laying around?
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Click to collapse
Nope, I almost want one as a backup...then again by the time this thing is kaput there might be something better out
Oh fxuck sony just opened up dev on smartwatches. Loving them fir the first time since the nineties right now! Smartwatch 1 and 2 just became much more attractive! OP, buy smartwatch2 when it hits $70ish for full touchscreen... buy smartwatch1 mn800 live view if you can only afford $20ish ... but no multi touchscreen imho. Anyone else know the added features delta betwixt the two smartwatches?
I know this has been already mentioned before but I wanted to start a discussion around wearable tech and touch on a few things I think this particular watch is getting right and why I think the game changer is finally here...
For the most part I think that because this isn't just a companion device like the I'm Watch or the Sony and numerous alternatives out there this is actually has loads of it's own functionality
For a start its waterproof!
If you're anything like me then you know how much you'd be put off having to rush for work and not have to worry about getting your watch soaked in the shower!
7 day battery life!
The I'm watch although has a nice colour screen only has 2 days worth of battery... that would really grate on me... having to charge your watch up ever other day.... 7 days is on par with other activity trackers.
Does everything a Fitbit Flex without needing to wear two things...
I do like the idea that I can wear this and not need a watch so now im back to having something just on one wrist and not on both
Keep track of your fitness in real time..
Something you can't do with any fitness tracker.. I really like the idea of using an Android Rock or Z1 watch phone but sadly they don't support bluetooth 4.0 LE which would have been great to directly see the apps off the fitness trackers... but this is the best you can get right now..
Syncs with Windows Phone 8
Ok for the minority of WP8 users out there with Lumias to actually have proper support with something is an amazing change
Anyway here's the link see what you all think about wearable tech...
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/kreyos-the-only-smartwatch-with-voice-gesture-control/x/4042531
Actually what made me really laugh on their promo video was yeh look the watch is waterproof she just made a call and jumped in... errrr... hang but on but she just destroyed her £600 iPhone which isn't waterproof oh... and notice how she didn't try and use it after she had jumped in ;p
If anyone does pledge and doesn't mind using my referral link, it'll be greatly appreaciated! Thanks.
http://igg.me/at/kreyos/x/3035858
Referrals are not allowed on xda
Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
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.
Click to expand...
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 .
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!