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Offline xasop

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Smartwatches
« on: January 28, 2017, 11:48:40 PM »
I'm thinking about getting a Samsung Gear S3.

http://www.samsung.com/global/galaxy/gear-s3/

It's quite expensive, and the 4G model doesn't seem to be available in Australia, so I'd basically just be paying $600 so I don't have to take my phone out of my pocket as often. Then again, that sounds really convenient.

Has anyone used a smartwatch of any sort? Is it worth the price tag?
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Offline Snupes

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Re: Smartwatches
« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2017, 07:32:17 AM »
I've tried several smartwatches, including the Gear S2 (which I thought was rather awful and barren in terms of functions), and eventually I finally settled on the Huawei Smartwatch. It depends on what you're looking to get out of it, but the Huawei is the most sleekly-designed watch I've found, and it's got a pretty good battery life (I can generally make it through two days without charging it, but I charge it while I sleep). If Samsung has drastically improved their shitty Tizen OS for the watch and made the watch able to use any Android Wear apps instead of only Samsung-approved ones, then I'm sure the S3 is great as well. I kinda prefer the stock Android Wear experience, though.
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Offline xasop

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Re: Smartwatches
« Reply #2 on: January 29, 2017, 07:34:48 AM »
I've tried several smartwatches, including the Gear S2 (which I thought was rather awful and barren in terms of functions), and eventually I finally settled on the Huawei Smartwatch. It depends on what you're looking to get out of it, but the Huawei is the most sleekly-designed watch I've found, and it's got a pretty good battery life (I can generally make it through two days without charging it, but I charge it while I sleep). If Samsung has drastically improved their shitty Tizen OS for the watch and made the watch able to use any Android Wear apps instead of only Samsung-approved ones, then I'm sure the S3 is great as well. I kinda prefer the stock Android Wear experience, though.

Tizen is the reason I'm considering a Samsung. I'm honestly just sick of Android at this point.
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Offline Pete Svarrior

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Re: Smartwatches
« Reply #3 on: January 29, 2017, 09:52:44 AM »
I haven't used one personally because I've been advised not to waste my money by a number of early adopters at uni. Apparently most of my friends found the concept useless in practice. I think the most positive comment I've heard from one friend is that she no longer has to take her phone out of her pocket to look at text messages she receives.
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Offline xasop

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Re: Smartwatches
« Reply #4 on: January 29, 2017, 10:21:43 AM »
I haven't used one personally because I've been advised not to waste my money by a number of early adopters at uni. Apparently most of my friends found the concept useless in practice. I think the most positive comment I've heard from one friend is that she no longer has to take her phone out of her pocket to look at text messages she receives.

Yeah, that's my main concern as well.

This looks like it addresses that to some extent:

http://www.hotsmartwatch.com/

It offers the ability to take calls and send/receive SMSes and e-mails directly on the smartwatch, rather than the limited input facilities the leading brands have. Unfortunately, that website doesn't exactly inspire me with confidence...

Pre-order now for a discounted price. Pre-orders received on or after May 2nd will ship in February 2016.

It is the current year, after all.
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Offline Pete Svarrior

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Re: Smartwatches
« Reply #5 on: January 29, 2017, 10:37:03 AM »
http://www.hotsmartwatch.com/
>pedometer
hehehe, pedo

tbh I can see how a smartwatch might make sense for someone who makes very heavy use of their smartphone, but I can't actually think of a user story that isn't purely hypothetical
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Offline Snupes

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Re: Smartwatches
« Reply #6 on: January 29, 2017, 10:49:50 AM »
I've tried several smartwatches, including the Gear S2 (which I thought was rather awful and barren in terms of functions), and eventually I finally settled on the Huawei Smartwatch. It depends on what you're looking to get out of it, but the Huawei is the most sleekly-designed watch I've found, and it's got a pretty good battery life (I can generally make it through two days without charging it, but I charge it while I sleep). If Samsung has drastically improved their shitty Tizen OS for the watch and made the watch able to use any Android Wear apps instead of only Samsung-approved ones, then I'm sure the S3 is great as well. I kinda prefer the stock Android Wear experience, though.

Tizen is the reason I'm considering a Samsung. I'm honestly just sick of Android at this point.

Well, if that's what you want, go for the S3. I personally think Tizen is far more awful than Android, but to each their own.

I think the most positive comment I've heard from one friend is that she no longer has to take her phone out of her pocket to look at text messages she receives.

Since I seem to be the only smartwatch user here, I'll chime in and say that's fair. My watch isn't really a standalone device so much as a complement to my phone. Though I'd extend it to more than just "checking texts"; I practically never take my phone out of my pocket except to take calls now (unless I'm at home and playing games on it). So viewing notifications, responding to them, searching things, checking time (obviously), checking weather, tracking fitness (which some people don't care about, but I like), taking notes and reminders, etc.

I tell a lot of customers at work that, yeah, if you're expecting some whole new paradigm of technology, you're in the wrong mindset. It's basically having your phone on your wrist. If that's not something you're interested in, you probably don't need nor want a smartwatch.
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Re: Smartwatches
« Reply #7 on: January 29, 2017, 05:32:05 PM »
I currently am using a Pebble 2 smartwatch which I got new for $60.

It's really convenient and I like it a lot.

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Offline xasop

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Re: Smartwatches
« Reply #8 on: January 29, 2017, 07:33:18 PM »
It's basically having your phone on your wrist.

That's the impression I got, which does sound convenient. I'm just not sure it's worth $600.

I currently am using a Pebble 2 smartwatch which I got new for $60.

That does sound a lot more reasonably priced. Pity Pebble no longer exists.

Edit: Your suggestion of Pebble inspired me to look at Fitbit, who acquired them. While the fitness aspects aren't all that attractive to me, a Fitbit Blaze looks like it does most things I'd want from a Gear S3 at about half the price.
« Last Edit: January 29, 2017, 07:43:54 PM by Parsifal »
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Online Lord Dave

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Re: Smartwatches
« Reply #9 on: January 29, 2017, 07:36:56 PM »
The only reason I'd get one is so I could feel the vibration of notifications on my wrist.  Text messages mostly as I often don't hear them.
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Offline Fortuna

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Re: Smartwatches
« Reply #10 on: January 29, 2017, 08:17:02 PM »
I'm considering getting a Fitbit Charge 2 so I can track my sleeping and heart rate. I'm pretty sure it does rudimentary smart watch functions too, like notify you of texts and calls. But I'm mainly considering it for the health aspect because my family has a long history of heart disease. Oh, and the silent alarm feature seems nice. Waking up to a blasting alarm every morning can't be that great for you I'm sure.

As for whether or not you should get a smart wearable, just buy it from somewhere that you know you'll be able to return it to. Try it for a week. Once the new gadget euphoria feeling wears off you'll know if it's actually useful or not.
« Last Edit: January 29, 2017, 08:28:26 PM by Hollocron »

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Offline Snupes

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Re: Smartwatches
« Reply #11 on: January 29, 2017, 10:22:20 PM »
Edit: Your suggestion of Pebble inspired me to look at Fitbit, who acquired them. While the fitness aspects aren't all that attractive to me, a Fitbit Blaze looks like it does most things I'd want from a Gear S3 at about half the price.

Try to go somewhere that'll let you try on a Blaze first, IMO. I had one for a while and I found it really fucking uncomfortable.

I'm considering getting a Fitbit Charge 2 so I can track my sleeping and heart rate. I'm pretty sure it does rudimentary smart watch functions too, like notify you of texts and calls. But I'm mainly considering it for the health aspect because my family has a long history of heart disease. Oh, and the silent alarm feature seems nice. Waking up to a blasting alarm every morning can't be that great for you I'm sure.

This actually reminds me, it might be worth looking into the Samsung Gear Fit 2. I used one of those for a while and I was actually really happy with it. It didn't do all the smartwatch functions a Gear S3 or Huawei watch will, but it'll do everything that a Blaze can (and more, if I'm not mistaken). The downside(?) being that it doesn't look anything like a watch, but the Blaze is uglier IMO so the bar isn't very high.
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Offline xasop

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Re: Smartwatches
« Reply #12 on: January 30, 2017, 07:07:08 AM »
The Huawei Watch on Amazon is under $400 (AUD) including shipping, which is far more reasonable than $600. I might just bite the bullet and go with Android. At least it will integrate nicely with my Android phone, too.
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Offline xasop

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Re: Smartwatches
« Reply #13 on: January 30, 2017, 09:36:23 AM »
Apparently Android Wear 2.0 is coming out with a bucketload of new features in just a couple of weeks. Having discovered this, there is no reason not to wait for that, especially given the drawbacks in all current iterations of Android-compatible smartwatch.
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Offline Snupes

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Re: Smartwatches
« Reply #14 on: January 30, 2017, 05:35:57 PM »
The Huawei will be getting an update to Android Wear 2.0. The only thing I'm aware of that it won't be able to do is NFC payments, which sucks for me. :[
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Offline xasop

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Re: Smartwatches
« Reply #15 on: January 30, 2017, 09:45:29 PM »
The Huawei will be getting an update to Android Wear 2.0. The only thing I'm aware of that it won't be able to do is NFC payments, which sucks for me. :[

Well, there are also hardware drawbacks in all the current models. The Gear S3 is bulky, the Gear S2 lacks a speakerphone and apparently has spotty voice recognition, and the Huawei has short battery life. Both of the latter seem to lack NFC payments, but I'm not sure I want the bulk of an S3 just for that.

I've looked briefly at other models but they all seem inferior to those three in some way. The only exception is the Apple Watch, which is incompatible with Android.

So I'm hoping that the release of Android Wear 2.0 prompts some new models that address those drawbacks.
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Offline Snupes

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Re: Smartwatches
« Reply #16 on: February 01, 2017, 05:06:08 AM »
LG is releasing a smartwatch designed in tandem with Google, so once the specs are out on that that might be a good idea. I'm eyeing it because if it looks nice enough, I might even snatch one up.
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