So I finally got a smartwatch...LOVE IT!

[blackangst1]

Ive always been on the bleeding edge of different kinds of technology...but, until last week, I had never gotten a smartwatch. Long story short, I first got a ZTE Quartz to pair with my Galaxy S8 phone. After a couple of days, I realized this thing is handy as hell! I normally wear a watch, so I didnt have to get used to wearing something on my wrist. After a couple of days, and reading more about smartwatches, I decided as nice as this was, it couldnt do a few things I wished it could (a true standalone device, LTE, and others). So then, my decision was a Samsung Gear S3 or a LG Watch Sport. Essentially, Samsung's walled garden OS or Android Wear.

Now, to answer which one is right for me, I had to decide on a total Google immersion (Google assistant) or Samsung's Voice S. Voice S has gotten some negative reviews, but it has always worked well for me. In the end, I decided on the Samsung. Was a better fit to my S8, and I got the LTE/GPS/WIFI version, so its a standalone device.

I spent all weekend with it, tried the navigation which surprisingly worked well...made some calls, answered a few texts, sent an email, etc.all while leaving my phone at home. Worked like a charm!

Battery life is decent, about 2 days with moderate use which is fine for me.

Oh and the customization is pretty neat! So many watchface choices depending what you want on the display.

All in all Im very happy with the purchase. Im on TMobile so also got the JUMP+INS for it, in case a new badass watch comes out later (which it will, as this is still fairly new technology).

 

[Ackmed]

Waiting for the Samsung Gear S3 Frontier to pair with me S8+, its been delayed till late June, ugh. I looked at yours, but decided it was worth the wait. The delay almost made me jump ship though. Glad you're happy.

 

[gorcorps]

Glad you like it. My experience with a smartwatch was pretty disappointing, but that was with Android Wear. A smart activity tracker like the Garmin vivo smart is the perfect middle ground for me. It gives me the notifications on my wrist, but the battery lasts a lot longer and doesn't also drain my phone battery.

 

[Raduque]

I loved my 360 and 360 gen 2. I don't think I'm going to love it as much when AW2.0 comes out.

I will switch to a Gear S3 Classic if AW2 is as terrible as the internet says it is.

 

[blackangst1]

I loved my 360 and 360 gen 2. I don't think I'm going to love it as much when AW2.0 comes out.

I will switch to a Gear S3 Classic if AW2 is as terrible as the internet says it is.

FYI AW2.0 is out now.

 

[lupi]

Have used a s3 for about 2 months now. Have no complaints about performance. Shopping now though for a replacement band as the rubber ones that come with it are too absorbent of heat and I end up losening it when I'm out in the heat.

 

[Raduque]

FYI AW2.0 is out now.

On like 3 watches, none of which are made by Motorola.

 

[Red Storm]

I love the idea of the LG Sport, a true smart watch that can basically replace your phone, but I don't want a heart rate sensor on my watch, and I like the classy look more than a sporty look.

 

[Raduque]

a true smart watch that can basically replace your phone,

And this is what is turning me off AW2.0. I don't want a watch that can replace my phone, I want my watch to be an extension to my phone, a companion device.

I want to use my watch to read and reply to SMS, screen calls (but not take them ON the watch!), manage notifications and do health tracking.

I'm thinking I should probably just go ahead and switch to a Gear S3 Classic anyway, because I use S-Health and Samsung Pay.

 

[lupi]

Ordered 2 metal bands, one with traditional links and other with the magnetic claps. Arrive Friday so should have first review by monday.

 

[core2slow]

I loved my 360 and 360 gen 2. I don't think I'm going to love it as much when AW2.0 comes out.

I will switch to a Gear S3 Classic if AW2 is as terrible as the internet says it is.

The internet loves to bitch and groan. The AW2 dev version has all kind of issues but the official version that was pushed out this week is top notch. I have the huawei watch and wifi + BT work exceptionally well and I don't get disconnect anymore. Text wrapping on messages have been greatly improved with bigger fonts and replying with swipe gesture is incredibly accurate even with a tiny keyboard. There's no more lag in picking up calls and I'll even say that the audio is crisper than AW1.5. Then again, Google's test bed for 2.0 is heavily weighted on the LG urbane and Huawei watch so YMMV if you have other brands.

 

[Commodus]

One of the things I've learned from wearing smartwatches for a few years (first the Pebble, then the Apple Watch): you really need to live with one to understand why it's useful.

It's a lot of little things that add up rather than one "this is why I bought it" feature. It's not having to pull your phone out of your pocket unless it's a genuinely important email. It's checking transit times when your hands are full. It's getting that motivation to run. It's turning on your home lights just by talking to your wrist.

Right now, smartwatches are still total luxuries -- you don't need them. But if you're fortunate enough to get one, it really does improve many small aspects of your life.

 

[tsupersonic]

I had a Pebble Time (well still do), that I used with my Nexus 6P. I stopped using it since the Nexus 6P battery life is garbage as it is, and I didn't need BT using more of the phone's battery. I do miss using it - having notifications on your wrist is nice. Once I get a new phone, I'll either start using the Pebble again or get a new smartwatch.

 

[Red Storm]

The internet loves to bitch and groan. The AW2 dev version has all kind of issues but the official version that was pushed out this week is top notch. I have the huawei watch and wifi + BT work exceptionally well and I don't get disconnect anymore. Text wrapping on messages have been greatly improved with bigger fonts and replying with swipe gesture is incredibly accurate even with a tiny keyboard. There's no more lag in picking up calls and I'll even say that the audio is crisper than AW1.5. Then again, Google's test bed for 2.0 is heavily weighted on the LG urbane and Huawei watch so YMMV if you have other brands.

I forgot the Huawei Watch had a speaker. Can you take and make calls while on WIFI but with BT off?

 

[core2slow]

I forgot the Huawei Watch had a speaker. Can you take and make calls while on WIFI but with BT off?

Good question, I'm not sure if you can. The only protocol that's open is BT audio, WiFi is strictly being used to cloud sync data, watch is away from phone (if you need to use Google assistant), and update watch apps (it has a dedicated play store now). I have hangout and fb messenger on the watch and they're only capable of accepting messages.

 

[Red Storm]

Good question, I'm not sure if you can. The only protocol that's open is BT audio, WiFi is strictly being used to cloud sync data, watch is away from phone (if you need to use Google assistant), and update watch apps (it has a dedicated play store now). I have hangout and fb messenger on the watch and they're only capable of accepting messages.

Wait what, you can't send hangouts messages through just wifi? What about texts?

Hmm, I was considering getting a Huawei watch on the cheap but now I'll probably continue waiting.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

Do all smartwatches nowadays have the ability to track a run and play music to wireless headphones via BT? If so, I assume you need a data plan for it?

 

[Commodus]

Do all smartwatches nowadays have the ability to track a run and play music to wireless headphones via BT? If so, I assume you need a data plan for it?

They can usually track a run, though how well depends on whether or not they have built-in GPS. Devices like the Apple Watch Series 2 and LG Watch Sport definitely have GPS. If a watch doesn't, how they track it depends -- Apple actually measures the gait you have when your phone is nearby, and uses that to estimate your calorie burn/distance when you're away.

Wireless music, again, depends. Apple doesn't have a cellular watch yet, but you can play music stored on the watch itself (up to 2GB) if the phone isn't available. If you want totally independent streaming without a phone... yes, you need both a cellular-equipped watch (like the Gear S3 Frontier) and a data plan, though you're usually paying for a small add-on data plan rather than a whole new line.

 

[core2slow]

Wait what, you can't send hangouts messages through just wifi? What about texts?

Hmm, I was considering getting a Huawei watch on the cheap but now I'll probably continue waiting.

you can send and receive hangout messages.

I have my carrier text integrates with FB messenger and there's no way to reply to fb messenger msgs/txt, all you get is a "thumb up" icon reply. At this point, it depends on the app owner to upgrade their software to be AW2.0 compatible and add in the functionalities, but it's really a low-priority for me because 90% of my messaging is through hangout or viber, both of which i can send and receive without issues.

 

[Raduque]

The internet loves to bitch and groan. The AW2 dev version has all kind of issues but the official version that was pushed out this week is top notch. I have the huawei watch and wifi + BT work exceptionally well and I don't get disconnect anymore. Text wrapping on messages have been greatly improved with bigger fonts and replying with swipe gesture is incredibly accurate even with a tiny keyboard. There's no more lag in picking up calls and I'll even say that the audio is crisper than AW1.5. Then again, Google's test bed for 2.0 is heavily weighted on the LG urbane and Huawei watch so YMMV if you have other brands.

Well, I don't care and don't want to take calls on the watch, and my 360 gen 2 doesn't even have a speaker. I don't want to use physical input to reply to text messages - the voice reply is working perfectly fine and even auto sends after a few seconds. I hear on AW2.0 you have to confirm the message before it will send, which is extremely dangerous while driving or even walking. I guess Googlers don't go anywhere, so they can pay 100% attention to their watches and use both hands. Might as well just haul my phone out at that point. I mean, if I have to use the keyboard and confirm the message to send it, why not do it on a large screen that's easier to use?

Plus, you can't get to theater mode by double clicking the crown anymore! I mean, wtf!

 

[Commodus]

Well, I don't care and don't want to take calls on the watch, and my 360 gen 2 doesn't even have a speaker. I don't want to use physical input to reply to text messages - the voice reply is working perfectly fine and even auto sends after a few seconds. I hear on AW2.0 you have to confirm the message before it will send, which is extremely dangerous while driving or even walking. I guess Googlers don't go anywhere, so they can pay 100% attention to their watches and use both hands. Might as well just haul my phone out at that point. I mean, if I have to use the keyboard and confirm the message to send it, why not do it on a large screen that's easier to use?

Plus, you can't get to theater mode by double clicking the crown anymore! I mean, wtf!

I only take calls on my Apple Watch as a last resort, but it has come in handy. If you've ever had that moment when an important call is coming in, but your phone is across the room... you'll appreciate it.

Confirmation for messages isn't new, but it's odd to roll back when you don't need them. Maybe they're concerned that this could contribute to distracted driving and want to be safe.

 

[OWR88]

Smart watch is an oxymoron.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

[Commodus]

Smart watch is an oxymoron.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

Have you used one for a significant stretch?

 

[cbrunny]

IMO Garmin is king in this market if you have any interest in using the watch as a fitness device. Going with any other brand just makes no sense.

If you have no interest in fitness, then I have basically no opinion.

 

[Commodus]

IMO Garmin is king in this market if you have any interest in using the watch as a fitness device. Going with any other brand just makes no sense.

If you have no interest in fitness, then I have basically no opinion.

It depends on the level of fitness you're after.

If you're the sort who's continually trying to optimize your pace and otherwise manage every nuance of your fitness, then definitely go for Garmin. But not everyone is aiming for that! Some just want to know whether they're being reasonably active, record their runs and otherwise get motivated. For that, the Apple Watch does a good job. Google Fit is getting there, but it's still a bit rudimentary in comparison.