Pebble or SonySmartwatch - Pebble

I am thinking about getting a smart watch which one is best.
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It depends what you're after, personally I chose the pebble for battery life, permanently on screen and amount of apps for it, 3 weeks in and no regrets.
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Is the pebble waterproof?
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yes, waterproof
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Write down what you think it's mandatory for the way you would use a smartwatch, what you would like to have it and what you absolutely don't want on a smartwatch. After that maybe we can give you good advice.
I chose Pebble for battery time, readability, always on, good price, looks (as a woman I find most smartwatches too bulky), apps. After a few days I'm totally happy with it. But if you think speaker, microphone and camera are very important in a smartwatch or you hate black and white screen then you'll have to choose another watch. Also keep in mind that Pebble is a young company with some startup-issues like slow support, underdeveloped sdk etc. If you're an impatient person, think twice before ordering a Pebble
Verstuurd vanaf mijn Xperia Z

I would like long battery life weather, read text messages, vibration, I would also prefer color screen, and be able to download different apps, and it should be water proof
PS it doesn't have to be pebble or sony
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Pebble for me. I got the SW2 free with my Z1 and I think I'm going to sell it before I even open it.
Waterproof, always on screen, customisable notifications and watch faces, plus much better battery life - the Pebble is better, for my needs.
But, hey, I am not suggesting someone someone else wouldn't love the Smart Watch because of the additional functionality and colour screen. I just know I barely used my LiveView.

I like the pebble for what everyone else likes: eReader screen (best screen for outdoor use), water-resistance (once again great for outdoor use), always on screen (i don't want to push a button to see my watch), long battery life (about a week).
I don't need my watch replace my phone.. I like seeing who's calling, texting, emailing, or seeing voicemail msg's without pulling my phone out of my pocket everytime it rings, beeps, or vibrates.
I love the Pebble Bike app.. it's basically a bike computer on your wrist (which uses your smartphone as the computer and GPS).
The Pebble is perfect for my needs and life style.
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Would pebble be compatible with a droidx running android 4.0
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Muledog17 said:
Would pebble be compatible with a droidx running android 4.0
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Yes (in fact all androids with 2.3 and above and working bluetooth), but you might want to use apps like Pebble Notifier to get it to do exactly what you want.
Verstuurd vanaf mijn Xperia Z

pebble
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I am going to jump in here because I used a Pebble for six months and have gotten an SW2 to give it a try. First asking this question in a Pebble forum is bound to get you Pebble-centric responses so I hope you have also asked it in other Smartwatch forums as well.
Battery Life:
Pebble is the clear winner with routinely >7days and sometimes as much as 10 days as long as you don't use a watch with a seconds display which in my calculation uses 20% of the power. The SW2 is >1day so far but I have not stressed it.
Screen:
This is personal preference but the SW2's color screen is really nice and it's black and white standby mode is essentially always on and visible in direct sunllight even easier than the Pebble's.
Waterproofiness:
Pebble is better here as people have reported swimming with it on without ill effect. The SW2 is just splash proof (which is better than its predecessor).
Charging:
Both take about the same amount of time to charge to fill but the SW2 uses a standard micro-usb cable so it is likely you will have plenty of those around. The Pebble uses a proprietary cable so you either need to stock up on extras or plan your charging according to where the cable is.
Watchfaces
The clear winner is Pebble with open platform for creating watchfaces there is a huge selection and someone has even created a website interface to create your own masterpiece. The basic SW2 watchfaces are in the firmware, there are watchface apps but they use more battery.
Apps
The SW2 has a slight advantage here as it's apps are more mature and easier to navigate, However, with Pebble's open approach to app development they are not too far behind. There is at least one app (augmented smartwatch) that gives extra functionality to both the Pebble and SW2. There are other functionality increasing apps for both platforms.
Appearance and build quality
Again, personal preference but I prefer the SW2 as it is metal and the watch pins are placed more like a traditional watch instead of exactly even with the bottom of the body as on the Pebble.
At this point I am leaning towards the SW2 for the screen and marginally better apps for what I want to do (phone call handling, music start & stop, text & calendar notifications, and a quick check on the weather). However, the short battery life may make me go back to the Pebble.
Hope that is helpful,
Fred

The battery on the sw2 last more than a day and it is fully waterproof

I have a question: how does pebble affect the battery life of the phone since bluetooth is always on?
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Cheetah1024 said:
I have a question: how does pebble affect the battery life of the phone since bluetooth is always on?
Sent from my LG P880
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Click to collapse
Depends on your phone (radio/rom) and amount of data being transferred ofcourse, but I think the guide is about 5-10%

Oh, ok, thats not too bad...
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It takes about 5% as far as i calculated. Too hard to figure out...
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Pebble Watch on Android Review.
Get Pebble + Tasker = Make Life Easier.))

'Made for ipod/iphone' but only 'works with android', not with ipod/iphone

You might want to check the Kreyos Meteor, it's a slightly different approach but a similar concept of a basic smartwatch (monochrome, good battery life...) with some extra features (mic/loudspeaker to answer phone calls, for instance).
Not yet available, though, and the design is more "sport" (read "bulky and rubbery") than the rather classical design of the Pebble.
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Related

Metawatch Smartwatch

As I was anticipating getting the Note 2, I realized as my phone got bigger, it would require a different way of use than a smaller device. With the rumored Note 7", if it's allowed to handle calls, it is even more important to me if I upgraded to that to have a convenient way to handle calls without having to pull the whole device out.. Imagine the device in your pocket as the communications hub - you pull it out when you need to deal with the screen, but for simple tasks like calls, your smartwatch and headset would be the only things you need to interact with.
In the past, there were bluetooth headsets with caller ID displays, but I found they're not practical as you still have to look at the display, then put in your ear or you have the display part hanging around your neck/clipped on your shirt like those Sony's I've seen. A watch which can show the caller IDs, incoming texts and emails is more appealing to me.
I read from reviews that other smartwatches were either too bulky, had miserable battery life, or had issues staying connected with the phone reliably. I found the last two issues to be the case with the Sony 2nd gen Smartwatch so sent it back. I loved the promised functionality, but in practice the battery life wouldn't even last the day, which was a dealbreaker. It also would randomly disconnect from my phones so the lack of reliability for what I wanted it for was frustrating.
It seemed the Pebble was everything I was hoping for (on paper, at least), so I backed on Kickstarter and was hoping it would be out by the time I got a Note, but since it's not shipping yet, I went and got the Metawatch Frame. So far I'm really liking it, even though there aren't a lot of widgets/apps developed for it at this early stage. My primary requirement of at least a days worth of battery life (actually can go several days) and reliable bluetooth attachment so that it instantly shows incoming caller ID is working great. Even shows the contacts picture on the watch (in low res monochrome). http://metawatch.myshopify.com - I got the Frame version since I thought Strata looks too bulky.
So far I have it set up to do email/SMS/Caller ID, weather forecasts. You can set up more notifications, but they will eat up battery life and I didn't want to always have every little notification show up on my watch.
You will have to update the firmware on the watch if it ships w/ 1.1 to 1.2 so it supports the Metawatch Community Edition - a simple email to their support will promptly get you a link and instructions to upgrade the FW.
Watch Manager you load on your phone: https://play.google.com/store/apps/...t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5tZXRhd2F0Y2gubXdtIl0.
Watch Manager Community Edition (has more features, but needs 1.2 FW): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.metawatch.communityedition&feature=search_result
Apps: https://play.google.com/store/search?q=metawatch&c=apps
Is anyone else using a smartwatch w/ their Note 2? How are your experiences with them?
Hi.
Do u run stock ROM? Android 4.1.2?
I have ordered the Metawatch frame and from what I have heard, metawatch and Android 4.2.1 is not a good match atm. (BT bug)
I'm useing CM10.1 on Note2
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i was using the motorola motoactv until i decided to test how water resistant it was. needless to say, it didnt handle heavy rain very well.
My Motoactv meets my needs. While it isnt water proof, as the above user mentioned, I love it. You can get text, call, weather and Facebook alerts. Rooting the device can add more functions as well.
chino0131 said:
My Motoactv meets my needs. While it isnt water proof, as the above user mentioned, I love it. You can get text, call, weather and Facebook alerts. Rooting the device can add more functions as well.
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mmm, i loved it. the only things missing were a vibration function and google maps/navigation out of the box.
considering buying another one.
Hmmm I wonder what is better, if the metawatch or the pebble... Im getting interested on something like this.
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lfrp said:
Hmmm I wonder what is better, if the metawatch or the pebble... Im getting interested on something like this.
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UPDATE: Just recieved my Metawatch see next page for update.
The Pebble first caught my eye a little while back and I was planning on getting one. But after learning about the Metawatch the other day and looking at the functionality of both, I just ordered a Metawatch. I read and watched several reviews in coming to my conclusion. I went with the Frame model instead of the Strata because the black model of the strata is on back order (I like simple understated colors).
The main reason was that the Metawatch currently offers more functionality, from what I can tell. Both offer notifications for calls, e-mails & text, but the Metawatch allows you to:
- Answer calls, dismiss calls or answer with speakerphone from the watch (Can't hear or talk from the watch of course, but can answer a take call over BT headset from the
watch after checking it for caller ID)
- Displays weather, something I haven't seen on the Pebble yet.
I also like having widgets on the Metawatch that allows you to have more info on one screen, Time/date, local weather and notifications (e-mail, SMS & calls). I rather have the option to have all this info on one screen.
Likes and dislikes of the Pebble are as fallow...
Like:
- The higher resolution screen than the Metawatche's screen.
- The supposed Runkeeper integration (though not available yet). AS a Runkeeper user this is big to me. (I may get one eventually if the
Runkeeper integration actually comes togeather.
- I like the look of the Pebble over the Strata (though I'm getting the Metawatch Frame witch I think looks as good or better than the pebble).
- The magnetic charging setup is superior the the Metawatche's clumsy silly looking clip.
Dislikes:
- Limited functionality compared to the Metawatch (ablitly to answer (preferably with a BT headset , dismiss or send calls to speakerphone).
I'm sure the Pebble's functionality will expand over time, but it's not yet there, not for me at least.
- The clock faces should have a sub-menu in the in the home screen so there not all in there with music, set alarm and settings options. Not to
mention that the three default clock faces are at the top of the above music, set alarm and settings option then any clock faces you download
are under the music, set alarm and settings options. Again not well thought out.
- It's will probably be 1-3 months before the catch up shipping and are able get watches out to new customers. I'd be willing to wait if it offered
more functionality, as it is I'm not willing to wait.
All things considered I find the Metawatch the more appealing option for me. Though the Runkeeper functionality the Pebble is promised to have in March or so really make me consider getting Pebble eventually. The Metawatch is suppose to have a run tracking app built in But I already use Runkeeper and would like to use one single app to track my runs. Thus far I have found no info in run tracking functionality on the Metawatch so I have no idea what to expect.
WIMM
I am currently using the Wimm One, but you can't buy them any longer. Mine works pretty good with either my GS3 or GN2.
Just like the OP, I needed something for caller ID, etc.
I really, really wanted an excuse to get the MotoActiv, but the lack of a vibrator motor was a deal-killer for me.
If and when my Wimm dies, I will definitely be getting a suitable replacement. I didn't back the Pebble because I had already had the Wimm.
I am going to go check out the Meta.
I LOVE the idea of a smartwatch! I've been doing extensive research and am intrigued by the available options.
My problem is, I would hate the look of a small color screen on my wrist. It simply doesn't look professional to me. While there are other alternatives out there, none of them does what I'm interested in or are within my price range.
I've looked at I'm Watch, Sony Smart Watch, Pebble, Martian, etc. The only one visually appealing to me is the cookoo. But its only for iPhone!! Who in there right mind would design and release a product that's for the smartphone market, yet be proprietary to one OS. Morons.
So. I'm on a mission to make something myself. And to be honest the design would be rather simple. A watch wjth the following capabilities.
Bluetooth, low powered.
Time mechanism with a separate power source
Vibrate motor
Notification ring light
Manual set time dial
Bluetooth pairing button
Dismiss notification button (long press show battery remaining)
Magnetic charging dock
Android / WP8/ iOS / BB10 App
All I want is a phone that shows me via customizable lights/vibrate pattern whats happening on my phone. I don't need to complete the actions on my watch, to me that's just silly. I can glance and simply see I have a pending email, text, Facebook/twitter notification etc. Best part is, the batter can last for weeks.
Too bad I have no means to complete this lol
The most interesting watch to me is the
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Hi,
To those who have purchased this watch did you have to purchase the charging clip separately? It's currently showing out of stock.
Also how much are you guys paying for shipping? My shipping costs are estimated at $61 Australian. Excessive but none the less I am still looking at purchasing one.
Thanks
Sent from my GT-N7105 using xda premium
Can someone tell me about the running/cycling app? I can find no info on this at all.
---------- Post added at 01:15 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:02 AM ----------
LuvinN1 said:
Hi,
To those who have purchased this watch did you have to purchase the charging clip separately? It's currently showing out of stock.
Also how much are you guys paying for shipping? My shipping costs are estimated at $61 Australian. Excessive but none the less I am still looking at purchasing one.
Thanks
Sent from my GT-N7105 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
The charging clip should come in the box with the watch.
Wow, that shipping cost sucks! Have you considered getting one from e-bay. You can get it for less and save a bunch on shipping. This is where I ordered one last night. I wnet with the Frame model as I wanted it in black and the Strata is back-ordered for the black one.
Strata model:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Metawatch-m...266?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f21bf71ba
Frame model:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Metawatch-m...733?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f21cc73ad
or this Frame model from the UK:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Metawatch-B...es_Watches_MensWatches_GL&hash=item35c3e5fa04
RojasTKD said:
Can someone tell me about the running/cycling app? I can find no info on this at all.
---------- Post added at 01:15 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:02 AM ----------
The charging clip should come in the box with the watch.
Wow, that shipping cost sucks! Have you considered getting one from e-bay. You can get it for less and save a bunch on shipping. This is where I ordered one last night. I wnet with the Frame model as I wanted it in black and the Strata is back-ordered for the black one.
Strata model:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Metawatch-m...266?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f21bf71ba
Frame model:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Metawatch-m...733?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f21cc73ad
or this Frame model from the UK:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Metawatch-B...es_Watches_MensWatches_GL&hash=item35c3e5fa04
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks mate. Forgot about ebay. The misses wants one too. You have saved me hundreds. Planning to get the white and black frames.
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LuvinN1 said:
Thanks mate. Forgot about ebay. The misses wants one too. You have saved me hundreds. Planning to get the white and black frames.
Sent from my GT-N7105 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad I was able to be of service. I hope you enjoy. Mine should arrive this week, excited!
Oh and feel free to it the THANKS button if you like
added some info I had forgot to mention
Here's an update as my Metawatch arrived yesterday. I got the frame model instead of the more sporty Strata. See here:
http://metawatch.myshopify.com/collections/watches-all
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
UPDATE: 2/13/2013
After talking to a few developers (Special thanks to the developer of Augmented Smartwatch Pro) I switched to Community Manager from the Noah Edition of the Metawatch Manager, as recent updates to Noah seem to have caused issues. So far today I have had no freezes and the batter is still reading 100% two and half hours off the charger. Still to early to tell but at least some of the issues may have been related to the update to Noah edition. Noah had an update this morning, but I haven't tried it yet. I'll be trying Augmented Smartwatch Pro soon to see if that is also working better now that I'm using community edition.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
UPDATE: 2/14/2013
Since the update to the Community Edition and Noah Edition of the Metawatch Manager apps my watch has worked almost flawless, without freezes and the battery life has improved. Charges it and had it pared with my watch since last night so It lasted 20 - 24 hours. Not the 3 -5 days that the spec sheet claims but the could be the the Metawatch Manager app i'm using. Going to try Noah Edition again tomorrow as it been updated and should not give me the issues I was originally having when I first received my watch.
The screen is still had to read in anything but a well lit room or outdoors during the day. On the plus side it is very visible in direct sun light.
It this point I'm satisfied and don't regret getting the Metawatch.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
UPDATE 2/18/2013
Well, I'm happy to report that I seem to improved my battery issue. I tried as someone recommended and did a reset after charging (holding the two middle buttons for a few seconds). Yesterday my after about 12 hours my battery was at 87% instead of the 34% I was getting before.
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First the screen I'm not a big fan of. On the good side it is always on so you can tell the time with a glance (kind of). It is also easily readable in direct sun light. The problem is it's best viewable in a bright room. when I'm in room that not WELL lit it's hard to see the screen. You have to find the angle that allows the watch to catch the light. Yes, there is a LED light it the top, but it a bit of a pain and you I haven't found a way to change the time out. If you turn on the light and start doing something on the watch it will time out in 4 - 5 seconds then you have to keep hitting it to finish doing what you doing. The text is also small and often difficult to read and navigate. Ofter just a short time with the watch I really really wished it had a touch screen. Using the buttons to navigate with the tiny tiny icons that tell you their function get very tedious.
If you use the Metawatch Manager Community Edition (A third party modified version of the official Metawatch manager that adds much more functionality) you can not only get notifications for calls, gmail, and text.... you can also answer you phone with a push of a button (with the use of a BT headset), or answer you phone via speakerphone from you watch. going into you phones setting>accessibility and giving the Metawatch software permission it you can notification from just about any app that shows notifications on you notification bar, I haven't figured out how to get notifications for my regular (NON-Gmail) e-mails. Also I like having my time, weather phone battery status and missed call and missed text on one screen.
The really bad so far, In the day and a half I've owned this watch I've had 4 - 5 freezes. The watch becomes totally responsive. I have to connect and disconnect it from the charging clip over and over and over (8 - 28 times) to get it to reboot. I was out today having a bite when this happened. Not having the clip and power source available made the watch useless until I got home. I decided to re-flash the latest firmware again (witch I did on day one) and see if that helps. I may try FW 1.2 as that may be more stable and still work with Community Edition.
To keep this short I'm just going to give you some pros and cons for the rest:
Pro:
- Good functionality: Can get all kinds of notifications (with Community Edition) and even Answer (with headset), ignore, or answer via
speakerphone.
- Can scroll and read entire messages (text, gmail)
- Nice looking watch compared to many others. Classy enough to wear in any occasion.
- I have a screen where options to: quick dial my favorites, put my phone in or out of silent mode or ping my phone (to find lost phone). Also
has a option titled, "voice search", but so far it doesn't seem to do anything. Oh, and an option to view a list of notifications (text, calls, any
and all notifications that have appeared on you phone.
- Vibrates with alarm clock (but only stock alarm, and I'm used to using Alarm Clock Plus).
- Vibrates with notifications something that the Motoactv dose not do ( I have a Motoactv on the way).
- Screen is always on and doesn't time out.
- Can see a calendar and with a button press can view a list of events on my calender.
Cons:
- Freezes too often. I hope re-flashing the firmware (1.3) or flashing the previous (1.2) firmware will fix this.
- Screen can be difficult to read if not in a well lit place.
- LED light at the top just seems so 1980's. Wish screen would stay lit with button presses so I could navigate with out having to continually turn
on the light. Text is small and hard to read at times. I think I'd prefer a Motoactv or Sony Smartwatch screen even if they are not always on.
- There often a delayed response to the button presses. Sometimes I push it it again thinking it didn't register only to then have to register two
button presses.
- It suppose to have a built in running and cycling app of some kind, but so far it just, "coming soon".
- Buttons and no touch screen makes navigation really start to feel tedious a times.
Battery is hard so say as I got the watch yesterday, but so far it not meeting their claims. It cam off the charger yesterday at about 5:00 or 5:30 pm and by 10:30 this morning it it was showing zero and I attached the charger. It came off the charger at about at around 12:30 or 1:30. It is now 2:23 am and it showing 54%, so it will probably not last past tomorrow morning. I'll give it some time before I make a final determination on battery life.
The freezing issue aside (hoping firmware will resolve) aside the screen is my biggest complaint. I would like something more readable and have come to the conclusion that a touch screen should be a must for a smartwatch.
I haven't tried the Augmented Smartphone Pro app that is said to bring some additionality functionality to the Metawatch (as well as Sony Smartwatch, Motoactv and Pebble). But will be seeing what if offers next week. Also next week I should have a Sony Smartwatch and Motorola Motoactv in my hands next week.
Though I like the more understated and classy look of the Metawatch I'm looking forward to receiving the Sony Smartwatch and Motorola Motoactv. I think I will enjoy the screens more both for readability of text and the touchscreen.
interesting and nice overall review. I'm temped to grab something like this. Just haven't been able not to talk myself out of it.
What you said about the screen seems to be the overall theme I've read from other reviews as well. It's the trade off from having some kind of LCD/touch screen which are more power hungry, and seem to only last a few hours. Can't necessarily argue against your point, but it may not be biggest knock, considering the trade off.
lovekeiiy said:
interesting and nice overall review. I'm temped to grab something like this. Just haven't been able not to talk myself out of it.
What you said about the screen seems to be the overall theme I've read from other reviews as well. It's the trade off from having some kind of LCD/touch screen which are more power hungry, and seem to only last a few hours. Can't necessarily argue against your point, but it may not be biggest knock, considering the trade off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its funny I read a lot of people talking about the Sony Smartwatch and how its battery is horrible. I bought mine when I had an SGS2 and the battery life was horrible. lasted <1 day. Also seriously drained my phones battery. When I got my SGN2 I pulled it out of my gadget drawer and set it up again. It works perfectly. Watch battery lasts around 3 days, and it doesn't impact the battery life on my phone at all. If anything a few percent per day. I do wish for an "always on" display, but I've gotta say the smartwatch works pretty well with my note2.
Thanks!
Thanks for taking the time to give us your initial experiences with the Meta.
I am still using my Wimm One, and before that, I had the Sony. I absolutely HATED the Sony. In fairness, it was their first-gen watch, but unless it has improved dramatically, I think you are going to be more disappointed in it than you were the Meta. The Sony can't even stand-alone and function as a watch without being paired to and in range of a phone.
I just wish the Moto had a vibration motor and I think it would be the undisputed choice.
So I have a STRATA coming soon. Got a really good deal on eBay (I am not sure how the price can be so low, so I am skeptical that something might be wrong with it). I also have a Pebble coming (Grey so who knows when I will get it) and I think I can use both. So thanks for your review I like the idea of having the widgets on the screen and think the small developer community is trying to really make a good device out of it. I looked at the Sony and the Moto briefly. The one thing about the Moto was it seemed like it was geared towards activity (running mostly) and I was looking for something that would show notifications (calling, email, etc), weather, ebay, really anything that can push information. How does the Moto fit there?
lovekeiiy said:
interesting and nice overall review. I'm temped to grab something like this. Just haven't been able not to talk myself out of it.
What you said about the screen seems to be the overall theme I've read from other reviews as well. It's the trade off from having some kind of LCD/touch screen which are more power hungry, and seem to only last a few hours. Can't necessarily argue against your point, but it may not be biggest knock, considering the trade off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I understand the idea behind the screen and battery life, but honestly I rather have something that is more easily read and navigated even if it has to time out and I have to charge it every night. It very easliy read out door in in the brightest of sunlight, but indoors you have to move the angles to find one in witch you can make it out (in less it a very well lit room. Heck, I charged it over night until about 11 am today, it now 10:15pm and it at 22% according to the display. The Sony and Motorola can do better than that.
It did lock up on me twice today. I e-mailed support and asked for firmware 1.2 to see if it was better, but they told me that FW 1.2 never made it out of beta and they recommend 1.3. They gave me some instructions to unpair the device and reinstall the app. Their instruction where for iOS and I'm on running Android (Galaxy Note II), so I unpaired the watch uninstalled the app and reinstalled it. I even rebooted the watch and phone. So we'll see if tomorrow brings any more freezes.
robroy90 said:
Thanks for taking the time to give us your initial experiences with the Meta.
I am still using my Wimm One, and before that, I had the Sony. I absolutely HATED the Sony. In fairness, it was their first-gen watch, but unless it has improved dramatically, I think you are going to be more disappointed in it than you were the Meta. The Sony can't even stand-alone and function as a watch without being paired to and in range of a phone.
I just wish the Moto had a vibration motor and I think it would be the undisputed choice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, the Sony Smartwatch has gotten some good updates, and is a much improved device from when it was first released. It can even keep time even if it looses it's connection to the phone. It's actually a pretty capable device at this point, especially when paired with an app called Augmented smatwatch Pro. The thing makes it a bit ugly is the built in clip that makes almost twice as think as it would be otherwise.
Character Zero said:
So I have a STRATA coming soon. Got a really good deal on eBay (I am not sure how the price can be so low, so I am skeptical that something might be wrong with it). I also have a Pebble coming (Grey so who knows when I will get it) and I think I can use both. So thanks for your review I like the idea of having the widgets on the screen and think the small developer community is trying to really make a good device out of it. I looked at the Sony and the Moto briefly. The one thing about the Moto was it seemed like it was geared towards activity (running mostly) and I was looking for something that would show notifications (calling, email, etc), weather, ebay, really anything that can push information. How does the Moto fit there?
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Click to collapse
The Moto is geared to fitness activities, but it can also receive notifications. In fact you can answer call either via a wired headphones with mic (included) or wireless headset (I have the Motorola S11 Flex HD I use when running). Again the Augmented Smartphone app adds functionality as far as receiving notifications in the motoactv as well. You can get weather on the Motoactv also (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.motorola.notifier.plugin.accuweather&hl=en).
You can even root the Motoactv and run many Android apps (thought not all apps will work or have totally functionality). With it's built in WiFi, BT and GPS it's almost like a tiny tablet.
The only thing it lacks to make it what I would consider an awesome smartwatch is the lack of a vibrating motor for notifications. If it had vibrating alerts I'd consider making it my only smartwatch.
Got mine yesterday and so far would not recommend this watch to anybody. It has given me nothing but troubles. The community edition app kept freezing my watch so I'm using Noah's meta watch app and purchased augmented smart watch pro for extra functions.
The most irritating trouble I am facing apart from the freezes is with the phone call screen and messaging screen. When receiving calls or messages I cannot go back to the original or 1st screen. In addition none of my buttons under the action screen works.
I also purchased one for the misses to be used with the iphone. Does not crash or freeze but is useless with the limited functions available. Watch does not even vibrate during incoming calls even though I have enabled this feature. Her music control functions and toggling between screens works and seems smooth (mine does not work on android). Again the downside for her is with the limited functions and connectivity issues. It keeps disconnecting and connecting.
Now I am stuck with 2 useless watches. I wear mine only because I purchased it. I'm thinking of just placing it back in the box because I am about to lose my mind.
Sent from my GT-N7105 using xda premium

If you think maybe you should have gotten a Pebble....

Go here to see some of the watch faces and you will know you made the right decision!
http://www.mypebblefaces.com/?appType=0&generated=1&date=desc
I have a Pebble and like it too, but there is no contest.
Black and white only, holly pos crappy pebble.
Love my Gear even more now after that.
Ian B
Mr Ian B said:
Black and white only, holly pos crappy pebble.
Love my Gear even more now after that.
Ian B
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Click to collapse
crappy pebble? pebble was released long time ago, and easily lasts a week on it's battery due to e-ink display. comparing gear and pebble when it comes to watch faces is ridiculous, and i still think that gear faces are awful. this is a 300$ device for god's sake! should be easily customizable out of the box.
I've got all 3 Sony watches and a pebble and even tho the gear has a few teething problems it is bar far a more superior piece of hardware the screen amazes me how soft and responsive it is and every day here on xda the device is coming on leaps and bounds we cannot be to hard on Samsung they have given us a great watch it just needs more work to unlock is full potential. A custom Recovery is what is needed at present so if you are friendly with any developers that know a thing about recovery have a word with them
Sent from my SM-N9005
I have a Pebble and like it much, but I haven't charged it up since I got my Gear. A lot more functionality and COLOR. It's a 1.0 product but has come along in the just the last month. Root, Nova launcher, widgets. etc. My battery hasn't gone dead since I turn off the wrist montion. Get 2-3 days, justa little less than my pebble.
I'll get a Google watch and a HOT one via kickstarter. I'm looking for the best and so far the Gear is it. Soon we will have TWRP. custom ROMS, etc. Don't see any of that coming to the Pebble soon.
SkipKelley said:
I have a Pebble and like it much, but I haven't charged it up since I got my Gear. A lot more functionality and COLOR. It's a 1.0 product but has come along in the just the last month. Root, Nova launcher, widgets. etc. My battery hasn't gone dead since I turn off the wrist montion. Get 2-3 days, justa little less than my pebble.
I'll get a Google watch and a HOT one via kickstarter. I'm looking for the best and so far the Gear is it. Soon we will have TWRP. custom ROMS, etc. Don't see any of that coming to the Pebble soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This! (my pebble hasn't been touched either since the gear)
Is there a way to use this without Touchwiz? If not, pebble or SSW2 would be the obvious choice then?
Oilersfan said:
Is there a way to use this without Touchwiz?
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Click to collapse
It's easy enough to use Nova Launcher instead of TW.
Oilersfan said:
Is there a way to use this without Touchwiz? If not, pebble or SSW2 would be the obvious choice then?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can side load nova launcher to the device through using adb commands on your computer
Unless you dont have electricity, have to tell time often and want a watch with no colored then by all means get a pebble. Who needs a watch on 24-7 anyways??? If you want something with color, can totally customize, play games and more then u will like the gear. Samsung kept it simple for quick access and simplicity. Mine will go approx 3 days on a single charge and will fully charge in little to no time. The gear is capable of so much more which these guys from XDA has proved. I'm waiting as to when we can push or watch a movie off this lil sucker! Haha
Sent from my SM-N900V using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I've not used my pebble since getting the gear. Have ordered a Nexus 5 though and if I decide to keep that, my s4 and gear will go and I'll be left with pebble
Gear looks better, colour screen, battery life is acceptable, touch, microphone, speaker, android based. It has so much going for it
No sdk though and pebble has tasker support which is a big bonus
Pebble just never appealed to me at all. I like the idea of it, but hate the design of it and the black and white screen. If you could get the Gear for 30% off, it was really a no-brainer

Gear 2 Neo or Sony Smartwatch 2?

I'm debating between the Samsung Gear 2 Neo and the Sony Smartwatch 2. The Sony is only $140 on Amazon right now and it appears to most of the features I would actually use. The one big concern about the Sony is that it doesn't have the IR blaster, so the remote is out (but meh, I've got my S5 set up with my TV, so no big deal). My big concern with the Samsung is that when I get ready to upgrade my phone under T-Mobile's Jump, who knows if I'll get another Samsung (who am I kidding, I'll probably get another Samsung, but just in case I didn't...).
I'm having trouble finding a good comparison of the two that would sway me one way or the other. It would be nice to save the $60 on the Sony, but at the same time I really like the Neo look over the Sony. Any thoughts? I don't care that the Sony lacks voice commands. I'd probably never use it, and obviously I don't care about the camera or else I wouldn't be considering the Neo.
Thanks!
It's too bad you couldn't jump in on the AT&T deal when it was 25% off with two other accessories. Saving $50 would have swayed you instantly. I am 100% glad I purchased this, as it provides exactly all of the functionality I need it to...
Vibrating alarm so I don't wake up my wife on her days off.
Notification and full text of SMS
Notification and full text of work Emails
Notification and full text of Appointments from my work calendar
Notifications are with just enough vibration so those around me don't know it went off
Don't show notifications until I look at the watch
Customizable watch faces depending on my mood for that day
Won't be overly susceptible to dings/scratches - it's got Gorilla Glass 3!
It also adds some things I didn't need, but use nonetheless
Pedometer (wish the pedometer allowed you to enter your stride length instead of estimating off height)
Heart rate monitor (a little wonky sometimes)
Exercise tracking
Tracks my sleep (when I remember to turn it on...or sometimes OFF...lol)
Backup Remote w/ the IR Blaster (need a way to add a Roku so I don't need either remote)
I can answer the phone and talk if I'm busy
I can reply to text messages with canned quick text responses
I can skip tracks and pause Pandora with my phone charging in the other room
If I had to pick a couple negatives...
Battery power is okay. I have to charge it every other day or at least top it off every day.
It would be nice if I felt more comfortable showering with it. Some people say it's possible and they have had no issues. I would rather not at this point.
All I know is I love it and I'll be using it for a while. I also have 3 coworkers who have Pebbles and they've all commented on how great it looks/acts. One of them is waiting for the LG G Watch to drop. I'll probably wait for the second gen of Android Wear before committing.
Best of luck to you in figuring out what it is you want/need. ;-]
EDIT: Just thought of a more significant con...
If you spend time at a desk typing, you may end up scuffing the clasp against the desk. This will cause wear on that clasp as well as metal transfer to the desk itself. It wipes off fairly easily, but the wear is very evident on the watch.
I purchased the Sony SW2 to save money and had regretted it the whole time. Some of what I am about to say can be fixed with some modifications (Sony SW2) and apps but not out of the box. Not being able to raise my arm to active the watch was a negative. Not being able to take a simple phone call was a negative. The positive at the time was being able to change watch bands that is solved with the Gear 2 and Neo being able to change bands. The health monitoring of the Gear is nice as well.
The negative for Gear 2/neo is the limited app market. Since changing to Tizen not a lot of apps out there.
I am 100% happier with the Gear 2 Neo than I was with the Sony. For what that is worth.
admiral70 said:
The negative for Gear 2/neo is the limited app market. Since changing to Tizen not a lot of apps out there.
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Click to collapse
+1!!!
I also looked at the Sony before buying the Gear 2 (AT&T deal)...
What I did not like about the Sony is that besides watch functionality it only seems to be able to push notifications. If indeed true, the Gear 2 has much more potential to be used offline (running apps locally on the watch), once they are available of course...
The screen looks better on the Gear, but I like the Sony to be reflective (always on). Not sure if it suffers from the same issues as Pebble, such as the fact that with polarizing glasses you cannot see anything on it....
Also, I think the Gear 2 looks better overall, but that is just my personal opinion of course....
Sent from my GT-N5110 using xda premium
I'm also debating between two of them right now. Seems like if I choose to save some money I should buy SW2, but I can also buy a used Neo so.
Because I was collecting information only about sony's watch, I'd like to ask a couple of questions to the Neo's owners.
1. Can I make (root,rom, hack,etc) the Gear 2 Neo to work with sony xperia z1c? And will all the functionality remain(for example, if sw2 is connected to a phone rather than sony, you cannot answer calls) if connected to sony instead of samsung. This is the main question.
2. Is the screen always on, like on sony sw2, so I can check the time.
3. Can it control the music being played on a phone, or is there an app for that.
4. Can it answer phone calls
5. How long does the battery last
I'm even thinking not to buy any smartwatches at all, because all of them seem imperfect. What I really would like is SW2's functionality in a better screen from samsung. On the other hand, I don't want to spend money on useless(for me) features like IR blaster or pedometer, or even heart rate sensor. I just need a smartwatch to control music on the phone, check notifications, and to answer calls with a headphones on. and maybe an alarm, if its really so useful. Maybe those are not the watches i'm looking for, so sorry for the off-topic.
Thank you in advance.
necr0manser said:
1. Can I make (root,rom, hack,etc) the Gear 2 Neo to work with sony xperia z1c? And will all the functionality remain(for example, if sw2 is connected to a phone rather than sony, you cannot answer calls) if connected to sony instead of samsung. This is the main question
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have no experience on anything other than a Galaxy phone with this watch, but I do know there are some threads out there about getting the Gear 2 working on other phones. You may have to do some investigation.
necr0manser said:
2. Is the screen always on, like on sony sw2, so I can check the time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, but you can set it to turn on when you look at the phone (as well as determine whether you want it to display the clock or the last screen you had up)
necr0manser said:
3. Can it control the music being played on a phone, or is there an app for that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a music player app for playing files on the watch itself. There is also a Media Controller app to control media players on your phone. Both of these are on the device out of the box.[/quote]
necr0manser said:
4. Can it answer phone calls
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Click to collapse
Yes. it actually works really well. The person I tested it with said they couldn't tell it was anything other than a phone.
necr0manser said:
5. How long does the battery last
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Click to collapse
This answer really depends on settings and what you have sent in terms of notifications. I get about 2½ days out of mine, but I typically charge it in the evenings when I'm on the PC and again in the mornings while I shower.

[Q] Are you enjoying it?

Debating if I should get the watch or not, like to see some of feedback / reviews on your thoughts on those who own the wacth. I also been looking at the thread about battery life and other things, but overall do you feel like the watch is worth it?
Planning at stopping at AT&T to see if they have on on display for me to fiddle around with.
Love it. I'm not a watch person. Can't stand them but this has made me love them. It is a novelty but it is handy also
Sent from my GT-I9505 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Mr.Marc said:
do you feel like the watch is worth it?
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Click to collapse
Absolutely. It is far from perfect BUT, the hardware side it's excellent implemented and this is offering Google Wear plaftform a solid base to grow. I expect to see may OTA's in the futures with fine tuning of some of the existing features and also with new stuff .
It is by far the best looking Android wear device.
From its exterior design it's not very perfect i.e. thick bezel, small screen compared to 360 but when I count every aspect including SoC, Sensors, Screen technology, build quality, etc, G Watch R is the best choice so far(except the expensive price).
Hawke84 said:
Love it. I'm not a watch person. Can't stand them but this has made me love them. It is a novelty but it is handy also
Sent from my GT-I9505 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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Click to collapse
ro_explorer said:
Absolutely. It is far from perfect BUT, the hardware side it's excellent implemented and this is offering Google Wear plaftform a solid base to grow. I expect to see may OTA's in the futures with fine tuning of some of the existing features and also with new stuff .
It is by far the best looking Android wear device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the feedback!
its to small
When it first arrived I noticed that the screen was much larger than it looked online - perhaps all of the side-by-side comparisons with the Moto 360 made it look tiny, but it's actually a decent size. The battery life was impressive after the system update that comes about 10 minutes after first setup.
I mainly use it for changing my songs while I'm out and about. You don't realise just how much of a pain it is to take your phone out on the bus etc to switch songs, but having a few taps of the watch is such a convenience.
The only flaw I've noticed with the watch is when, for example, you switch both your watch and phone off in the night, and wake up and switch your watch on *first*... it basically shows the time that appeared on the watch when you switched it off! e.g. if I turn it off at midnight, then in the morning it'll show midnight when I switch the watch back on. I have to sync it with my phone again for the watch to acquire the correct time again. Not a big deal, and I assume it would get fixed eventually, but still...
I never turn mine off. Just stick it on charge over night.

Do you use smartwatch?

Anyone using smartwatch? Share Experiences and thoughts here.
I am thinking of buying G Watch Urbane
http://i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/481/790/669.jpg
Go for it. You will be a BOSS. Seriously, it will change your life.
Have been think about getting one for a while, but they are pretty expensive in Australia and I would personally wait a little bit longer for the technology to mature.
Sent from my SM-N920C using Tapatalk
I use a asus zenwatch.
It is very usefull for some things.
When you get messages/calls at work you can have a quick look if its important.
Maps navigation (walk) you dont need to look at your Smartphone anymore.
Music skip Songs
OK Google feature: Send whatsapp to... (When driving), reminder, translator....
I have a G Watch.
Having a smart watch is pretty usefull when you recieve messages or calls, u can look at the watch and see or respond without turning on your phone.
Also u have maps and other apps that are pretty usefull..... If u are a runner is great!
At the end is a watch with smart capabilities... Time and date plus the basics of the phone...
metteduch said:
Anyone using smartwatch? Share Experiences and thoughts here.
I am thinking of buying G Watch Urbane
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am using Pebble Steel, which is based on the original Pebble watch. The value and functionality is fantastic. First of all, it looks good and performs extremely well as a watch. I picked it for just $100 around holidays, and at that price it's worth the money even if it did not have any "smart"watch functionality. Some good points about it:
1. Great as a watch. The time always stays in sync with network time. There are about a gazillion good looking watch faces you can download.
2. Delivers notifications from the phone (calls, messages, etc)
3. Weather and battery charge display on many popular watch faces.
4. Will last 7-10 days on one battery charge
5. waterproof
6. Android compatible (of course)
7. Cheap
8. Many many free apps.
Poor points:
1 bit "color" display is very readable and saves you battery, but some people want a color display.
I think the activity/fitness tracking features are a bit gimmicky.
The newer versions of Pebble are worth checking out.
Don't know why are all smartwatches are so expensive???
EvilKing009 said:
Don't know why are all smartwatches are so expensive???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you can find pebbles on swappa for typically less than $100, plus the pebble classic dropped to $100 MSRP
pebbles are awesome, I rock the steel and it's great, the battery life is ridiculous and it does notifications really well (music control is nice too)
they don't bite off more than they can chew like some other smartwatches
I highly recommend an asus zenwatch 2, it only costs $130 on (or at) bestbuy and has specs similar to "flagship" smartwatches. The only thing it doesnt have is a heart rate monitor. It also is one of the only smartwatches with a speaker, whenever google adds functionality for a speaker on android wear.
I wish those watches weren't so expensive
yes I do ,moto 360
I have an ASUS Zenwatch 2 and can highly recommend it!
It is available on Amazon and at Best Buy, etc. for $129 with the brown band (which actually isn't terrible), but I also picked up a steel 22mm milanese band for $11 and it looks great!
I'm using an Asus Zenwatch. It's very useful for eg answering whatsapp.
I have a Samsung Gear LIVE, pretty useful for the notification (but I use some filter)
I have the LG G Watch the original I snagged it for $100. Best thing I've done. It's mostly to learn to leave my phone alone in my pocket. I can't talk through the watch which is really fine with me, you can use a Bluetooth headset for music and phone calls so no biggie. I have two phones so I also have a second watch the LG G Watch R for my LG G3. Just remember that you can't pair more than one phone to the watch.
Quick text and email replies, start apps while driving eg: navigate to x location, start music, call B contact. That's what the watch does best. No heart rate monitor, not an accurate pedometer it will get better!
Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk
I had a zenwatch. Worked fine with my G2. But after a few days i sold it. In a few years i'll get interested again. For now i don't find it useful.
Using Pebble Time. You can find discussions about pebble vs. other (android wear) watches on reddit.
Extremely happy with my watch. It's not pricey as other watches, 150$ and you get one week battery life.
I'm using the LG Urbane. It's nice but the phone's battery sure has taken a hit (even though I use it less).
LG Watch R and yes, love it

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