Anyone else feeling a bit shafted by the Gear? - Samsung Galaxy Gear

As a Gear owner, I've enjoyed the device from day 1, but I can't help but feel like it's reached the end of it's lifespan.
I always thought the lack of apps for the original android version was lame, so when I heard of Tizen support I thought, great! But despite Tizen being a better OS for this particular watch (IMO), Samsung aren't doing it justice. I'm particularly annoyed for 3 reasons:
1. On the android it had a Runtastic app, which I used daily. On the upgrade to Tizen, Kies warned of apps that wouldn't crossover and Runtastic wasn't one of them. But they lied, no Runtastic app for Tizen
2. Apps are slowly coming out for the Gear 2, such as a PayPal but not for the Gear 1. Why?! They aren't that drastically different devices...grr.
3. Now with Android Wearables such as the Gear Live, the number of apps is already far superior to the number of apps over the lifespan of my gear. Evernote is back, Runstastic, not to mention QR codes, maps, Duolingo etc. Reasonably well known names, not just some cack apps for golf that rarely work anyway.
Seriously annoyed. If any of these Google Wearable devices had a camera, I'd be seriously tempted to swap.
Thoughts
PS I'm not trolling my own device, I'm just frustrated!

jonboyuk said:
As a Gear owner, I've enjoyed the device from day 1, but I can't help but feel like it's reached the end of it's lifespan.
I always thought the lack of apps for the original android version was lame, so when I heard of Tizen support I thought, great! But despite Tizen being a better OS for this particular watch (IMO), Samsung aren't doing it justice. I'm particularly annoyed for 3 reasons:
1. On the android it had a Runtastic app, which I used daily. On the upgrade to Tizen, Kies warned of apps that wouldn't crossover and Runtastic wasn't one of them. But they lied, no Runtastic app for Tizen
2. Apps are slowly coming out for the Gear 2, such as a PayPal but not for the Gear 1. Why?! They aren't that drastically different devices...grr.
3. Now with Android Wearables such as the Gear Live, the number of apps is already far superior to the number of apps over the lifespan of my gear. Evernote is back, Runstastic, not to mention QR codes, maps, Duolingo etc. Reasonably well known names, not just some cack apps for golf that rarely work anyway.
Seriously annoyed. If any of these Google Wearable devices had a camera, I'd be seriously tempted to swap.
Thoughts
PS I'm not trolling my own device, I'm just frustrated!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really. Price point is such that you can have a few different devices. I have a Gear and a Toq and will get the G Watch.
Mostly wear the Toq but occasionally wear the Gear.
That said, I never really used any apps on either watch so it doesn't bother me that there aren't many.

mhoepfin said:
Not really. Price point is such that you can have a few different devices. I have a Gear and a Toq and will get the G Watch.
Mostly wear the Toq but occasionally wear the Gear.
That said, I never really used any apps on either watch so it doesn't bother me that there aren't many.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm I think the price point thing is entirely subjective given that I'm a student and can't afford multiple watches.

Seriously, compared to just normal watches, these things are a steal
I don't think there is much that can be improved on the gear
It was a first gen device so it's not going to have a huge following
I'm happy with the apps, ofcourse would've liked more. But I can do pretty much everything I want

I'm with you on the app support. Mapmyride is not available on Tizen for me.
I get the feeling we won't see many more apps for Tizen either.
You can't really compare the price of the gear, or any smart watch, to normal high quality watches. If you buy a good watch it will still be useful 10 or 20 years later and may even appreciate in value. A smart watch will probably be a paper weight in 2 years as technology moves on.

For those of you missing runtastic and map my ride the Strava app seems to cover most of their features nicely. I'm using it every day while I cycle. Might be worth checking out.
Sent from my SPH-L900 using XDA Free mobile app

wiccan-two said:
For those of you missing runtastic and map my ride the Strava app seems to cover most of their features nicely. I'm using it every day while I cycle. Might be worth checking out.
Sent from my SPH-L900 using XDA Free mobile app
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Click to collapse
Cheers lad. Sadly I'm half way through a runtastic fitness plan, so I can't just switch

Original Gear Desirable
jonboyuk said:
Cheers lad. Sadly I'm half way through a runtastic fitness plan, so I can't just switch
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me, the original Gear is desirable so I don't feel shafted by Samsung. It's the only one that runs Android so plenty of applications are and will be available. I find battery life acceptable and the Gear offers some hardware features such as a camera and speaker that some of the newer watches do not. If I ever want to put Tizen on it, I can. However, if I were an owner of one of the recent Tizen watches I might feel shafted since it is yet to be shown that Tizen will get adequate support.

Related

Would you still get the Gear?

as the title says, would you buy again a gear today? or in the end it was an awful choice?
It would be an awful choice if I couldn't use Null ROM. But then on the other hand, all other smart watches currently released have way too limited functionality for what I would like SW to do.
So, stock Gear? Give me my money back.
Null ROM? I keep my gear.
Jerry69 said:
as the title says, would you buy again a gear today? or in the end it was an awful choice?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GEAR = Worst + Expensive + To be not called a Gadget....
Yes. Although I did return my Galaxy Gear after Christmas to wait for the Gear 2. I'll be buying the Gear 2 over the Galaxy Gear. I think the watch is handy, especially when the Note 3 is in my pocket. I'm not looking for a toy or something to replace my Note 3, so I am satisfied with stock.
I would think this question would be better asked in the Gear General section but,
Yes, stock it is expensive crap. Null makes it amazing!
The bottom line is buy old Galaxy Gear for cheap or buy new Gear 2.... and that really depends on your $$$ and if Tizen is as unrestrictive as they are claiming it will be. So either way your good but rooting it is a must, and getting Null on it is key.
I sure would get it again!
I love my gear with null rom as it sits today. If I were in the market to buy a smart watch I would just wait til the NeptunePine is released.
Sent from my SM-N900P using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
hurdlejade said:
It would be an awful choice if I couldn't use Null ROM. But then on the other hand, all other smart watches currently released have way too limited functionality for what I would like SW to do.
So, stock Gear? Give me my money back.
Null ROM? I keep my gear.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree! If the gg 2 is at the right price I may purchase, but the asking price for the gg was too much. I luckily picked mine up for half the price from a mate that got it free with his note 3.
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AndiF85 said:
I agree! If the gg 2 is at the right price I may purchase, but the asking price for the gg was too much. I luckily picked mine up for half the price from a mate that got it free with his note 3.
Sent from my GT-N7105T using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This.
I own the Sony smartwatch 2. It is quite good with the stock. I just purchased the gear 1 at a bargain price in France to test it (60€!) And will root and install null ROM as a start.
From the Galaxy
I would buy it again. Cause it's even cheaper ^^ i have the hope that it will be possible to bring Samsungs Ultrapowersaving mode onto the gear. This is the only concearn i have about it...Batterydrain. Currently it runs on 2 cores 400mHz-1100mHz...still laggy sometimes...which annoyes cause of the clock syncing...
But i like this little thing...
GG2 is a no go with Tizen as long as i am not sure about the possibilities...
No.
In the previous year I had the Sony Smartwatch. After 2 weeks of continuous use, and serious effort to make the best of it, I stopped using it. I was disappointed mostly with the dim display which made it hard to use outside.
Last fall I got the Galaxy Gear, just weeks after it was available. Again, I made a concerted effort to use it and make the most of its functionality. But after a few weeks, again I stopped using it. My disappointment was:
MAJOR FAILINGS
- Bluetooth connection often fails when running outside (wanting to track performance on Runtastic app).
- Buggy (notification of missed calls)
POOR DESIGN
- Not adequately weather proof.
- Short battery life.
- Noisy when taking camera photo.
POOR FUTURE
- Very few third party apps. Evidence of now future apps being developed.
- Don't like that third party apps often use lots of resources on Note-3 phone.
I won't upgrade to the Galaxy Gear 2 either - since I have lots confidence in this type of device (smart watch).
Skeleton said:
POOR DESIGN
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Curios to me that so many people does not like the design i like it. But Gear 2 is better. Except for the removed lock key and the removed screws...
Skeleton said:
- Noisy when taking camera photo.
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Click to collapse
Nope not with Null rom. Photo taking is quiet.
Blame the government fot the sound.
Skeleton said:
POOR FUTURE
- Very few third party apps. Evidence of now future apps being developed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But other smartwatches use android. Devs developing apps for them? or not? In future Smartwatches will a normal thing. if the android smartwatch itself grows. The Galaxy Gear with android grows too...
Skeleton said:
I won't upgrade to the Galaxy Gear 2 either - since I have lots confidence in this type of device (smart watch).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope Tizen fails and they will bring back an Android Gear with the Note 4...Tizen makes this a nogo for me. Because of the compatibility to android...for the moment...
Bell Canada drops price of Galaxy Gear Smartwatch to $99 (Clearance)
'Nuff said!
Be Well,
DrNicket
Taizen will and feel like Touchwiz. This way the regular consumer will not notice the engine underneath. The same will likely happen to phones down the road as samsung wants to have control of their own ecosystem. Soon many more apps will appear on the samsung app store that mimics thier android counterpart and the majority of users will not notice they are using tizen, nor will they care as long as they have the 'samsung experience'
Sent from my KFAPWI using Tapatalk
I think the Gear is great fun. It's not meant to be a fancy mini phone which I think too many people think it is/should be.
However, I just put Null on last night and either Iäm really missing something or I just don't get it. But. I prefer stock. It's fussy, trying to be a tiny phone which is pointless and it destroys battery. Stock up to 4 day usually 3 days and recharge at 20% or so, Null, less than 1 day, barely touched the watch, 20% after 18 hours. Rubbish! Only thing it has gained for me is the ability to see Facebook messenger (technically, as message received today didn't show) although you can't reply which kinda makes it pointless, and also Gmail, but again can't reply so kinda pointless. Unless reading around, I find something that everyone else is getting excited about Null, iäm flashing stick back. I way prefer the simple look of it too.
So for me, stock GG is great, but buy of eBay or something cause 300 is way too much
Clarky78 said:
I think the Gear is great fun. It's not meant to be a fancy mini phone which I think too many people think it is/should be.
However, I just put Null on last night and either Iäm really missing something or I just don't get it. But. I prefer stock. It's fussy, trying to be a tiny phone which is pointless and it destroys battery. Stock up to 4 day usually 3 days and recharge at 20% or so, Null, less than 1 day, barely touched the watch, 20% after 18 hours. Rubbish! Only thing it has gained for me is the ability to see Facebook messenger (technically, as message received today didn't show) although you can't reply which kinda makes it pointless, and also Gmail, but again can't reply so kinda pointless. Unless reading around, I find something that everyone else is getting excited about Null, iäm flashing stick back. I way prefer the simple look of it too.
So for me, stock GG is great, but buy of eBay or something cause 300 is way too much
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you are missing the whole point of null ROM...do a little of homework
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Just picked up a GG for £125 in o2, so far quite impressed, not blown away, but by the time I can upgrade (Galaxy note 4,5?), hopefully the third iteration will be kicking about, it's brilliant as a media remote (as beats don't allow for volume up /down etc. ) feedly is fun to.
All in all, yes I think I would by another iteration of the GG.
Sent from my SM-N9005 using xda app-developers app

[Q] galaxy gear 1/2 Tizen vs android

Hello all
Now when google show new shell of android(wear) for watches I think its better to stay on gear 1 because android>new android and on gear 2 we have tizen. What You think its possible to jump from tizen to google wear(android).
Doesn't make much sense to what you said. There is very little comparison at this point.
You know what you get (or don't get) with Gear, and quite a bit of info on Gear 2. Nobody knows how Android Wear will turn out. So what you have is now all vapourware with a lot of speculation regarding the usability, features, price and quality of these products. Not to mention batterylife.
Google Glass is also similar. I keep hearing about it and reading in the news, but absolutely nothing in terms of real end user availability. Also, it has been reported that the old Gear will be updated to Tizen within few months. You also have a HTML5-based sdk available for Gear 2.
At this time, the reality is that you only have Gear, Pebble and Sony. You may have to wait for 6-12 months for other devices to show up. By that time, Samsung and Sony would have launched 3rd Gen Gears!
As long as I have a watch I can customise to my liking, I'm happy
Will be good to be able to pick a phone and watch combo instead of being stuck with matching ones (as good as Samsung phones are, there are others out there just as good)

Off-topic, other device, comparisons to other devices, and upgrading discussion

Please use this thread to discuss devices other than and any comparisons with other devices on or about Gear Live in this thread and any other off-topic issues that are not needing a new thread.
Post with respect, this is a helpful community, hope we all learn from this stuff in here.
What made everyone choose this over the LG G watch?
i went for gear live because it has amoled display and the silver thing on the two side makes the watch look a bit premium
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big_b0sss said:
i went for gear live because it has amoled display and the silver thing on the two side makes the watch look a bit premium
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't forget it's also $30 less as by the end of the year we ALL know we will be owning superior devices anyways.
enko420 said:
Don't forget it's also $30 less as by the end of the year we ALL know we will be owning superior devices anyways.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i actually paid £10 more as its priced higher than lg g watch in uk
I absolutely cannot believe they did not include a speaker! I just returned the gear neo 2 because it was running Tizen and not Google wear. making phone calls on it without pulling my phone out of my pocket was the absolute greatest feature.I ordered the gear live because it was running Google wear, thinking of the future. Now I find out it does not have a speaker so I can not make phone calls from the watch. I'm going to return the gear live and go back to the gear neo 2. Wrong decision Samsung.
chumboy said:
I absolutely cannot believe they did not include a speaker! I just returned the gear neo 2 because it was running Tizen and not Google wear. making phone calls on it without pulling my phone out of my pocket was the absolute greatest feature.I ordered the gear live because it was running Google wear, thinking of the future. Now I find out it does not have a speaker so I can not make phone calls from the watch. I'm going to return the gear live and go back to the gear neo 2. Wrong decision Samsung.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I honestly don't care for making phone calls on my Gear 2 Neo. If you aren't in a quiet room its near impossible to hear what they are saying.
enko420 said:
I honestly don't care for making phone calls on my Gear 2 Neo. If you aren't in a quiet room its near impossible to hear what they are saying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To each their own.
But it's fascinating to know you don't like it.
I had the Gear 2 Neo for about a week and had good results when not standing in Time Square.
Gear Live 2!
I would like the ability to turn off the motion sensor, sense everytime I move my wrist a certain way my watch just turns on.I look at my watch ocassionally and notice that the screen is on I have indavertenly been touching the screen selecting things. I prefer to touch the screen to turn it on. I have already turned off the screen always on option, but would like to turn off motion as well. Would extend the battery life alot further.
chumboy said:
To each their own.
But it's fascinating to know you don't like it.
I had the Gear 2 Neo for about a week and had good results when not standing in Time Square.
Gear Live 2!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i'm 100% in the not taking phone calls on a watch camp for the same reason i don't use speakerphone when not in a car.
but i would have liked a speaker simply for alarms and stopwatch/timer funcionality. nothing crazy, just a simple beep/chirp would have been enough
adiliyo said:
i'm 100% in the not taking phone calls on a watch camp for the same reason i don't use speakerphone when not in a car.
but i would have liked a speaker simply for alarms and stopwatch/timer funcionality. nothing crazy, just a simple beep/chirp would have been enough
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See, we can find common ground here! A speaker would make us both happy.
Surprised that Sammy decided to remove a hardware feature rather than adding them (to a point).
Their research must have shown that the cost/benefit was upside-down.
So it goes.
They should have stuck with Gear 2 features and gwear os. I'm sure it will be ported.... I love my Neo 2
Sent from my GT-I9500 using Tapatalk
I have a feeling that Samsung was forced to make the watch according to Google specifications. (No Speaker, No WiFi, Single Button for turning the device on) There is also a WiFi antenna in the Gear Live that is not being used according to iFixIt.
StevenMattera said:
I have a feeling that Samsung was forced to make the watch according to Google specifications. (No Speaker, No WiFi, Single Button for turning the device on) There is also a WiFi antenna in the Gear Live that is not being used according to iFixIt.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
antenna but they couldn't confirm if there is a wifi controller on the mobo, could just be the cheapest way to order that part for assembly.
i agree that samsung was probably told to stick to the reference design which i'm fine with, but it's curious that google decided not to include a basic speaker for alarm use in the reference design for android wear.
i am however much happier (so far) with the watch than i expected to be. if moto prices the 360 out of what i'm willing to pay, i'm actually satisfied enough to hang on to the gear live until i can get the moto for a reasonable price (i won't pay more than $250 for the 360)
---------- Post added at 12:33 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:32 AM ----------
hashcheck said:
They should have stuck with Gear 2 features and gwear os. I'm sure it will be ported.... I love my Neo 2
Sent from my GT-I9500 using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
i like the general design of the gear 2, but i am so glad that android made wear, i see adoption for this from a developer standpoint to be much much better than any proprietary garbage os that samsung puts out. and personally, i dislike samsung devices (read: touchwiz) and plan to stay away from them for the foreseeable future.
adiliyo said:
i like the general design of the gear 2, but i am so glad that android made wear, i see adoption for this from a developer standpoint to be much much better than any proprietary garbage os that samsung puts out. and personally, i dislike samsung devices (read: touchwiz) and plan to stay away from them for the foreseeable future.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know, I've been reading about the gear watches and android wear all day and I still just don't see it. Anything that's on there I would normally pull up my phone for, and the small watch screen version and limited functionality (no speaker, small screen, etc)... I think if I get any notification I'll end up pulling out the phone and responding there anyway... Is this stuff just a lazy persons solution to a problem that doesn't exist?? If wear devices were more like little phones with built in wifi, IR (I think some gear watches had this?!), etc at least you could use it to control your movie watching experiences...
I'm probably just getting old and wanting stuff to stay how I'm used to it
peaklabs.net said:
I don't know, I've been reading about the gear watches and android wear all day and I still just don't see it. Anything that's on there I would normally pull up my phone for,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that IS the point, so you don't have to pull your phone 100 times a minute for every notification, it is trying to "change" the way we use the phone and not trying to replace it. For all that "extras" (Wifi, Speaker, etc, etc) you have the phone.
I love it, I hardly touch my phone now, the battery life on my phone had gotten so much better and I am more interactive responding to all SMSs and facebook/Whasapp messages than before. :laugh:
peaklabs.net said:
I don't know, I've been reading about the gear watches and android wear all day and I still just don't see it. Anything that's on there I would normally pull up my phone for, and the small watch screen version and limited functionality (no speaker, small screen, etc)... I think if I get any notification I'll end up pulling out the phone and responding there anyway... Is this stuff just a lazy persons solution to a problem that doesn't exist?? If wear devices were more like little phones with built in wifi, IR (I think some gear watches had this?!), etc at least you could use it to control your movie watching experiences...
I'm probably just getting old and wanting stuff to stay how I'm used to it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maturola said:
I think that IS the point, so you don't have to pull your phone 100 times a minute for every notification, it is trying to "change" the way we use the phone and not trying to replace it. For all that "extras" (Wifi, Speaker, etc, etc) you have the phone.
I love it, I hardly touch my phone now, the battery life on my phone had gotten so much better and I am more interactive responding to all SMSs and facebook/Whasapp messages than before. :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the watch essentially becomes a (more useful) implementation of notification triage, i can see what's important and respond to many things without taking out my phone.
it comes down to the user and their daily flow of usage. the big difference with this vs a very limited and closed off system (like samsung's system, or sony's for that matter) is that it leverages two things.
1. android itself as the platform (no seperate market, no need for seperate apps and figuring out how to make sure the apps work with the phone versions)
2. google now, which i think in the long run is going to be the real centerpiece of the platform. as it gets smarter you really will need to use your phone less for basic things since it will offer up the information you need when you need it with even less interaction necessary from the user.
the biggest deal breaker for the samsung system (for me) is the need for a crappy galaxy smartphone. i can't stand touchwiz and the lag samsung's software developers can't seem to get rid of in the many iterations they've had of their software.
i also enjoy the freedom of leaving my phone at my desk, or at home on the charging pad and just checking things on my watch as i go about my day.
i think i like android wear more as i don't want a tiny phone on my wrist to look awkwardly at and speak to people on. i want a companion device that lets me get on with my day and look at my phone less. it's a change in mindset and workflow that pulls you out of your phone and lets you get back into the world.
Yeah ... I'm constantly having to refer to my phone, more with this than I had to with my Galaxy Gear ... After two weeks with it, I feel like I'm done and ready to go back to the Galaxy Gear for good.
But I don't want to give up on it for some reason. I think because what it does do it look better than my Galaxy Gear, in terms of UI. And the always on is very nice.
I dunno ... Maybe I should have just gotten a Gear 2.
sbrownla said:
Yeah ... I'm constantly having to refer to my phone, more with this than I had to with my Galaxy Gear ... After two weeks with it, I feel like I'm done and ready to go back to the Galaxy Gear for good.
But I don't want to give up on it for some reason. I think because what it does do it look better than my Galaxy Gear, in terms of UI. And the always on is very nice.
I dunno ... Maybe I should have just gotten a Gear 2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I said in my previous post...I went from the Gear 2 Neo to the Live.
Found out it didn't have a speaker after I ordered it.
Tried it out for 3 days and (same as you) had to refer to my phone more.
Called Google to send it back and the Rep said "yea, surprisingly we're having allot of returns b/c of no speaker and many going back to Gear or Gear 2."
They sent me an email for to fill out stating why I'm returning. She said they're interested in feedback for the next model they release. I hope they listen.
I went back to my Gear 2 Neo and am patiently waiting for the next model (with speaker I hope).
They had the same with the Gear 1, made some changes and launched the Gear 2.
Don't waste your money on something you won't use and be happy with.
Wait for the Gear Live 2.
I think I'm going to suck it up though. When the next one comes out I'll gift it or sell it for $100 or so to subsidize the new one.

Venting about gear 2

I recently received a Gear 2 for my Bday
I was excited and couldn't wait to play with it to see what it would do
Well I've had it going on 2 months now, to my displeasure the Gear 2 is useless IMO
1st the heart rate monitor doesn't monitor, you have to start it and 9xs out of 10 you have to restart it and it's mostly wrong, I've started 5xs conservatively and got a range from 65-95, WORTHLESS
2nd The pedometer, we'll it's never right, I can have the gear 2 sitting on coffee table and pick it up and it say I've walked 700 FT, WORTHLESS
3rd Apps, There are very very few apps that are worth downloading, unless you want a different watch face everyday, there are tons of watch faces and most of them are unattractive, plus I've purchased a few apps at the beginning and mostly none worked as advertised or they were very buggy, WORTHLESS
4th If I'm not mistaken Gear 2 came out in 2014 and here it is Nov 2014 and the Gear 2 is out of date, this thing was purchased for $299, luckily it was a gift, MAD
in my opinion Samsung screwed the consumer, Yes the phones are very good but on this watch thing it's an other issue, and a bad one
The reason I left the IPhone behind was because they are proprietary and now Samsung is doing the same thing
I'll be leaving Samsung behind also when contract is up
Thanks for the VENTING
Lonestarman said:
I recently received a Gear 2 for my Bday
I was excited and couldn't wait to play with it to see what it would do
Well I've had it going on 2 months now, to my displeasure the Gear 2 is useless IMO
1st the heart rate monitor doesn't monitor, you have to start it and 9xs out of 10 you have to restart it and it's mostly wrong, I've started 5xs conservatively and got a range from 65-95, WORTHLESS
2nd The pedometer, we'll it's never right, I can have the gear 2 sitting on coffee table and pick it up and it say I've walked 700 FT, WORTHLESS
3rd Apps, There are very very few apps that are worth downloading, unless you want a different watch face everyday, there are tons of watch faces and most of them are unattractive, plus I've purchased a few apps at the beginning and mostly none worked as advertised or they were very buggy, WORTHLESS
4th If I'm not mistaken Gear 2 came out in 2014 and here it is Nov 2014 and the Gear 2 is out of date, this thing was purchased for $299, luckily it was a gift, MAD
in my opinion Samsung screwed the consumer, Yes the phones are very good but on this watch thing it's an other issue, and a bad one
The reason I left the IPhone behind was because they are proprietary and now Samsung is doing the same thing
I'll be leaving Samsung behind also when contract is up
Thanks for the VENTING
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I own the original galaxy gear and while I was running with andriod for the longest time, I decided to give tizen a try and it made the watch better imo. However, pedometer and all of its original apps worked flawlessly with both OS's, the only gripe I have with it is that I can't swap bracelets like the gear 2. What apps are you using for it? I'm using News replubic, fleksy messenger, calculator, instant settings, travel translator and a whole bunch of watch faces; all working well. Ive been hesitant to try any of the other apps as I feel they are unnecessary, for example all the FB, twitter and location apps. One more thing I'd like to share is that different apps are available for different model phones, don't know why samsung does this; I've been able to get most apps by modifying the build prop on S3 to make seem like it is a S5. The pedometer works with a movement motions sensor on the watch, not GPS, this is why the watch picks up a step you move the watch up and down or back and forth.
I use News Republic, calendar, and a different media controller other than stock
I am disappointed really due to the lack of quality apps and the watch is out dated so quickly, less than months old and it's outdated, uurrrr
I wish there was away to make it into an Android Wear
More apps, would be better all around
It just makes me mad the watch is outdated and the lack quality apps all $299
I work had for my money and sacrifice to get items
I've learned a valuable lesson
Lonestarman said:
I use News Republic, calendar, and a different media controller other than stock
I am disappointed really due to the lack of quality apps and the watch is out dated so quickly, less than months old and it's outdated, uurrrr
I wish there was away to make it into an Android Wear
More apps, would be better all around
It just makes me mad the watch is outdated and the lack quality apps all $299
I work had for my money and sacrifice to get items
I've learned a valuable lesson
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I agree with you. I love my Samsung phones, but I have had the Gear 1 since inception and the apps have not been good and very far and few in between. I feel as if the gear 1 users were just abandoned by Samsung. In fact the original gear wasn't even out a few months when they brought out gear 2. This is my last try at being an early adopter to any electronics.
One more thing. The only app that most gear 1 users really enjoyed was Watch Styler for making new watch faces and that was even taken away.
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Yeah the best thing to do about this new gimmick watch thing is to sit back and wait till everyone not just Samsung gets it right
I'm still mad at Samsung for putting out gear 2 and then months later they put out another, and then quit supporting it, it's just wrong, They should of done it right the 1st time
Even though I like there phones I'm done with them, they are screwing the consumer by putting out these watches that are obsolete in 3 months
I just hope someone that's smart enough can transform my gear 2 to something more usable
I'll be waiting
The watch let's us reply to text using s voice, emojies, text templates and of you are using fleksy it even let's you reply by using the fleksy app from your watch. You can place and answer calls using s voice and have a conversation thru the watch of you are driving, etc. You can read articles with the news republic app, take pictures with it (not pro quality but the cam is great), it let's you control the media you are playing on your phone and it plays music you've stored on your watch to use thru bt headphones while jogging/exercising, it let's read alerts from different apps and while you cannot reply to most, you at least can see who is trying to get a hold of you and if it's important to reply right away, you can use s voice to do quick searches (even though is not as accurate as ok Google) but it works fine, you can use a calculator on it, control different settings on your phone from the watch, select different fonts and background wallpapers, you can also take voice notes and memos and sync them to your phone for storage. This is a companion device, that's all. I find it very functional, what else would you like it to do?
I don't think you understand what I'm saying
Samsung has abandon the gear 2 and any gear before and the gear 2 is not even a year old, no developer will make any new apps that's worth anything
Yes it's a companion device, so what new app has come along lately that's worth anything as a companion to your phone ? , none!!!!
Do you really read News Republic from your gear 2 , Do you really use Flexky to text from your gear 2
If you do the are a small majority
So you listen to your music on gear 2 hell I can do the same with my phone with all my music not just limited
These are the apps I use on my gear 2
I heart radio has a companion app for gear 2 if you download and use I heart radio, its not in the gear manager
Calendar app that shows holidays and one or 2 watch face that show you a glimpse of the weather
I have tried to find apps that look worth using but come to find out the apps are so buggy or they just don't work as advertised
The gear manager sucks, come on be honest
All I'm saying is Samsung abandoned the gear 2 and now has the Gear S, Android wear that they concentrating on
Have you seen any support from Samsung for the gear 2, no just here on XDA
would you buy a phone that would be obsolete in 2 months of getting it with zero support no updates, you can not get any apps for the gear 2 except from gear manager all other watches you can get apps from the play store that are worth something out of a 1000 apps on gear manager out, which is very little, except maybe 5 that at with anything
This is just about to be 2015,show me some innovation
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Yeah I get what you mean, but I dont think the watches are obsolete just yet. I do agree that there isnt anything new for our watches cause all development as moved to newer watches. However, the gear S as doesnt attract me, specially its battery! come on now, such a large watch couldve had a bigger than 300mah battery, thats a big no no for me not to jump on it. Android wear is as good as our gear watches at the moment, im gonna wait for the new generation of watches that will come just like im waiting on the new generation of cell phones that will come, so that I dont regret buying something now that most devices are in transition to become better.
So tell me in 2 or 3 more generations of watches what you think you'll be able to do
I don't want to look like **** Track or Maxwell Smart, I hope you know who they are, Im telling my age now
I guess I expect to much from companies
I honestly believe they rely on there engineers heavily and don't listen to the average Joe on the street, (the consumer) I'm not bad mouthing engineers, I've worked around them for over 30 years now and if it wasn't for them we wouldn't have the advancements we now but I also know they can be the most stubborn and arrogant people I have been around
I actually believe this watch gimmick as I call it will be a bust
The screen is just to small to do anything with
Does anyone remember the old calculator watches back in the 70s and 80s,do you see thoughs anymore?
a watch is a watch, it gives you the time the date and maybe a timer or an alarm, that's it
Do you really want to look like an FBI agent talking to your wrist
OK I'm thru with my venting and rant
Thanks for letting me do that
See ya
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Honestly I feel watches are gonna move in the direction of the new Gear S watch, towards being devices independent from a cell phone. The question is why? simply because there is some demand for it and because there a lot invested on it. Also, they are thinking about watches just like they think about cell phones, new version every 6 to 12 months, its all about marketing and extreme consumerism.; so all we have to do is not fall for every device and research about specs and actual usability. For example, the new Gear S is a nice device but samsung messed up when they put such a small battery (300 mah just like out Gear). We just have to shop smart, personally I love watches which is why I have a "smart watch"
I love gadgets, but I'm getting old and probably set in my ways
In my life right now it's about being practical
I hope that your right, because before I pass away I want to see technology grow beyond my wildness dreams
Shot I remember when microwaves were 1st sold and we've grown every sense
I actually love new technology and gadgets, but I'm sorry to say the watch thing is going to go south, maybe not in next 3-4 years but it will be gone
I hope I'm wrong and your right
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I think smart watches do have a role to play, but they're not going that way. Yes, the screens are too small to surf the web or type emails etc. But what they're the right size for is to get strapped on my wrist where I can glance at them to see if it's worth pulling my phone out of my pocket right then and there (when I'm on my bike, or driving, or doing things). They're also great for taking a QUICK phone call when my hands are full or I'm busy, long enough to say "hold on a sec" or "I'll call you right back".
So much missing the point.
All I'm trying to say is are these watches worth the 199-299 price tag just so me and you can glance down to see who's calling us just because we are to lazy to pull our phones out of our back pocket
One more time as I've mentioned in the above threads
I have a gear 2 which was released this year 2014 which I wear every day and it's already obsolete, Samsung hasn't done one thing to the watch since release and there not going too, they have moved on to the Gear S and/or Android wear, the developers have stopped making apps for it and the apps that are out there are very buggy, they aren't worth using, so by the end of the year my gear 2 will be an expensive watch that will be doing the same thing an 35 dollar Timex will do, which is give me the time, the date, a stopwatch, etc
Maybe other smart watch makers will be OK and make some decent smart watches for the consumer but Samsung has pissed me off by taking mine and your money for a watch they knew they were going to stop supporting after a few months on the market and that's just wrong, period
There's nothing you can say to defend that unless you know a major change coming
I hope the smart watch trend works out, I love gadgets, I love technology but I will not spend my hard earned money on something that's doomed by the manufacturer from the beginning which right now is Samsung
In the business world if you want to keep your customers coming back you must treat your customers right
Yes I'm mad at Samsung for deserting me and others, they've showed no loyalty
So when it all said and done, I'm going to desert Samsung and show no loyalty to them
I'm hoping that there will be a developer out there that will be able root this gear 2 and make it useable in the future as an android device not a dedicated Tizen /Samsung device
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Lonestarman said:
All I'm trying to say is are these watches worth the 199-299 price tag just so me and you can glance down to see who's calling us just because we are to lazy to pull our phones out of our back pocket
One more time as I've mentioned in the above threads
I have a gear 2 which was released this year 2014 which I wear every day and it's already obsolete, Samsung hasn't done one thing to the watch since release and there not going too, they have moved on to the Gear S and/or Android wear, the developers have stopped making apps for it and the apps that are out there are very buggy, they aren't worth using, so by the end of the year my gear 2 will be an expensive watch that will be doing the same thing an 35 dollar Timex will do, which is give me the time, the date, a stopwatch, etc
Maybe other smart watch makers will be OK and make some decent smart watches for the consumer but Samsung has pissed me off by taking mine and your money for a watch they knew they were going to stop supporting after a few months on the market and that's just wrong, period
There's nothing you can say to defend that unless you know a major change coming
I hope the smart watch trend works out, I love gadgets, I love technology but I will not spend my hard earned money on something that's doomed by the manufacturer from the beginning which right now is Samsung
In the business world if you want to keep your customers coming back you must treat your customers right
Yes I'm mad at Samsung for deserting me and others, they've showed no loyalty
So when it all said and done, I'm going to desert Samsung and show no loyalty to them
I'm hoping that there will be a developer out there that will be able root this gear 2 and make it useable in the future as an android device not a dedicated Tizen /Samsung device
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Same with the Gear 1 that I bought... l have been a dedicated Samsung customer on phones for years and I am beginning to rethink that..
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I realized I was sloppy and vague in my earlier post, so to fix that: "so much missing the point" was meant to apply to Samsung & smartwatch makers in general, and not Lonestarman and Rsmin, with whom I substantially agree. I just wish the focus could be on doing the simple things (email, messaging, notifications, maps) *well*; after that, anything else is gravy. At least for how I roll.
I can't begin to tell you how peeved I am that Sammy's latest few Manager updates broke rich notifications.
Ha! You guys are insane! I love my Gear watch. I have the original gear watch and I found it useful in more ways than one. Take my post light heatedly guys, I know each situation is different for everyone.
For those of you with gripes about the apps and functionality, you need to seriously sit back and re-think what it is you thought this watch could do. Being able to see messages because you are too lazy to pull it out of your pocket is ludicrous. I drive a lot for work, not only that, when I am in the office I am often in different team members cubes assisting with something. I don't have to pull my phone out of my pocket and fumble around with the side key then swipe up and enter messages to see who just messaged. It's there at a quick glance. I don't have to unplug my phone each time I walk away from my desk so I don't miss a call.
If I am at a team members desk and my phone is ringing (usually on silent) I know about it. I have missed many, many important calls before simply because I forgot my phone was on silent or I was away from my desk. With this watch, I am alerted no matter what. You're telling me that alone isn't worth the price tag?
What about when you are driving and your wife asks you to bring something home for dinner. All the food places are miles from your home. You get home, only to realize you missed the call, and have to go back out. This has happened to me also.
These situations may be specific to me, but reading all these negative posts leads me to believe you all thought your watches would become your wives. Cooking dinner for you, rubbing your feet, telling you how great you look in those new skinny jeans of yours. It's not a "fleshgear" gents. And the pedometer and heart rate sensor? Of course it's not going to work! LOLOL. It's a stupid gimmick Samsung keeps throwing in all their ****, everyone knows this, and you should have too.
I have found usefulness in quickly telling someone the weather in the coffee room while my phones at my desk. I used the calculator daily. I use the vrecord app to take pictures of me and my family on Halloween from my phone that was set 10 feet away. I use the media control to control the music on my phone connected to a blue tooth speaker while my phone is in the other room charging. I use svoice to send texts and make calls right from the watch. I find it most useful at home, when I move about the house and the phone is charging in the cradle.
This is an accurate portrayal of all the things this watch can do, and I have a first gen. Please don't write something nasty back, I won't bother answering you. These are my 2pennies and information for anyone who might be thinking about grabbing a first gen gear on A4C.com for $84 and free shipping.
Best of luck to you all,
-Dave
---------- Post added at 01:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:52 PM ----------
Oh, and I do agree Gear Manager sucks. Samsung is the WORST about updates.

LG G Watch R vs Gear S...

I've actually owned both of these watches so I think I can draw a good comparison:
First of all, the approach of these two watches is completely different. The LG G Watch R assumes you will always have your smartphone with you. It is basically for notifications and quick responses. It assumes you will use your smartphone for anything more involved. It is an accessory in the purest sense of the word. It helps you keep your phone in your pocket but it doesn't try to replace your phone. With Google Now it has excellent voice recognition and navigation. Fast, light and easy.
The Gear S is very powerful and yet on many levels redundant. It does much of what your phone does. But there is a problem, it does it in such a small format wouldn't you be better off just using your phone? Yes it handles texts better than the LG G R, but why? Your phone does it even better and you aren't typing on a tiny keyboard. But can't you just use the Gear S as a phone replacement and leave your phone at home? Good concept except no camera and the battery life with a 300 ma battery is horrible under heavy use (I blew through a full charge in 2 hours). It's also huge and face it, pretty nerdy. And sadly, S-Voice just sucks.
So while room for lots of improvement exists with Android Wear, I think it gets it on what a smartwatch should be - not a smart phone on your wrist but a smart accessory that extends your smart phone to your wrist.
Exactly. The Gear S is not worth imho. Why would you want to have a phone on your wrist? And imho it's fugly (as are all other galaxy gear watches).
DarknessWarrior said:
Exactly. The Gear S is not worth imho. Why would you want to have a phone on your wrist? And imho it's fugly (as are all other galaxy gear watches).
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The only reason the Gear S makes sense is if you plan on leaving your smart phone at home, but WHY would anyone do that? You have no camera, you are trying to type on a 2 inch screen, the battery is tiny and doesn't last - and oh yeah, its ugly as you said. It's funny. In this day and age of bigger and bigger screens, Gear S is trying to get us to go back to 2 inches.
That's not to say the Gear S doesn't have good ideas. I would enjoy being able to see lists of my notifications on Android Wear even after I have dismissed them for one. Also the multiple homescreens with widgets is a good idea Android Wear could use.
Last thought, would be nice to be able to talk into the watch when responding to a quick call if you aren't wearing a headset. Gear S does that well.
We really need Gear S and LG G R to have a baby with the best parts of each.
mitchellvii said:
The only reason the Gear S makes sense is if you plan on leaving your smart phone at home, but WHY would anyone do that? You have no camera, you are trying to type on a 2 inch screen, the battery is tiny and doesn't last - and oh yeah, its ugly as you said.
That's not to say the Gear S doesn't have good ideas. I would enjoy being able to see lists of my notifications on Android Wear even after I have dismissed them for one. Also the multiple homescreens with widgets is a good idea Android Wear could use.
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yeah, Tizen-based Gear watches have good ideas, but first the platform itself is new and is probably heading the same route as Bada did, I don't really see it taking off. And then the Gear S itself is trying to be something most people don't want, noone wants a phone in the wrist, its an hassle to use it, calling, sending texts and so on, then you'll have to have multiple SIM cards... and finally it looks super nerdy calling people from your wrist lol
I mean, there's phones which do a phone's job well done, why would you buy something that makes your life harder? lol IMHO smartwatches are just supposed to be so you don't waste so much time grabbing your phone from your pocket just to see that the notification you just got was some spam email or a facebook farmville invite.
DarknessWarrior said:
yeah, Tizen-based Gear watches have good ideas, but first the platform itself is new and is probably heading the same route as Bada did, I don't really see it taking off. And then the Gear S itself is trying to be something most people don't want, noone wants a phone in the wrist, its an hassle to use it, calling, sending texts and so on, then you'll have to have multiple SIM cards... and finally it looks super nerdy calling people from your wrist lol
I mean, there's phones which do a phone's job well done, why would you buy something that makes your life harder? lol IMHO smartwatches are just supposed to be so you don't waste so much time grabbing your phone from your pocket just to see that the notification you just got was some spam email or a facebook farmville invite.
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Right. Smartwatches are meant to be the 7-11 convenience store of the gadget world. Fast, light, easy.

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