I have been using the original Gear 1 since launch, so when the Gear 2 was announced, I was excited and could hardly wait. I went ahead and ordered the Gear 2 Neo instead of the Gear 2 due to not using much of the camera at all on the Gear 1. I have two major problems with Gear 2 Neo, enough so that I may consider returning it. Your feedback is appreciated.
1. Vibration is very weak - On my original Gear 1, I could feel the vibration under any circumstance. It was very strong in comparison to the Gear 2 Neo. Perhaps Samsung decided to turn down the vibration to save/extend its battery life? Could this be the reason? I could hardly feel the vibration on the Gear 2 Neo.
2. Plastic Look - I'm use to the metal casing on the original Gear 1, so going from metal to plastic housing is a notable difference in aesthetics. It' just doesn't have that appeal. I would get complimented on the Gear 1. Gear 2 looks like a toy watch on my wrist in comparison.
For these reasons, I will likely be returning the Gear 2 Neo and try my luck with the Gear 2. Can anyone provide their feedback, especially if you are coming from the Gear 1?
motog35 said:
I have been using the original Gear 1 since launch, so when the Gear 2 was announced, I was excited and could hardly wait. I went ahead and ordered the Gear 2 Neo instead of the Gear 2 due to not using much of the camera at all on the Gear 1. I have two major problems with Gear 2 Neo, enough so that I may consider returning it. Your feedback is appreciated.
1. Vibration is very weak - On my original Gear 1, I could feel the vibration under any circumstance. It was very strong in comparison to the Gear 2 Neo. Perhaps Samsung decided to turn down the vibration to save/extend its battery life? Could this be the reason? I could hardly feel the vibration on the Gear 2 Neo.
2. Plastic Look - I'm use to the metal casing on the original Gear 1, so going from metal to plastic housing is a notable difference in aesthetics. It' just doesn't have that appeal. I would get complimented on the Gear 1. Gear 2 looks like a toy watch on my wrist in comparison.
For these reasons, I will likely be returning the Gear 2 Neo and try my luck with the Gear 2. Can anyone provide their feedback, especially if you are coming from the Gear 1?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to agree. I'm feeling exactly the same. I thought I was imagining things but the vibration is a lot weaker and I'm not feeling the all plastic design ether. I've also not noticed much of a battery increase. My Gear 1 seems to last just as long. I'll probably return this Neo and pick up a Gear 2. I'm also not satisfied with the selection of watch faces. At the present there are no analog dials which contain a date. I've found myself wearing the original Gear more then the Neo.
bennyhill said:
I have to agree. I'm feeling exactly the same. I thought I was imagining things but the vibration is a lot weaker and I'm not feeling the all plastic design ether. I've also not noticed much of a battery increase. My Gear 1 seems to last just as long. I'll probably return this Neo and pick up a Gear 2. I'm also not satisfied with the selection of watch faces. At the present there are no analog dials which contain a date. I've found myself wearing the original Gear more then the Neo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, we feel exactly the same. I had forgot to mention the classic watch face from the Gear 1 that is not present in the Gear 2.
This is the watch face I've always used on the Gear 1. It was both classy and modern.
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Just wondering if you guys are older gentlemen? The neo is waaaaay better looking than the Gear 2 or Gear 1. But i would think that Grey metallic look would appeal to an older crowd and older definition of "Classy".
motog35 said:
I have been using the original Gear 1 since launch, so when the Gear 2 was announced, I was excited and could hardly wait. I went ahead and ordered the Gear 2 Neo instead of the Gear 2 due to not using much of the camera at all on the Gear 1. I have two major problems with Gear 2 Neo, enough so that I may consider returning it. Your feedback is appreciated.
1. Vibration is very weak - On my original Gear 1, I could feel the vibration under any circumstance. It was very strong in comparison to the Gear 2 Neo. Perhaps Samsung decided to turn down the vibration to save/extend its battery life? Could this be the reason? I could hardly feel the vibration on the Gear 2 Neo.
2. Plastic Look - I'm use to the metal casing on the original Gear 1, so going from metal to plastic housing is a notable difference in aesthetics. It' just doesn't have that appeal. I would get complimented on the Gear 1. Gear 2 looks like a toy watch on my wrist in comparison.
For these reasons, I will likely be returning the Gear 2 Neo and try my luck with the Gear 2. Can anyone provide their feedback, especially if you are coming from the Gear 1?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. I'm sure you didn't change it, but could your vibrate be turned to low? In settings goto Sound -> Vibration -> Verify "Strong" is selected. I do agree however that the vibration is less string than the fit.
2. I agree with the plastic look. I know they want that extra $100, but I think they could have at least made it look more classy. I don't mind it but I do prefer the look of the Gear 2 over the Neo.
smeiff said:
1. I'm sure you didn't change it, but could your vibrate be turned to low? In settings goto Sound -> Vibration -> Verify "Strong" is selected. I do agree however that the vibration is less string than the fit.
2. I agree with the plastic look. I know they want that extra $100, but I think they could have at least made it look more classy. I don't mind it but I do prefer the look of the Gear 2 over the Neo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
klinsukont said:
Just wondering if you guys are older gentlemen? The neo is waaaaay better looking than the Gear 2 or Gear 1. But i would think that Grey metallic look would appeal to an older crowd and older definition of "Classy".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, vibration is set to strong. I am pretty confident this was intended by Samsung to save on battery life. I don't think the Gear 2 will be any different.
If your definition of "older gentlemen" is in the late 20's, then I suppose I am. Having said that, I work in a professional environment everyday and dress code business casual with a tie. The original Gear1 matched up pretty well with my attire. The Gear 2 Neo, not so much.
I'm really considering going back to the Gear 1, but the UI on the Gear 2 is so much faster, and can receive MMS picture messages. Decisions decisions.
Sent from my SM-N900T using xda app-developers app
motog35 said:
Yes, vibration is set to strong. I am pretty confident this was intended by Samsung to save on battery life. I don't think the Gear 2 will be any different.
If your definition of "older gentlemen" is in the late 20's, then I suppose I am. Having said that, I work in a professional environment everyday and dress code business casual with a tie. The original Gear1 matched up pretty well with my attire. The Gear 2 Neo, not so much.
I'm really considering going back to the Gear 1, but the UI on the Gear 2 is so much faster, and can receive MMS picture messages. Decisions decisions.
Sent from my SM-N900T using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Late 20's?? i'm in my early 30's and have the same dress code. Not trying to offend anyone here but in my personal opinion that clock face and the grey metal is tacky. Reminds me of some "Johnson" getting in his rolls to hit the golf course. I prefer the subtle brushed metal face behind the glass, and the rubberized texture on the housing, as well as the texture on the band, i think it could do without the silver clasp and i would rather it had a satin black clasp. All in all i think the Neo is very modern, while the G2 is classic.
---------- Post added at 01:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:38 PM ----------
Motog35 are you sure you are getting picture messages on the watch? When i receive an MMS i dont even get a notification.
Jumping in.
I get mms pics on my watch.
Other issue... I dress business casual for work. I instruct at a community college. The watch is fine and appropriate for my work environment. I can see it feeling out of place amoung the $10,000 Rolex crowd but it is certainly acceptable for the $300 seiko crowd. I am going to dinner with a couple of Rolex wearers tomorrow and will proudly wear my Gear. They know I don't make the money they make and if I did, I wouldn't buy a Rolex.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I527
azpatterson3 said:
Jumping in.
I get mms pics on my watch.
Other issue... I dress business casual for work. I instruct at a community college. The watch is fine and appropriate for my work environment. I can see it feeling out of place amoung the $10,000 Rolex crowd but it is certainly acceptable for the $300 seiko crowd. I am going to dinner with a couple of Rolex wearers tomorrow and will proudly wear my Gear. They know I don't make the money they make and if I did, I wouldn't buy a Rolex.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I527
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Click to collapse
Hum, everyone has their own tastes obviously. I actually prefer the black on black of the Neo.
Whatever the metal stuff they use on the Gear 2 is reminds me of chrome which I can't stand...even though I know it's not really a shiny metal. For me BLACK/BLACK.
Especially since I got the Neo for $150 if you buy a couple of accessories which happen to be 25% off also.
Glad everyone is chiming in on this thread has kept it civil and simply stating their own opinion as far as aesthetics is concerned. I would like to hear more opinion on preference as far as aesthetics are concerned.
Also hoping they can merge the two forums (Gear 2/Neo) into one, so I can hear opinion of Gear 2 users - to see if they notice the same vibration weakness apparent on the Neo. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=52013394
klinsukont said:
Just wondering if you guys are older gentlemen? The neo is waaaaay better looking than the Gear 2 or Gear 1. But i would think that Grey metallic look would appeal to an older crowd and older definition of "Classy".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like that question , yes I'm older 53 years young. And it's not the all black that I'm not sure I like (I also wear a Pebble) it's the feeling I'm not sure I like. My Gear 1 just feels better my opinion. I also miss the classic watch faces that include the date . You know us older fellows have a hard time remembering the date LOL. and it's nice to be able to just look down and it's there. I'm self employed so normally I wear what I like so that's not a problem. I just think I'm going to get an Gear 2 so it feels about the same.
What I wish is for a way to set vibrate AND ringtone on the watch simultaneously. I'd always want at least vibrate, but if I have it on ring only, sometimes I'll be at a place where it's suddenly loud and you have no way of hearing the watch.
As for the build - it's definitely better than the Pebble, but just under the Metawatch Frame I used before getting the Pebble. I got the grey Neo, but if I keep it, I'll swap out for the black.
As for watchfaces, the thing I loved about the Pebble was being able to cycle through watchfaces by hitting one button. What I'm hinging on in whether I keep the Neo is down to whether I can duplicate the density of at-a-glance info on a watchface that I enjoy with Canvas on the Pebble. On workdays, I normally use a watchface that has the time, date, temperature, weather, next appt., audio volume state, connected wifi SSID, phone signal level, phone battery level, and watch battery level. It was busy, but legible, and to me, made the smartwatch much more handy than just having a replica of an analog watchface.
Im hoping its just a case of taking a bit of time for people to develop Tizen apps and tweaking by Samsung to the base offering.. got my pebble to fall back on but this looks a lot better than the pebble to me anyhow..
I have the Gear 2, and came from the Galaxy Gear. I think it's classy and clean. I love the IR blaster and heart rate sensor. I don't really need the camera, but I didn't want the plastic body.
My wife opted for the Gear 2 Neo. She is happy with it, but one thing I noticed really quick with my Galaxy Gear and my Gear 2, if that when I am outside in the cold (I'm from Maine, so its just starting to warm up) the watch gets cold and it really chills your wrist, not the case with the Gear 2 Neo.
Regardless, we are both happy. My only complaint so far is the band should have been at least one size larger for the people with manly wrists.. lol. I mean, seriously. One more size and there would be a lot less complains online about the band. It's the same issue I had with the Galaxy Gear, but at least I can change the band now.
I had the gear 1, and i picked up the neo because Rogers was selling it for 50$ to anybody that would buy an S5, and yes, i do feel like i miss the nice solid build, but hey, we all knew what the neo was and wasn't, it was cheaper than the price we all paid for our original Gear and yet, we all complain about the plastic feel when we all made the concious choice of buying the cheaper model when less than a year ago, we all threw out over 300$ for the original gear. You guys made a compromise by paying 100$ less, the option was there and no one took it, so i feel kinda dumb having this discussion about the plastic design of the new.
If we compare the Neo to the gear, well even the plastic model is a much better buy than the gear 1. I mean, i love this new watch. Design aside, how long did we have to wait for our damn gear to get proper notification, or have that stupid cradle to put it on, like a coffin, just to charge it. I love the neo because it's a good watch. I had the pebble, and the SW2, both sucked. The pebble was cool and all, but it felt like a kindle on my wrist. The SW2 had a color screen with a bad resolution, it was nice, but the apps sucked. The Neo is great, app wise, samsung have made great steps forward and they have left some of the stairs for developpers. I just can't wait to sideload apps made by devs on this.
As for battery life, i'm not sure how you guys use your watch, but i get an average of 25-40 notifications per day on the watch, i have the step counter on all the time and make approx 15 000 steps daily, i have sleep mode on every night, i auto-sync data every 3 hours and push the watch to refresh weather also every 3 hours, plus i have a bright blue background, i use the IR to change the channels and turn on and off my TV and STB, and yet, we are saturday evening and the last time i charged my Neo was on monday evening and i still have 23% left. So if i can keep this watch alive another 40 hours, it'll be a full 7 days on one charge, and this is a high res color screen, unlike the pebble that had an e-ink screen and lasted about as long as this. I actually think this is very impressive
EDIT: i did forget to mention that i turned off the "flick the wrist to turn on option" as it would light up during the night and light up my entire room and wake me
In order to keep information focused, please take all further discussion here...http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2711793
Recently my galaxy gear has started telling me the battery is critically low as soon as it comes off the charger and shows a full charge. It reboots often spontaneously. Sometimes won't connect to the phone. All kinds of dumb stuff. I tried resetting several times. But at this point, I know I have the best buy protection plan on it, so I figure why not trade it in on something new.
I'm just not sure which way I want to go. I have been leaning more toward the LG G watch R and Moto 360, but want to make sure I am not ignoring other good models. I am currently using a Samsung note 4 edge, so I have most options available to me., but again I have been focusing more on android wear as opposed to Samsungs devices.
I like the LG G watch R, minus the possibility for burn in, the more expensive price tag and the slightly smaller screen. And everybody seems to dislike them now that they aren't doing wifi on the R. Should I also look at Urbane? It's even more expensive, but I feel like my galaxy gear was like $250, so I do have some money to put toward it I guess.
The 360 has a bigger screen and wireless charging, but has the flat tire, the older processor and smaller battery and while my wife likes it, I'm not in love with the cylinder on a strap look. Everyone says it looks classier than the sporty LG. But something about a big round thing on a small strap looks weird to me. I almost wish it had the Strap connectors(not sure the official term) like the LG has. I did just see it looks a little better with a metal strap as opposed to the leather ones.
I haven't looked at the zenwatch as much, something about the round screens were appealing to me. But maybe I should look into it more.
And then there are samsungs, gear live, grea 2 neo, and gear S, should I be looking at them? I don't need the gear S's standalone ability.
Maybe I will get biased answers here. But I figured it was a good place to start since I didn't really see a general smart watch forum.
Thanks!
I have had the Urbane for a week and I have had many people say that it is great looking watch.
Not that anybody should care but I fine the comments nice and I tend to agree.
Had Gear Live, Smartwatch 3 and now this device and it looks great (have stainless steel and black band)
Yup, it's a deceptively sexy device. Much better IRL than in pictures.
It's such a great looking watch, I saw one in person about an hour ago and just ordered one five minutes ago...lol, I even paid $4 for next day shipping from Amazon. SO EXCITED for this one (I am a watchaholic)
I don't agree with you. I think Moto 360 is much more stylish than LG Urbane watch. Both of these smart watches are circle but Moto 360 seems more stylish to me.
Rickyzx said:
I don't agree with you. I think Moto 360 is much more stylish than LG Urbane watch. Both of these smart watches are circle but Moto 360 seems more stylish to me.
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Click to collapse
I think they both look good with a metal band, the Urbane looks much better with one...
moto 360? bulky, black bar, short battery life, i don't know why so many ppl like it... urbane is much better looking for sure.
Hi all
Because of the price point ($150 CDN), the gear live is one of my finalists for a smartwatch.
My question is, obviously, is the device still a good purchase in 2016?
Why or why not?
Thanks!
I would say yes I got the watch for christmas from my wife and have been using it every day since, lasts me all day with a few texts here and there, connects to my bluetooth headset, plays music independantly of phone, plenty of watchfaces on android market and can make your own with watchmaker app. Heart rate monitor is pretty consistent, screen res is nice and always on with dimmed mode. All in all a nice looking functional watch
yep mine still works awesome. I think google said that all android wear watches will get marshmallow update so it atleast good for another year. The always on display is a big feature.
I would say no....
I recently bought the Samsung Gear Live (new for $80) and also a new LG Urbane and I think I would have skipped the SGL if I had to do it over.
They are both running the same code and quite frankly, the SGL is a bit flaky compared to the LG.
ekaiser57 said:
Hi all
Because of the price point ($150 CDN), the gear live is one of my finalists for a smartwatch.
My question is, obviously, is the device still a good purchase in 2016?
Why or why not?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would avoid the Samsung Gear Live at any price over $80 USD.
I purchased a SGL in November 2014. I wore it all day every day until December 2015 when I picked up a Huawei Watch.
Samsung Gear Live:
Pros:
AMOLED Display
Heart Rate Sensor
Comfortable Ergonomic feel when worn
Acceptable battery life (I keep tilt to wake, always on display, and Wifi active)
IP67 Certification with silicone straps work well with an active lifestyle
Cons:
Display likely to pick up a few scratches over time. The outter bezel is not raised from the screen which makes the watch easier to interact with, but offers no protections against incidental contact. (I am very careful with electronics but my watches always seem to get nicked up. Unless you go with a Huawei watch with sapphire crystal this will likely be an issue on any android wear watch.)
Charger quality in question. The charger cradle clips on the back of the watch and secures tabs in the cradle into recesses on the sides of the watch. One of the tabs on my charger broke after around 6 months. I purchased a replacement from Samsung which is still holding up. I have even read cases of the recessed cavities on the watch breaking.
The plastic around where the watchbands connect has cracked and chipped off. The band is still held securely in the metal casing but I would think this will happen on all SGLs with time. This appears to affect the watches water resistance as it creates openings into the case.
The Lugs/connection place for the watch bands has a unique profile that in my opinion only looks nice with the watch band that comes with the watch. It will work with most 22mm watch bands but third party bands just don't look right to me.
The connection on the stock watch band is secured with two punch-through pins and can disconnect if the band gets caught on something like your belt or pocket.
The watch does not include an internal speaker and therefore will not support the speaker features in the Marshmallow Android Wear update.
Final Thoughts
I still wear my SGL when playing sports or working out but due to the build quality issues and look/style with custom watch bands I would not recommend it as a daily watch. I would suggest an Asus Zenwatch 2 in a similar price point as it includes an embedded speaker and has a more standard watch lug design that will allow you to use third party straps without compromising the look.
Once the Marshmallow Android Wear update is available you will definitely want a watch with an embedded speaker. I am so looking forward to being able to easily answer a call on my watch while either my phone is close but not accessible or my hands are not able to get to my phone. My most common examples wold be driving, cooking, and playing video games.
I have also accrued 5 new watch bands in addition to the one that came with my Huawei watch and I change them very frequently. I was not able to do this with the Gear Live as I hated the way after marked watch straps looked at the connection between the watch strap and the watch case.
If you still want a Gear Live I would suggest setting up an alert for it on Slickdeals and wait for a good deal to come along. It was available for $80 USD for a short time on 1/15/2016 on eBay.
Let me know if you have any more detailed questions about the SGL.
I'm not going to make a comment about performance, but as an owner of the Gear S2 Classic Platinum and the Gear S3 Classic, this watch looks cheaper in appearance. The turn bezel, to me in real life, looks like it belongs on a kids watch rather than a dress watch. I'm still not sure if I'll keep it for the functions, but right now I'm 50/50 on sending it back this week.
yes, the 41mm rotating bezel is plain where as for 45mm, it has got those grooves/gears around it. One of the reason i went with 45mm.
I've ordered the 41mm because the 45mm is like strapping an alarm clock to your wrist. Its here on Friday, fingers crossed I like it
May go for a Withings scanwatch if I don't like it.
The bezel on the 41mm version is more rounded and doesn't have the gripper teeth found on the 45mm version. I guess this is some sort of trade off to keep the screen bigger. I watched a few reviews and the silver 41mm always looked premium to me. As with all comments about design and colour, we have to factor in that not everyone's tastes are equal. For example I wouldn't be seen dead with the bronze version but many people (both male and female) seem to love it. Each to their own!
I am expecting my silver 45mm to be delivered today and will post my feeling about later. But I have no real doubts that I will love the watch.
.
I got my 45mm silver version delivered today. I have to say although it looks quite similar to my Galaxy Watch (1st gen) there are enough to differentiate them.
It looks great and I have ordered a tan coloured leather band which I think will really make this watch look even more premium.
It received a firmware upgrade, that now activates the SPO2 sensor and I was running the latest Tizen 5.5 on my original watch, everything looks pretty much the same, which is not a bad thing.
So to the OP, I believe your disappointment lays with the smaller version, I can see maybe how a smaller dial would give a less premium look. I hope you are happy with whatever you decide to do going forward though.
.
apprentice said:
I got my 45mm silver version delivered today. I have to say although it looks quite similar to my Galaxy Watch (1st gen) there are enough to differentiate them.
It looks great and I have ordered a tan coloured leather band which I think will really make this watch look even more premium.
It received a firmware upgrade, that now activates the SPO2 sensor and I was running the latest Tizen 5.5 on my original watch, everything looks pretty much the same, which is not a bad thing.
So to the OP, I believe your disappointment lays with the smaller version, I can see maybe how a smaller dial would give a less premium look. I hope you are happy with whatever you decide to do going forward though.
.
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Click to collapse
Glad you are liking the GW3. I had used black 42mm GW before and i got the mystic silver 45mm GW3 this time around. This looks totally a new watch to me because of the bigger brighter display and the silver color. I am liking it
I sent my 41mm Silver back and sold the Frontier I was going to trade in on the Bay for more than the Sammy trade in allowance. I've read that the 45mm is actually thinner than the 41. During Black Friday I'll go into a store with my trusted S3 and compare it side by side with the silver 45. Maybe I'll give the 45 a chance then.
Sending my 41mm back, Samsung can't tell me when ECG and BP monitoring will be available. I really like the watch, but I need these features and honestly think I'll get fed up charging every day.
Hey ho
gsw5700 said:
Sending my 41mm back, Samsung can't tell me when ECG and BP monitoring will be available. I really like the watch, but I need these features and honestly think I'll get fed up charging every day.
Hey ho
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The features you want are dependant on approval from public health bodies, not Samsung. So you can't blame them for not being able to give you an answer. But in my opinion the UK is likely to be on board quicker than a lot of other countries so my guess is this feature will be available soon.
As for charging, I get 2 days easily out of mine with normal use. Popping it on charge over night (or a quick top up in the morning if using sleep monitoring) really shouldn't be any trouble to you, with its magnetic charging pad it's no different to placing your watch on the bedside table or wherever you normally lay your watch when you take it off.
If you really like the watch like you say you do, then I think you are missing out here.
Just my opinion of course.
Good response... But...
• Samsung can't provide date when ECG/BP will be ready, Samsung support lied to me, Grrrr
• I have to charge daily 2-3h Grrrrr
• Eats battery on my oneplus phone, far too many Samsung services running.
• doesn't work with Strava
Withings scanwatch
Battery lasts 30 (THIRTY days)
ECG, heart monitoring & other stuff already approved
Got all workout activities I need
Only £279
Works with Strava
Looks great
For me, personally, it's a no brainer
Comparing with my old Huawei Watch 2 Classic, which had a much larger bezel, the GW3 does look more premium and modern. I might have done the bezel a little different on GW3, but ultimately I think the screen size-to-bezel ratio is about right (on the 45mm version).
As for battery, no issues. Although an hour of GPS & heart rate monitoring on a brisk walk drains the battery like no one's business (about 20% an hour, and that's without bluetooth tunes). But that seems to be pretty typical for any watch on GPS. GPS and heart rate appear to be very accurate, too, but some reviewers that are competitive marathoners have had a few minor issues. The 8(?) infra-red sensors means you don't have to tighten the watch until it cuts off circulation to get good readings.