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Gear Live Smartwatch

jds4000

Android Enthusiast
Apr 8, 2010
294
79
Sarasota, Florida
Well I ordered the Gear Live Smart Watch today. I simply cannot wait to get it! As a former Galaxy Gear user with my NOW SOLD Galaxy Note 3, I REALLY MISS USING MY GALAXY GEAR SMART WATCH ! I dont know what all of the fuss about the Galaxy Gear was, I really loved mine. I was spoiled by the ability to receive notifications for phone calls, emails, text messages, and weather right on my wrist without touching my phone. My Gear Live direct from Google ships on Monday via overnight mail. I will offer a full and detailed review. The Gear Live with Google's Android Wear UI is far more capable than the offerings previously offered by Samsung. I expect the watch will be GREAT !If anyone else would like to chime in, please do so on this thread. In the meantime, I am loving my Moto X with protection provided by the Otterbox Commuter! PEACE !
 
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LG G is no comparison to the Live in my opinion and it looks great. I also even like the watchband which critics have had negative reviews on. Lastly the Live is much more comfortable after wearing it all day and I don't find myself trying to constantly adjust it on my arm like I did the LG.

As for battery life, I charge my M8 every night so I don't see that as an issue, but I do think LG had a much better charger. I also like the default clock face much better than any others. As for my first impressions of smart watches in general, I think it is very useful and I especially like the find my phone software because I miss place my phone a lot. One feature that I think Android Wear should add is the ability to answer calls you want to take and be able to say something like "hey hold on for just a second" thus giving time to pull your phone out of a purse or pocket.

I wish the Moto was out to compare to but I don't think I would like it as much as I do the Live and the software is all the same which I think is great because you can adapt to any smartphone once you have used one..
 
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So far I love the gear live. It seems like everyday there is a ton of new apps for it. Even older apps have added android wear features and functionality for the watch. I love the remote camera snapshot. Also the ability to pause movies on the Chromecast using the watch is handy. Also using the watch to control the music you are listening too is really nice. Like I said before, everyday there is something new.
 
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The gear 2, gear neo, gear fit, and the original gear are only made for Samsung smartphones only with 4.3 and above. The Android wear are made for any Android with 4.3 and above. But that's not the big thing. When it comes to software the gear requires apps to be made for it. The Android wear devices do not need software on the watch. Just look at the camera app for example, there is no Android wear app for the watch. However there is Android wear functionality for it inside the phones camera app. All any developer has to do is inject a few lines of wear code into the original phone or tablet app. No need to make a standalone app for the watch which would take more time to make. That's not to say that you can't make standalone apps as well for Android wear. This one feature alone is Android wears greatest strength to the platform. No other smart watch has brought anything like this to a wearable platform before. So the only way to add features or apps to other watches other then Android wear is to create them specifically for their respective watches. This includes pebble, Sony smart watches, Samsung Gear (except Gear Live), I'm watch and the rest.
 
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It was a tough decision for me to go with the GEAR LIVE over GEAR 2/NEO.

I labored over it for days.

In the end, I gave up the better battery life and the ability to receive/make calls directly from the phone in favor of ANDROID WEAR.

I think Samsung made a huge mistake going with Tizen on the Gear 2 and Neo. It doesn't hold as promising a future, in my opinion, as the Android Wear watches.

Would rather use Google Now any day over S-Voice.
 
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I find it hard to be convinced that Google or Samsung watches are really useful.
If someone have tried them I would be interested to have his opinion.
Simply putting it:
If I have to look at my watch then pull my mobile to check anything in detail. It works be rather easier to reach for the mobile from the start.

On the other hand I think Google Glass is extremely useful as it frees your hands and make the info flow in front of you.
 
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I find it hard to be convinced that Google or Samsung watches are really useful.
If someone have tried them I would be interested to have his opinion.

I've had a Sony SmartWatch2 for almost a year and will be upgrading to the new Wear-using SW3 as soon as it's available.

Simply putting it:
If I have to look at my watch then pull my mobile to check anything in detail. It works be rather easier to reach for the mobile from the start.

That's why I'm hooked on my SW2; my device rarely has to emerge from my pocket as I can see everything by glancing to my wrist. The added functionality brought to the table by Android Wear really excites me.
 
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I've had a Sony SmartWatch2 for almost a year and will be upgrading to the new Wear-using SW3 as soon as it's available.



That's why I'm hooked on my SW2; my device rarely has to emerge from my pocket as I can see everything by glancing to my wrist. The added functionality brought to the table by Android Wear really excites me.

Thank you for your reply.
But explain to me something. Are you able to read your email on the smart watch?
I am a person who receives lots of emails I read them most of the times on my mobile. I am not sure the answer watch tiny screen would present me a real solution. It might let me know if an email is interesting and worth puking the mobile out of my pocket.
Tell me about your experience, were you able to read your emails on the watch?

There is another thing in my daily behavior. At any moment, I might get an idea or remember soonest something that I write as a note on my mobile.
Is this possible to do something similar with the smart watch??

I am trying to know if an smart watches are for a guy like me.
Thx
 
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Do you think that will be better? :p

Battery life? No.

However, having owned the Gear Live and seeing what Apple has done with their watch, it makes the Samsung look like a stone tablet.

I really wanted Apple to fail. I did not want to give up my Android phone.

However, Apple knocked that watch out of the ballpark and I have no choice but to go back to iOS.
 
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After 4 weeks with my Gear Live, I'm selling it. 3 main reasons:
1. Poor vibration. Can hardly feel the vibration. Only if I pay attention and that defeats the main purpose of a smart-watch!
2. I wanted to get the wine red band and assumed when I bought it I could get one from Samsung or maybe Amazon. NOPE! Can't find one anywhere. Plus finding a band to fit right is nearly impossible as there is a gap on the outer edges.
3. Hard to see in direct sunlight. After a lot of trial faces, I had one that came close:
1ab-800.jpg


I was wanting very much to like it and was very excited to get it... but my 3 points above dimmed my enthusiasm for this watch.

So, I'm going to put it on Craigslist for a $160. Do they have a "for sale" area on this forum?
 
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I gave this to my Uncle a year ago and he loves it, charges and wears it everyday. He don't go outdoors much nor needs the vibration. He likes changing the watch faces weekly. So it depends on what you want the watch for.
Me? being I'm very hard of hearing, I needed the vibration and I'm outdoors a lot, so I wanted to "see" the watch face. So I ended up getting the Martian Notifier which is perfect for me. No, can't change the watch face, but I get a strong vibration for my text/emails, shows world time, weather and I can see this in bright sunlight.
Moral of the story is it depends on the person and what type of watch to get.
 
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That's the beauty of Android Wear: lots of choices for lots of people, versus the one-size-fits-all solution of the... "other side" :D
Well, if the "other side" (non-smartwatch I presume) is the regular watches... they have thousands of styles to to choose from. ;)
Smartwatches are still taking baby steps.
 
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...
I've got the Samsung Gear Live also...It mostly just sits in my desk draw because I can't be asked charging it all the time...Charging my S5 every day is already enough of a pain...
For me, the key is just making a habit that is easy to remember and convenient to follow.
When I go to bed, I take my watch off my wrist and put it right on the charger where it stays all night.
When I get dressed in the morning after my shower, I take the watch from the charger and put it on my wrist where it stays until the following night.
The benefits of an Android Wear watch are well worth that small effort for me.... but it's not for everyone I guess.
 
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