Android Wear Watches hit the Google Play Store...Ireland too!

markad1

I ordered the Samsung but cancelled yesterday.
I'm gonna hold out bit longer.

Zascar

I also had not interest until watching the IO conference but now I really want one! I take my phone out of my pocket dozens of times a day for little things which a watch could replace. I also use Google Voice a lot - being able to just talk to my watch to find out info, send messages, add things to my tasks list etc would be really brilliant. One day battery life is a major turn off for me. Like come on. I do not necessarily need always on I have not want a watch in about 10 years, I'd change for this but if I have to charge two devices every night and put it back on etc, bit of a pain. I was hoping it would be waterproof so I could just leave it on all the time!

I might hold out a little longer. Do we expect a whole raft of manufacturers to being out their versions? How long will the Version 2's of the ones just released take - and what else might they have?

mik_da_man

Moto 360 for me anyway, looks like a real watch.
Don't think the battery would other me, I charge my phone every day too...

jester77

OK, I'm sold. Just playing around with the Samsung and it is much nicer in reality and not as bulky looking as I thought it would be when on my arm. Just might need to shave a little square on my arm for the heart rate sensor!!

dubsaab

Does anyone know if you can make or answer calls on either the Samsung or LG?

listermint

SpaceTime wrote: »

I'm not sure it'll take off to be honest.
The technology to do it has been there for a while and Sony Ericsson did one a good few years ago with very limited uptake.

A tiny screen with relatively useless information that is hard to interact with when your phone is in your pocket...

Call me cynical but I remain to be convinced that this will be the 'new thing'.

tbf, as with anything i think google are going to carve out a market for this. As we all know these smart watches have been around before.

But i think Android wear is nigh coming at a time when the processors are miniaturised enough, the display tech is optimal and the OS is as a cross point where it can handle the inputs thrown at it. The likes of Google Now and Google voice projects were not available to the likes of Sony Ericcson in the past. Plus the customisation of Android to operate amongst other eco systems within the home will allow for so much cross platform functionality outside of just being cool and niche Android wear will become actually usable.

It seems Google might have just got this one right, and the timing seems to fit too.


Im very excited about the possibilities .

Mimikyu

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heebusjeebus

Good indepth review on Ars. I'm definately intrigued.
I love my Pebble watch for the simple things it does and how I can read my notifications with zero effort. I can see myself asking for one of these watches from the OH for Christmas or my birthday

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/06/android-wear-review/

Sonics2k

Captain Morgan wrote: »

Some early reviews are up.

The Verge

In depth: What Android Wear is actually like to use
In depth: Getting to know the LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live

I just cancelled my order.

Bad visibility in sunlight and charging daily where the two main reasons for me to cancel.

The price was also a factor. €200 doesn't sound bad for a smart watch, but when you think about it, you can get a Moto G for less than €150 and a Nexus 7 for around the same price as the watches .

I'm going to hold off and see what others think over the next few weeks. I'll probably wait and see what the story with the 360 is. That looks like it could be worth buying, these look cheap imo.

I'm avoiding The Verge reviews lately, they've become insanely biased towards Apple(see The iOS8 review), while they used to be quite non-biased. I'll be waiting for a review from mkbhd on YouTube before I make my decision.

I'm also holding out for the Motorway 360 review instead.

The problem it seems is that no-one really knows what they want from Smartwatchs, whether it be health checks or just simple notifications.

Mimikyu

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Sonics2k

Captain Morgan wrote: »

I usually take their reviews with a pinch of salt and wouldn't base a buying decision on what they say but the battery life and visibility in sunlight have been mentioned by others.

I was really excited about Wear (and still am) but the hardware hasn't wowed me. The Moto could be a killer device though.

I think if I bought one of these I would be kicking myself in a month or two.

Oh for sure, Android Wear itself looks great, but I was never intrigued by the LG G Watch and Samsungs previous stuff hasn't grabbed me at all. Over the top features and little to show for it.

I'm following the 360 closely though. Really looking forward to it.

jester77

Having played around with the Samsung for a bit now I do like it, but it is limited in what it can do. Battery is a bit of an issue (get you through 1 day but struggles for the 2nd), the plastic thingy that clicks to the back for charging looks like it will break in the not too distant future plus I can only get it to charge with the charger it came with. Also google voice is not great, when you want to send a message or email and make only a small pause (half a second) it just sends the message, haven't figured out how to get to ask to confirm yet. Plus it doesn't show the full name of who you are sending it to until after it is sent, so there is a chance it will send to the wrong person. My friend already sent a "let's do breakfast" to the wrong girl

I'll have the LG next week, so I'll see how it compares.

AlanS181824

I wonder when/if Sony will release their Android Wear Z Watch.

A black square or even a circle with Sony's signature button...

I want!

Also really want the Moto 360.

Sonics2k

AlanS181824 wrote: »

I wonder when/if Sony will release their Android Wear Z Watch.

A black square or even a circle with Sony's signature button...

I want!

Also really want the Moto 360.

I thought Sony said they weren't going to make an Android Wear device? Shame really, because their newer phones are very good.

AlanS181824

Sonics2k wrote: »

I thought Sony said they weren't going to make an Android Wear device? Shame really, because their newer phones are very good.

I'm just speculating at this point.

But I think it would be really foolish for them not to.

I'd expect watches from Sony, Huawei, Oppo and a few others.

BionicRasher

Sonics2k wrote: »

I thought Sony said they weren't going to make an Android Wear device? Shame really, because their newer phones are very good.

Sonys phones are pretty appalling bar 1 or 2 of the top end phones. The S, J, E, M, U, Tipo amongst others are and were awful phones. I can imagine if they do Android Wear it might be just as disappointing.
Dont they already make a smart watch? I dont think sales of that are too hot. Looks like they have shipped about 1/2 a million units but how many of those were actual sales is anyones guess

Sonics2k

BionicRasher wrote: »

Sonys phones are pretty appalling bar 1 or 2 of the top end phones. The S, J, E, M, U, Tipo amongst others are and were awful phones. I can imagine if they do Android Wear it might be just as disappointing.
Dont they already make a smart watch? I dont think sales of that are too hot. Looks like they have shipped about 1/2 a million units but how many of those were actual sales is anyones guess

Their high end phones are very good, but let not forget that Samsung also make some awful budget phones too, the Fame, Young, Y, Mini and Neo.

I actually won a SmartWatch 2 last year and its alright, handy for checking notifications when I'm with clients or in meetings but doesn't have a patch on Wear.

BionicRasher

Sonics2k wrote: »

Their high end phones are very good, but let not forget that Samsung also make some awful budget phones too, the Fame, Young, Y, Mini and Neo.

I actually won a SmartWatch 2 last year and its alright, handy for checking notifications when I'm with clients or in meetings but doesn't have a patch on Wear.

Their high end Xperia S was a heap of junk. Maybe they are a little better now but I have had enough bad experiences with them to advise anyone to avoid. Nice hardware but they are not great with the softwae side of things - maybe a GPE high end Sony would be the best of both worlds

Sonics2k

BionicRasher wrote: »

Their high end Xperia S was a heap of junk. Maybe they are a little better now but I have had enough bad experiences with them to advise anyone to avoid. Nice hardware but they are not great with the softwae side of things - maybe a GPE high end Sony would be the best of both worlds

Oh yeah, the S, P and T were massive letdowns from Sony, but they do seem to have sorted it out and are making great phones at last, my only issue with them now is the two new flagship devices a year.

ferrigan101

Did anyone get either of these? Or are we all holding on for the 360?

jester77

ferrigan101 wrote: »

Did anyone get either of these? Or are we all holding on for the 360?

I've played around with the 2 of these for a few weeks now. Samsung has a nice screen and looks nicer, but it only works with the charger it came with, has a crap connection to the charger (will break), is bulkier than the LG and has a poorer battery. The LG is slightly smaller, better battery, nice magnetic charger, looks ugly and slightly uncomfortable on the arm.

The Samsung has a heart rate monitor, but it only gives you a one time feed and not a constant update, so to me it's sort of useless.

I wouldn't buy either of them. The battery will only get you 1-2 days, and I find the interface awkward and clunky. It needs refinement. For example, when playing music and I want to skip a track, I have to scroll up, scroll left and then click skip. Too many steps.

Zascar

I sort of thought as much - I think I'll wait for the 2nd or 3rd gen releses before I think about buying one

markad1

Glad I cancelled now

Zascar

The other thing is I have tiny wrists - all these watches are massive and will look stupidly big on my arm

beno619

I could probably live with the software problems of the new platform but charging a watch everyday is a big issue.

waynegalway

beno619 wrote: »

I could probably live with the software problems of the new platform but charging a watch everyday is a big issue.

Same here. They'd have to do 4 or 5 days really, before I'd be interested. Right now, I could see myself losing interest fairly quickly when the novelty wore off if it became just another device to give me battery anxiety!

jester77

beno619 wrote: »

I could probably live with the software problems of the new platform but charging a watch everyday is a big issue.

This is my biggest gripe with it. I come home and I already have to charge my phone and headset every day, adding another device is too much. You can't even go away for a weekend with this watch. The LG has a slightly better battery, my experience is that if I put it on today before I go to work, the battery will be dead by around 5-6pm tomorrow.

Another thing that annoyed me, which was sort of obvious but got to me at the same time. If I have my phone on the couch and go upstairs to the toilet without my phone or go out in the garden, then the watch is suddenly useless as the bluetooth connection was lost. This bothered me a lot more than it should have for some reason.

same ol sh1te

Charging pad, surely you guys intend to take it off at night. I got a wireless charging pad for my Nexus 5, great job. I have it beside the bed, no more snagging the phone on the charger lead and dropping it in the dark.

Zascar

I wish more phone manufacturers would make these wireless charging pads, or all agree on a standard

same ol sh1te

Zascar wrote: »

I wish more phone manufacturers would make these wireless charging pads, or all agree on a standard

Qi wireless is a standard.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qi_(inductive_power_standard)
http://www.wirelesspowerconsortium.com/what-we-do/qi/

beno619

jester77 wrote: »

This is my biggest gripe with it. I come home and I already have to charge my phone and headset every day, adding another device is too much. You can't even go away for a weekend with this watch. The LG has a slightly better battery, my experience is that if I put it on today before I go to work, the battery will be dead by around 5-6pm tomorrow.

Another thing that annoyed me, which was sort of obvious but got to me at the same time. If I have my phone on the couch and go upstairs to the toilet without my phone or go out in the garden, then the watch is suddenly useless as the bluetooth connection was lost. This bothered me a lot more than it should have for some reason.

Right now the Pebble is the only product that really works as it should 5 - 7 days battery.

Im surprised nobody as used Qualcomms Mirisol display which should solve battery life issues, I also dont understand the decision to go with the Snapdragon 400 it sounds like overkill for these devices.

SpaceTime

I'll wait a couple of generations before I spend money on something like this.

There's nothing particularly new about the idea, Sony Ericsson was doing bluetooth watches that linked to your phone about 5+ years ago.

same ol sh1te

SpaceTime wrote: »

I'll wait a couple of generations before I spend money on something like this.

There's nothing particularly new about the idea, Sony Ericsson was doing bluetooth watches that linked to your phone about 5+ years ago.

There was nothing particularly new about tablets either, it just takes society time to be ready for a new tech and people are now ready, now all have smartphones and get notifications daily. The average person checks their phone 150 times a day, this wasn't the case a few years ago

d31b0y

same ol sh1te wrote: »

Charging pad, surely you guys intend to take it off at night. I got a wireless charging pad for my Nexus 5, great job. I have it beside the bed, no more snagging the phone on the charger lead and dropping it in the dark.

Don't you need a compatible battery for wireless charging? At the moment the two devices available don't support wireless charging.
The Moto 360 is rumoured to have wireless charging capabailities but it has not been confirmed.

I was about to pull the trigger on the LG G watch today but 36 hours battery life just isn't long enough for a watch without wireless charging. I need to be able to get at least a full weekend out of a charge. I think I will wait to see the 360 before jumping.
It'll definitely pick up in the future but I don't think these devices are quite ready for main stream.

AlanS181824

Zascar wrote: »

The other thing is I have tiny wrists - all these watches are massive and will look stupidly big on my arm

I'm the opposite... Feckin' Shrek wrists over here!

Will probably look ridiculous on me...

At any rate I'm waiting for the Moto 360 anyway.

same ol sh1te

d31b0y wrote: »

Don't you need a compatible battery for wireless charging? At the moment the two devices available don't support wireless charging.
The Moto 360 is rumoured to have wireless charging capabailities but it has not been confirmed.

I was about to pull the trigger on the LG G watch today but 36 hours battery life just isn't long enough for a watch without wireless charging. I need to be able to get at least a full weekend out of a charge. I think I will wait to see the 360 before jumping.
It'll definitely pick up in the future but I don't think these devices are quite ready for main stream.

Yeah, the 360 is the only one getting qi wireless charging, I'm holding out for it too. It was more or less confirmed because Motorola submitted documents for a circular wireless charging dock using the qi wireless standard to FCC

BionicRasher

360 looks like the best of these so far but I would wait for a few iterations before jumping on these
I still cant believe that these are not more popular
https://toq.qualcomm.com/

same ol sh1te

BionicRasher wrote: »

360 looks like the best of these so far but I would wait for a few iterations before jumping on these
I still cant believe that these are not more popular
https://toq.qualcomm.com/

It's just a smartwatch for Android, not Android wear

jester77

The moto looks clunky but it is the only promising watch at the moment. I'm looking forward to what Fossil can do, at least they have a history of making nice watches, so I can't wait to see what they can do.

BionicRasher

same ol sh1te wrote: »

It's just a smartwatch for Android, not Android wear

Yes I realise that but it's still a great option for a decent smartwatch with wireless charging.

same ol sh1te

BionicRasher wrote: »

Yes I realise that but it's still a great option for a decent smartwatch with wireless charging.

It was, until Android Wear devices appeared. Without developers behind it making apps for it it won't be a great experience

Zascar

I'm only interested if it works with Google Now & voice

listermint

jester77 wrote: »

The moto looks clunky but it is the only promising watch at the moment. I'm looking forward to what Fossil can do, at least they have a history of making nice watches, so I can't wait to see what they can do.

To me the moto looks beautiful. Simple and Elegant.

Venom

same ol sh1te wrote: »

It was, until Android Wear devices appeared. Without developers behind it making apps for it it won't be a great experience

Developers will jump behind devices that sell and drop support for ones that don't.

same ol sh1te

Venom wrote: »

Developers will jump behind devices that sell and drop support for ones that don't.

Yes, but with Android wear it's all or none

Venom

same ol sh1te wrote: »

Yes, but with Android wear it's all or none

Moto 360 is Android Wear.

same ol sh1te

Venom wrote: »

Moto 360 is Android Wear.

The posts were referring to this smartwatch which isn't
https://toq.qualcomm.com/

Mimikyu

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AlanS181824

Captain Morgan wrote: »

Some new pics and specs of the Moto 360. (Link)

Wireless charging, water resistant, heart rate sensor and good battery life apparently.

Still no news of release date or price yet though.

Someone uses Android Authority aswell I see

I'd say it'll cost €250 but I'm hoping for less.

Great looking device IMO.

Mimikyu

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