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Android Wear |OT| 2nd Gen is Here

Lots of inspiration from apple watch :)

Wifi sounds good. I often lose connection when I leave my phone charging and I'm the other end of the house. Fingers crossed my GWR supports it.

Tap for apps means my mini launcher can be uninstalled - never worked perfectly on a round watch anyway. I hope you can still do a Google now voice search without needing to swipe across two screens.
 
Surprised they added that emoji-gesture feature. I suppose might as well.

But:

Wi-Fi support

With GPS and offline music support, you can already leave your phone at home, then go jogging and jamming like normal. Now Android Wear supports watches with built-in Wi-Fi. As long as your watch is connected to a Wi-Fi network, and your phone has a data connection (wherever it is), you’ll be able to get notifications, send messages, and use all your favorite apps. And if you really do forget your phone, you can always ask your watch where it is.
Click to expand...

Offline GPS support too? That's great! I'm especially interested in the addition of more low-power features but I can't imagine how much better it would have been if it were an OLED screen for the 360.
 
That emoji feature seems both interesting and odd. I'm curious to see how good it is at actually figuring out that I'm drawing a thumbs up.
 
3phemeral said:
Surprised they added that emoji-gesture feature. I suppose might as well.

But:

​

Offline GPS support too? That's great! I'm especially interested in the addition of more low-power features but I can't imagine how much better it would have been if it were an OLED screen for the 360.
Click to expand...


Offline GPS is already in there - but only for watches that have built-in GPS. Music is there too. They were just listing those as a kick in Apple's nuts. Which is also probably the only reason they added the stupid 'draw an emoji' feature.
 
mrklaw said:
Offline GPS is already in there - but only for watches that have built-in GPS. Music is there too. They were just listing those as a kick in Apple's nuts. Which is also probably the only reason they added the stupid 'draw an emoji' feature.
Click to expand...

The reason they added that is because it's a huge selling point of the Apple Watch.

It's literally all you hear people talking about when they demo that thing. And in a world where the Yo-app is a thing, I guess it makes perfect sense.

Anyways, I'm surprised it's all they added, and not the complete drawing-messaging app Apple has in its watch.
 
mrklaw said:
Offline GPS is already in there - but only for watches that have built-in GPS. Music is there too. They were just listing those as a kick in Apple's nuts. Which is also probably the only reason they added the stupid 'draw an emoji' feature.
Click to expand...

I just realized that this is only software support as the first AW watch with offline GPS will be Sony's SmartWatch 3 :(

I'm hoping my Moto 360 will at least support the WiFi feature.
 
This is my first go at designing a watch face, think it came out pretty cool :)

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.ryott.wmwatch.sensi

feature-graphic-sensiwatch.png
 
So, I've been checking out the Apple Watch thread, where people have been posting "preparing for shipping" screenshots for their watches, and they've preordered watches for -what I consider- insane prices, like in the 700 dollars range.

Now, I have the -as far as I know- most expensive Android Wear watch (the G Watch R) and I even thought that price was pretty high for a 1st gen device (you could argue 1.5 since it was post-first big update and came after the initial square devices, but whatever).

Now, would you -ever- pay that much for an Android Wear Watch? Because that seems insane to me, to pay as much as a simlock-free unbranded phone for something that is an extension of said phone. I was on the fence for a long time at the 250 bucks for the G Watch R even, would certainly not have bought it at 350 or higher.

So, would you guys consider buying a "premium" device at that price-range ($700)?
 
5moke5creen said:
This is my first go at designing a watch face, think it came out pretty cool :)

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.ryott.wmwatch.sensi

feature-graphic-sensiwatch.png
Click to expand...

awesome :)

Thought it'd be a fun background image with some numbers superimposed - but you show the weather by literally having the weather on the pitch, and the players get substituted every minute. Bought it just to have a play with.

Is the watch face editable? I'd like to have a play see what makes it tick (pardon the pun)
 
Aiii said:
So, I've been checking out the Apple Watch thread, where people have been posting "preparing for shipping" screenshots for their watches, and they've preordered watches for -what I consider- insane prices, like in the 700 dollars range.

Now, I have the -as far as I know- most expensive Android Wear watch (the G Watch R) and I even thought that price was pretty high for a 1st gen device (you could argue 1.5 since it was post-first big update and came after the initial square devices, but whatever).

Now, would you -ever- pay that much for an Android Wear Watch? Because that seems insane to me, to pay as much as a simlock-free unbranded phone for something that is an extension of said phone. I was on the fence for a long time at the 250 bucks for the G Watch R even, would certainly not have bought it at 350 or higher.

So, would you guys consider buying a "premium" device at that price-range ($700)?
Click to expand...

as someone with a pre-order, I just wanted to point out that this is fairly disingenuous.. fyi.

the "watch", when you get down to it, is $400. That's assuming the cheapest 42mm version you can buy. So sure, $150 than you paid for the G Watch R, but to also note that you bought that watch only AFTER it dropped in price, something the Apple Watch will do as well (on gen 2, etc).

So I personally have a $600 one ordered.. but will FULLY admit that the $200 extra I am paying is because I wanted something that was "more fashion" and less "geek chic" that I would consider most Android Wear devices AND the AW Sport version come off to me as. Is tat $200 worth it? Well to me it is, and has nothing to do with the guts of a smartwatch. Is it worth it to you? Certainly not from the sound of it, which is perfectly fine.

But to close this out, I DO appreciate that Apple is giving people the option. My biggest complaint with Android Wear is that if you don't like the look of the device but you loev the features.. well, too bad. Love the look but the watch kind of suck? Again, too bad. At least with our phones (iOS, Android, etc) we can always throw cases on them. The watch we have much less area to work with to change things up to how we'd like them. So that Apple gives you a choice of 12 different body styles and (umm.. 18?) different bands or so is awesome, and something I think Android Wear would benefit from greatly. Yeah you need to get the geeks out in full force to beat on these things and figure out what works and what doesn't.. but at the end of the day you need the mainstream to want these.. and without being able to fall back on cases to customize them, you are going to need as many options WITHIN A SINGLE DEVICE as possible. Otherwise it WILL come down to one device selling better than the other simply because "I can get it in blue".

just my two cents.
 
mrklaw said:
awesome :)

Thought it'd be a fun background image with some numbers superimposed - but you show the weather by literally having the weather on the pitch, and the players get substituted every minute. Bought it just to have a play with.

Is the watch face editable? I'd like to have a play see what makes it tick (pardon the pun)
Click to expand...

Yes mate, it is uprotected in WatchMaker. Glad you like it :)
 
borghe said:
as someone with a pre-order, I just wanted to point out that this is fairly disingenuous.. fyi.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry if I caused you offense. It's your money, you're more than allowed to spend it any which way you want, my apologies if my post came across any other way.
 
Aiii said:
So, I've been checking out the Apple Watch thread, where people have been posting "preparing for shipping" screenshots for their watches, and they've preordered watches for -what I consider- insane prices, like in the 700 dollars range.

Now, I have the -as far as I know- most expensive Android Wear watch (the G Watch R) and I even thought that price was pretty high for a 1st gen device (you could argue 1.5 since it was post-first big update and came after the initial square devices, but whatever).

Now, would you -ever- pay that much for an Android Wear Watch? Because that seems insane to me, to pay as much as a simlock-free unbranded phone for something that is an extension of said phone. I was on the fence for a long time at the 250 bucks for the G Watch R even, would certainly not have bought it at 350 or higher.

So, would you guys consider buying a "premium" device at that price-range ($700)?
Click to expand...
For an Android watch? No. But for an Apple Watch, sure.
 
Aiii said:
I'm sorry if I caused you offense. It's your money, you're more than allowed to spend it any which way you want, my apologies if my post came across any other way.
Click to expand...

not at all. your point is absolutely valid. I was just providing context. the "watch"is $400. Anyone spending more than that is buying "style" to which there is a wild difference of opinion in value.

i.e. someone spending $700 is spending $400 on the watch, and effectively $300 on "style".. so to speak.
 
borghe said:
not at all. your point is absolutely valid. I was just providing context. the "watch"is $400. Anyone spending more than that is buying "style" to which there is a wild difference of opinion in value.

i.e. someone spending $700 is spending $400 on the watch, and effectively $300 on "style".. so to speak.
Click to expand...

Do we have pricing estimates on the LG Urbane? That is basically the SS equivalent of the apple watch - it's the base LG Watch R but with premium materials and a bit more fancy, so you're literally paying for the looks.

I have no issues with apple doing that, except that - if I bought an iPhone - I had expected the aluminium to be fine, but looking in an Apple Store the stainless steel one is gorgeous :p



I do find it a bit odd that anyone considers the apple watch so much more advanced or more desirable than android wear though. Ignoring the part where you don't get to choose because you are bound by whatever phone you have, both watch platforms fundamentally do the same thing - tell the time, surface notifications, play local music, run native apps.

Apple has a general design/build quality advantage if you like the rectangular style. But android wear has more variety with both rectangular and round models. And AW has a significant advantage with battery life - G Watch R will easily last a day or two with the time always visible.

There aren't really any premium offerings yet, but the LG Urbane is a start, along with the Huawei one. And maybe more will come.
 
Yeah, I don't get the "not having as many options as iWatch" argument. I guess at the premium end that's kind of true, but otherwise there are like 4 or 5 really different models of AndroidWear watches that you can choose from depending on needs. Most of those come in different colors and most of them use conventional watch bands so you can customize them however you want. The only one I can think of offhand that doesn't (the Sony SW3) is built around being modular and has multiple bands as well. That sounds like more options to me, again unless you really want a premium jewelry look.
 
I wouldn't pay $400+ for a smart watch, no. I think $300 is probably my limit unless there was something truly premium. I mean, my Nexus 5 - an eminently more sophisticated and robust product that my watch relies upon to function - was only $350.

Considering the depth of Google's ecosystem (including Now) compared Apple's, and how that positively contributes to the experience of using a smart watch, I couldn't see myself switching back to iOS and picking up a Watch right now. I don't know if Apple will ever be able to catch up and make their offering an attractive option to me, really. And that includes style.
 
My fiance just got the LG G Watch (on sale at Target for $80 w/ CartWheel Coupon). What are some must have things we should check out? Keep in mind she is most definitely not a power user
 
Karish said:
My fiance just got the LG G Watch (on sale at Target for $80 w/ CartWheel Coupon). What are some must have things we should check out? Keep in mind she is most definitely not a power user
Click to expand...

Weather Timeline. Paid app, but if you live in a precipitous city

8PTdI5u.jpg
Click to expand...


Wear mini launcher for quick app accessing, though the new update might make this obsolete. However you can control the amount of icons in a grid and hide apps as well, so could still be useful
 
Has anyone with a 360 had the latest update rolled out to them? I want to check it out before I try the mini launcher (the new update is supposed to have similar functionality...I think).
 
Apt101 said:
Has anyone with a 360 had the latest update rolled out to them? I want to check it out before I try the mini launcher (the new update is supposed to have similar functionality...I think).
Click to expand...


I don't like the mini launcher with the G watch R. It works better with rectangular watches where the hotspots for activating it are the corners. But the round watches don't have corners, so you have to use top/bottom/left/right. And those conflict with the preset android actions (top=mute etc, left=dismiss notification, right=more actions on a notification, bottom=glances or whatever they're called)
 
Bummer my G Watch won't be getting WiFi. I got it for $80 from CowBoom forever ago though, so I can't be that mad.

Hope it still gets all the other new features!
 
Honestly surprised that the 360 has it built in, considering the chip they decided to use. Not surprised at the Zen Watch at all.
 
mrklaw said:
Do we have pricing estimates on the LG Urbane? That is basically the SS equivalent of the apple watch - it's the base LG Watch R but with premium materials and a bit more fancy, so you're literally paying for the looks.

I have no issues with apple doing that, except that - if I bought an iPhone - I had expected the aluminium to be fine, but looking in an Apple Store the stainless steel one is gorgeous :p

I do find it a bit odd that anyone considers the apple watch so much more advanced or more desirable than android wear though. Ignoring the part where you don't get to choose because you are bound by whatever phone you have, both watch platforms fundamentally do the same thing - tell the time, surface notifications, play local music, run native apps.

Apple has a general design/build quality advantage if you like the rectangular style. But android wear has more variety with both rectangular and round models. And AW has a significant advantage with battery life - G Watch R will easily last a day or two with the time always visible.

There aren't really any premium offerings yet, but the LG Urbane is a start, along with the Huawei one. And maybe more will come.
Click to expand...

GuitarAtomik said:
Yeah, I don't get the "not having as many options as iWatch" argument. I guess at the premium end that's kind of true, but otherwise there are like 4 or 5 really different models of AndroidWear watches that you can choose from depending on needs. Most of those come in different colors and most of them use conventional watch bands so you can customize them however you want. The only one I can think of offhand that doesn't (the Sony SW3) is built around being modular and has multiple bands as well. That sounds like more options to me, again unless you really want a premium jewelry look.
Click to expand...

I don't think the Urbane looks more premium than the R, personally. It appears to be pretty much the same materials, the only difference is that they went with a more sportswatch look for that one.

But I agree very much with you guys that options in Android Wear devices are plentiful. In fact, you can objectively state there are more options than what Apple is offering. Apple has one form factor, only varying in metals used and offering a limited selection of watch bands. Android Wear devices come in various forms, round and rectangle and most of them fit any regular watch band. Giving you more options and most of all, allow you to find one at a decent price.

Which brings me to this:
borghe said:
not at all. your point is absolutely valid. I was just providing context. the "watch"is $400. Anyone spending more than that is buying "style" to which there is a wild difference of opinion in value.

i.e. someone spending $700 is spending $400 on the watch, and effectively $300 on "style".. so to speak.
Click to expand...

Lets ignore the fact that you're paying a 150 buck premium over the most expensive Android Wear watch, that's normal for Apple devices and not a huge problem. But 300 dollars seems pretty steep for style imo. Mostly because of the low lifetime you're getting out of this device. Honestly, you're going to get 2 or 3 years out of a smart watch before you'll want to replace it. Paying hundreds of dollars for jewelry is different in that it'll last you decades. Now, if you could be guaranteed you could exchange bands on future devices that would be great, but that seems unlikely as Apple will change the thickness and form factor of the device, rendering the old bands useless.

For me, I'd say that are all pretty huge negatives when spending 700 dollars on a smart watch. At 300 dollars, it's more easy to justify buying something that will need replacing in 2 to 3 years.

mrklaw said:
nooo. I thought the GWR had wifi...
Click to expand...

There is no official statement from LG on it yet, so I wouldn't put too much stock into it:
https://twitter.com/LGUK/status/590883167520890881
 
I like how Jay held his watch hostage for an answer.
 
Aiii said:
Crying shame, no reason to get another watch or anything, but a shame none-the-less. Dat early adopter risk.
Click to expand...

Realistically it isn't a big deal, but it would have been useful when my phone is charging. Luckily it's a Z3 so has a great battery, and pushbullet can keep me notified on my computer
 
mrklaw said:
Realistically it isn't a big deal, but it would have been useful when my phone is charging. Luckily it's a Z3 so has a great battery, and pushbullet can keep me notified on my computer
Click to expand...

Heh, I have a Z3 too, charge it once every other day, love it. But yeah, I would probably only need WiFi if I leave my phone at my office desk while I'm getting coffee on another floor, that's they only time my Bluetooth goes out of range.

Would be handy for the find my phone function though, but oh well, it is what it is.
 
freshair said:
The fact that the apple watch has so many native apps already out for it on day 1 is kind of disheartening, hah.
Click to expand...

I don't really understand it. iOS just gets piles of apps because it's ios. With 5.1 having more accessible apps, plus Apple Watch putting some focus on wearables, maybe some more developers will release apps for AW too?
 
3phemeral said:
That's great! I have the same one and since I have a habit of having my left hand in my lap, it's suffered many hard bumps into various objects whenever scooch in closer to my desk. That and other miscellaneous and random collisions. I took this yesterday:



I've had it since launch.
Click to expand...

good to see another GR native around these parts!
 
Apple is just the definitive tech company. Everyone should be happy they entered the wearable category. Without them, it would fail. A rising tide lifts all ships, so I'm glad they're finally here.

Thank you, based Apple.
 
Has anyone noticed their android wear acting differently?

From today the voice control doesn't stop media on my phone from playing like it used too and I noticed the software update screen' font isn't as big as it used to be.

Also (not sure if this part is just me) but I no longer have to swipe from the top of the screen down to get to the sound toggles anymore and can swipe down from anywhere has it always been like that and i'm just having a brain burp?
 
mrklaw said:
I don't really understand it. iOS just gets piles of apps because it's ios. With 5.1 having more accessible apps, plus Apple Watch putting some focus on wearables, maybe some more developers will release apps for AW too?
Click to expand...

I imagine it'll be up to par soon, as with ever other app who at first had only an ios variant. I'm just impatient. ;p

Bboy AJ said:
Apple is just the definitive tech company. Everyone should be happy they entered the wearable category. Without them, it would fail. A rising tide lifts all ships, so I'm glad they're finally here.

Thank you, based Apple.
Click to expand...

I don't disagree. I just want things now, hah. re: twitter and instagram
 
Gruber: Twitterrific for Apple Watch is a lot more interesting to me than the official Twitter client. Twitter’s watch app only shows two things: your regular timeline and a list of top-trending global hashtags. Neither of those things is useful or appropriate in the context of a watch. Twitterrific, on the other hand, focuses on the sort of things you’d actually want to be notified about: your mentions and DMs.

And http://blog.iconfactory.com/2015/04/twitterrific-for-apple-watch/
 
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