Question On display camera. - Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3

Can anyone explain how this is a feature? I mean it doesn't bother me. But the more I think about it . The less it feels like a feature. And more it feels like something fishy. I don't know enough about stuff to understand access to data under a proprietary feature. But at the bare minimum I've never thought you know what this phone needs is that small crappy front facing camera to be in the display . I think I prefer it not there at all since the phone opens the back camera is sufficient for both. End of the day I believe this will be my last samsung. I hate the front screen and inside screen is cool and impressive but still kinda annoying. In my mind these devices should come with all the quirks ironed out. I still enjoy my note 3 rooted as much if not more. And the note 20 ultra was a solid device but wasn't a big upgrade from my 10+. Bare minimum samsung not including accessories is just lame. I would have probably made the closed screen slightly larger for easier use on the go and then the use on the inside screen for less often use in casual settings.
Just my thoughts a month in and was curious to hear others thoughts. I know it's probably and amazing device for someone who doesn't upgrade frequently but as someone who does it was probably the device that has ended my desire for new and cool over tested and true. .
Anyone stumble across any lesser known features or functions that aren't well known?
Customization wise:
I use wavelet and my bose in car sounds amazing.
And have good lock/nice lock until hex is functional again.
Ad block
and system ui tuner that doesn't seem to be adding much
and I tried to see if I could use adb and 3c but it doesn't seem to improve much or increase any functional use but I just had it long ago and thought I'd see if it was useful
The latest update has improved my mobile service in rural areas near by sprint on tmobile experience
I haven't debloated because honestly the device probably wouldn't improve much with less and I'm kinda waiting to understand what all is needed until my account is fully tmobile. I assume nothing they have changes much but since it can't currently be unlocked on tmobile side I'm curious to how it's locked since it's not supposed to be sprint sim compatible. But still has the sprint unlock uicdd on device hidden with tmobile unlock visible. I also hope someone comes out with a case that has a tiny bluetooth keyboard , I think that would be kinda cool.

Ok

I know that for everyone, no device is perfect. As much as I LOVE this Fold 3, it's not perfect, but it's about as close as a mobile device has come for me. Then again, I know that I am also an edge-case as I use my Fold 3 in a way that most others do not. I use it as a Mobile Office. I call it my 3-pocket-laptop (look on YT for a video titled 4 pocket laptop to see what I am getting at).
I have a foldable BT KB with Trackpad, folding Tablet Stand and a 20kMah battery pack I take along and I can literally work from anywhere I have signal. I even made a portable, battery powered monitor (from an old Laptop and some parts I had to order (controller and the like)) I made that I can stuff in a backpack and have an even better experience when on the go. I no longer need to carry my work laptop with me with this setup.
So yeah, I get why it may not work for you, but for me, I love it.

Talderon said:
I have a foldable BT KB with Trackpad, folding Tablet Stand and a 20kMah battery pack I take along and I can literally work from anywhere I have signal. I even made a portable, battery powered monitor (from an old Laptop and some parts I had to order (controller and the like)) I made that I can stuff in a backpack and have an even better experience when on the go. I no longer need to carry my work laptop with me with this setup.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pics please! I've seen the Mr Mobile video you're referring to, that was a fantastic idea!

Talderon said:
I know that for everyone, no device is perfect. As much as I LOVE this Fold 3, it's not perfect, but it's about as close as a mobile device has come for me. Then again, I know that I am also an edge-case as I use my Fold 3 in a way that most others do not. I use it as a Mobile Office. I call it my 3-pocket-laptop (look on YT for a video titled 4 pocket laptop to see what I am getting at).
I have a foldable BT KB with Trackpad, folding Tablet Stand and a 20kMah battery pack I take along and I can literally work from anywhere I have signal. I even made a portable, battery powered monitor (from an old Laptop and some parts I had to order (controller and the like)) I made that I can stuff in a backpack and have an even better experience when on the go. I no longer need to carry my work laptop with me with this setup.
So yeah, I get why it may not work for you, but for me, I love it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I saw that video and thought it was completely awesome what he did with the Z Fold3 and turning it into a complete desktop solution and even his Microsoft only co-worker was impressed with it.

vinokirk said:
Pics please! I've seen the Mr Mobile video you're referring to, that was a fantastic idea!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll get some pics up soon. I am redesigning the "monitor" case now and want to have an all-in-one unit to show off.
truckerdewd said:
I saw that video and thought it was completely awesome what he did with the Z Fold3 and turning it into a complete desktop solution and even his Microsoft only co-worker was impressed with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I am former MSFT myself and several people there want me to try the same thing with a Duo 2 (which they are sending me) and do a comparison. This will be fun!

Related

Hacking the Sony Liveview

Despite the bad reviews I picked up a Liveview yesterday. Was $50 brand new off Craigslist. And surprise surprise, it turned out to be a turd. Well, I don't like to waste money, so I set about modding it. Thought some people here might be interested to see what I did.
So far I've waterproofed the case. Next I'll be building a better strap, one that doesn't make it huge or block the USB port. http://www.jax184.com/projects/liveview/liveview.html has everything I've done so far on it.
Nice i got that thing and it "worked" but still with the having to restart it all the time was very annoying but i ended up sending mine back
So I've been using the Liveview for a couple days, or at least trying to. Even after doing a full reset of the device, reinstalling the software on my phone and removing all the plugins, it has a battery life of about 6-8 hours. In that time I turned the screen on twice, and it briefly lit up to tell me of an incoming call. No texts, no alerts, and I don't have farcebook/twatter/etc turned on. It sat 2 feet from my phone the entire time. If I actually try to use the damn thing to, say, control the media player, the battery goes dead in 2 to 3 hours.
Pathetic...
I've decided I'm going to build it into a custom case for a friend of mine with a much larger battery, since the stock one is completely and utterly useless. So much for my gasket job...
Not sure if the battery is just dying on yours or what but if I never touch the screen, mine lasts for a couple days at least (and that's with alerts!). Sad to hear yours has issues :\
Mine's brand new and running the latest firmware/software with the bare minimum of functionality enabled, so I'm as confused as you.
I have a liveview and i absolutely love it. I dont have any connection issues but i mostly just use it as a watch with out having it connected over bluetooth and the battery lasts for days when i do that. I do have an issue now where i dropped it and the select button on top doesnt work anymore
Can I connect multiple liveviews to my phone?
I just bought 4 of them for $15 a pop !! Sweet
I know I can use it with torque which is cool
what else can I do with them? Can I run album art to it from say player pro? or Pocket Casts?
is there a decent list somewhere of "interesting" things you can do with the little buggers?
Hi, do someone know the dimensions of the battery, because i have one with death batt. and need a replacement.
nice mod! Based on the pictures I can see the battery size in case I need to replace it, by the way using notifications my watch last 2.5 days, using a plugin last only 30minutes or less
nerys71 said:
Can I connect multiple liveviews to my phone?
I know I can use it with torque which is cool
what else can I do with them? Can I run album art to it from say player pro? or Pocket Casts?
is there a decent list somewhere of "interesting" things you can do with the little buggers?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 I just got one for $15, I wanna find some cool things I can do with it. What have you done to set yours up?
its a pain in the freaking butt. cool potential poor execution.
it constantly gets disconnected when something goes wrong ON THE DROID SIDE. terminating the app and relaunching it solves the problem for X period of time (few hours ??)
the most convenient access is also the worst designed. the watch band. YOU CAN NOT CHARGE IT WHILE IN THE WATCH BAND.
what freaking moron though that was a good idea to force us to remove it (VERY difficult) to charge it.
if the software bugs get worked out I may look into modding the stinking socket so I can charge it while in watch mode (thinking of RIVETING the case to the band) then I won't need the little watch pin thingy that is keeping me from charging it while its in the watch band.
and there is just not that many "cool" apps to use for it yet or the few out their are poorly executed.
how hard can it be to reliably push the freaking album art to the watch ?
nerys71 said:
its a pain in the freaking butt. cool potential poor execution.
it constantly gets disconnected when something goes wrong ON THE DROID SIDE. terminating the app and relaunching it solves the problem for X period of time (few hours ??)
the most convenient access is also the worst designed. the watch band. YOU CAN NOT CHARGE IT WHILE IN THE WATCH BAND.
what freaking moron though that was a good idea to force us to remove it (VERY difficult) to charge it.
if the software bugs get worked out I may look into modding the stinking socket so I can charge it while in watch mode (thinking of RIVETING the case to the band) then I won't need the little watch pin thingy that is keeping me from charging it while its in the watch band.
and there is just not that many "cool" apps to use for it yet or the few out their are poorly executed.
how hard can it be to reliably push the freaking album art to the watch ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Brother....
For disconnect issue , install this app
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ishii.app.liveviewcharm
Its really bad remove device all time from strap : (
Hope it help you
2 Generations of Liveviews
Just to be clear, there are 2 versions of this device floating about... The older one goes for around $20 and is not much more than a novelty... The newer model runs around $100 and seems to have fixed the battery life issue... One should look at the Pebble once it is available as a possible alternative...
openliveview
Drewmungus said:
+1 I just got one for $15, I wanna find some cool things I can do with it. What have you done to set yours up?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I started creating a usable gui for the openliveview project. Theo openliveview project is an open source reimplementation Of the liveview app.
You van follow the development in this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1422106&page=26
Note: you have to uninstall the liveview app bevore you van install openliveview
probbiethe1 said:
I have a liveview and i absolutely love it. I dont have any connection issues but i mostly just use it as a watch with out having it connected over bluetooth and the battery lasts for days when i do that. I do have an issue now where i dropped it and the select button on top doesnt work anymore
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This might help you. It won't solve the issue of select button, but it'll help you read notifications.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=40041226
Where can you find one for 15 bucks? Even if it did nothing, I'd want it for 15 bucks, just to have as a key for my phone using tasker. I supposed I could get any old bluetooth headset, but I wanted something wearable.
jadenguy said:
Where can you find one for 15 bucks? Even if it did nothing, I'd want it for 15 bucks, just to have as a key for my phone using tasker. I supposed I could get any old bluetooth headset, but I wanted something wearable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, $15 is AWESOME!
$18 with Free shipping on ebay buy it now is the best price I can find so far.
I bought four of them and donated 2 to the local hackerspace.
Would be wicked to control more than one at once. I'm trying to find some chick to wear two as earrings.
Perhaps one controlled with Sony app and one Open Liveview App each for one mac address.
Contrary to earlier post, I seem to be able to have both Sony and Openliveview apps installed at once (though haven't tried RUNNING both) yet.
My battery life across the two that I've evaluated and (a third I lost to the ocean) seems significantly better than the average reported above.
But a LOT of variables have changed since the OP. New firmware, new app, new phone, new bt stack, new android versions...
My impression IIRC is that this thing is ROCK SOLID on CyanogenMod7 or CM9 on evo 3d.

WIMM One vs I'm Watch

Hey everyone, I'm looking to buy a casual watch. (something less than 500 bucks) I'm really interested in both the WIMM One and I'm Watch. I have looked at the specs and reviews, but I'd like some opinions. both look like they have a lot of potential. I do like the I'm Watch's curved screen. but the WIMM One looks like its got a bit more tech on it. What do you think? I want the most bang for my buck
Personally, I'm looking at the WIMM. Both from a cost perspective and from a battery life one.
The I'm Watch can do speakerphone, which the WIMM can't, but, really, I don't see myself using a speakerphone on a watch very often.
The dual-mode screen on the WIMM is a huge plus, in my book, as is the open-ness of the developer platform (something that I haven't seen much of with the I'm Watch).
Apps / Dev Support will make or break these devices.
I think I like the WIMM too. I have to ask, do you feel its worth getting the developer preview? perhaps I should tough it out and wait for a consumer release?
Well, I finally broke down and ordered a dev preview. It should be here in the next week or so.
After I get it, I'll let you know.
Awesome, Thanks!
Checked on my order status...
I should get it Wednesday or Thursday.
Early Christmas for me!
I've had the WIMM for a little less than a day now, and so far, the experience has been pretty good.
The only complaint I have is that Bluetooth does not want to reconnect to my phone if I let it get out of range. I have to un-pair, then re-pair the two.
Other than that, everything works wonderfully.
The display is amazing. Full color mode looks great, and the B&W LCD is amazingly crisp.
I haven't had it long enough to comment on the battery life, but so far today, after taking it off the charger six hours ago, I'm at 60%(ish) battery. Granted, it has seen only light usage, but, honestly, as a watch, I'm impressed.
I'll try to answer any questions, but so far I can definitely recommend getting one.
I got my WIMM in yesterday, and let it charge for the suggested three hours first. It's been on my wrist for the past eight hours and I'm still at 90%.
I've gotten really good at the swipe controls now; it's second nature.
My young daughter keeps playing the tilt ball puzzle game I downloaded from the WIMM beta forum.
I keep using the News reader app from the same place. That one alone, even though it's using sync'd data and isn't pulling realtime, is going to keep me happy with the watch because it's great for passing time in bed, while waiting, etc. It works surprisingly well on the small screen.
I have it set to sync my Google Calendars every few hours. Fantastic, having my appointments right there. (One included watchface even shows the next item.)
Having weather and time on my wrist for my favorite work and pleasure locations around the world is handy.
I downloaded a Christmas watchface with falling snow, which is fun to show off.
Just now, my wife asked for a wakeup in a half hour, so I pulled up the alarm app and a few seconds later I had one set to remind me. So easy.
The only problem I'm having is getting ADB to recognize the darned thing. Once I get past that common new-Android-device problem, I'm going to be creating some apps myself for it. First, probably a family picture viewer.
By itself, the WIMM looks bulky. On my wrist, with the way they sloped the wrist band carrier, it looks fine. Love the magnetic charging cradle, btw.
Now I wish I'd bought a couple for Christmas presents to my stepsons who love gizmos.
Heading towards 24 hours now, and still at 50%.
However, I am not using the Bluetooth. Just a WiFi auto sync every 3 hours.
I really like that whenever the watch goes into standby mode after a few seconds, the screen turns into a transflective B&W LCD image that is updated once a minute. Saves battery and yet the watchface is always visible unless it's dark... and then just a slight tap brings up the backlight and full color.
kdarling said:
The only problem I'm having is getting ADB to recognize the darned thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@kdarling, let us know if we can help you w/ your ADB connection, either in our forums or [email protected].
-Ted Ladd
WIMM Labs
P.S. Sorry to intrude on the discussion.
tedladd said:
@kdarling, let us know if we can help you w/ your ADB connection, either in our forums or [email protected].
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks Ted. I'm constantly adding on more Android devices for development, so I'm used to having a bit of trouble now and again. I thought at first it was because I only have the R3 usb drivers from Google. I also inserted a line in the usb inf file with the WIMM ID.
After reading comments by others, I finally found that I just had to hold the module down tight in the dock paddle while my laptop was talking to it. I've cleaned the contacts, but it just seems that they don't make good connections by themselves all the time. Overall, though, that's a relatively minor annoyance.
Hi kdarling, I wonder if you could help me by answering a couple of questions about the WIMM one as although there are a few reviews online I cant seem to find all the answers I was after
1) I assume this doesnt currently have GPS? It doesnt seem to mention it in any of the reviews so I assume not, and if so then thats a shame since there is real potential here for this to be the ideal "athlete" device which could log your training routes/speed etc especially in cases where you might not want to take your phone with you
2) How well does the Transflective screen work? Ive seen in reviews that it is updated every minuite but is that adjustable in the app? Again the reason I am asking is for sports being outside in the sun a "normal" LCD screen is unusable, but a transflective screen would be perfect for displaying stats like speed etc but only if it were updating more often then every minuite
3) how "easy" is it to develop apps for this? Again as mentioned I can see a real sporting potential for this device if you were able to launch apps that were specific for the sport you were doing (i.e. one for running, rowing, cyling etc) that displayed the data you wanted
If you could help with my questions would be great, have been looking/waiting for a dvice like this for a while really, just as shame that theres no GPS as thats an essential requirement really..
I'm not kdarling, but I have one of these as well, so let me take a stab at answering...
1) The device does have GPS, but, according to WIMM, that particular chip is disabled (via software) currently for power saving / performance reasons. I'm not positive, but I believe that the device could receive GPS information from a connected phone also.
2) The Transflective screen is absolutely amazing. The clarity is much better than I was expecting. Currently, there is no method to adjust the refresh rate for the apps that use that screen mode. From what I've been able to ascertain, the refresh rate can be specified within a given application. However, that seems to have a fairly negative effect on the battery life.
3) I'm not a "real" developer, so I honestly can't speak on this... However, having said that, I will state that it seems very marginally more difficult that developing for most other android devices, mostly due to the inherent with a device of this size/specs/interface.
I can say that this device, as it is right now, is absolutely fantastic. It has the potential to provide a tremendous impact in everyday life with a few minor tweaks, but even without any changes, it has made a significant impact so far for me.
carnagecjb said:
I'm not kdarling, but I have one of these as well, so let me take a stab at answering...
1) The device does have GPS, but, according to WIMM, that particular chip is disabled (via software) currently for power saving / performance reasons. I'm not positive, but I believe that the device could receive GPS information from a connected phone also.
2) The Transflective screen is absolutely amazing. The clarity is much better than I was expecting. Currently, there is no method to adjust the refresh rate for the apps that use that screen mode. From what I've been able to ascertain, the refresh rate can be specified within a given application. However, that seems to have a fairly negative effect on the battery life.
3) I'm not a "real" developer, so I honestly can't speak on this... However, having said that, I will state that it seems very marginally more difficult that developing for most other android devices, mostly due to the inherent with a device of this size/specs/interface.
I can say that this device, as it is right now, is absolutely fantastic. It has the potential to provide a tremendous impact in everyday life with a few minor tweaks, but even without any changes, it has made a significant impact so far for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AH thats brilliant thanks!Very interesting to hear that it does contain GPS then, even if it is disabled, since that suggests in future it may be able to activate it for those times when you would need it, and then disable it when you need battery life!
Will keep a close eye on this I think...
jerrygooch said:
Awesome, Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+ 10000000 Thanks
Sweet, so I should probably order soon then eh?
Has anybody had a stab at the I'm Watch yet? I'd really like to know before I buy one.
mastermikeywwt said:
Has anybody had a stab at the I'm Watch yet? I'd really like to know before I buy one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
X2
As long as it has a 40 hour or so battery life it's not much differernt than using a manual wristwatch.
I'd have to say though compared to the I'm Watch the wimm one is really ugly.
@carnagecjb Great reply. I couldn't have said it better myself.
@stelph By your use of the word "brilliant", I surmise that you live outside of the U.S. Good and bad news. Bad: We don't ship the WIMM One outside of the US yet, since we're still waiting for CE certification.
Good news: We just started a contest where I will send you a free unit - anywhere in the world - once you have created and posted a good app to our forums. See the Announcements within dev.wimm.com
Ted Ladd
WIMM Labs
Daemos said:
X2
I'd have to say though compared to the I'm Watch the wimm one is really ugly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Many of us at WIMM Labs have created our own straps. Because the module pops out of the strap, you can place it into whatever attachment you like. I use a wide leather strap (pict attached). Other says that its ugly, but Beauty is in the eye...
Ted Ladd
WIMM Labs

Turbo 2 My final thoughts.

I have an S6 edge and i love the phone but the battery life left me to leaving battery saver on all the time and at the end of the day i would be at about 30%. So i thought it was time to pick up something that will last longer. And i had the phone since launch so time for something new.
First things first. Its huge. Its really big. But so is the price you pay for a phone that can walk away from a 900 foot drop and has a huge batt. Secondly if you get this phone do as i did. Before you even touch the display put the glass screen protector on it. If not you will get scratches.
So day to day use i love it. I end the day with about 70% battery life. The charger is amazing. 25watts will get you topped off really fast. Display is not bad. You really need to look to see the gap that all the layers make it have. But really not bad. People say i sound much better on the phone and people sound better. The radios in this phone kill the S6 edgs. Where i would get around 65Mbs down i now get around 100Mbs. Calls are nice and clear. Camera takes a little getting use to and you will deff want another camera app as the stock is blan. I can get pretty good pics now but it was a change going from a ois cam to one without it but phase detecting auto focus. Android runs smooth and i love the moto touches. First phone since the droid razer and im glad they pulled back. The moto touch is a great polish to android.
The bad. Bluetooth to my car some times will take 30-45 sec to connect. My S6 is much faster. But the Turbo 2's connection was solid and gave me no issues.
I really love this phone. Put a $20 128gig micro sd card in it and replaced the stock gray ballistic nylon back with a black nylon back and it was not that hard. As soon as the guy who i order my parts from gets the blue buttons and what not ill put those on it so i can have the one i want "Wanted it that day did not want to wait for the moto maker version" But ill be keeping it. I miss my S6's finger print reader but with a patter lock and set up to only lock when i set it down i can live without it. And its good to say screw you sammy and your super locked down devices. My S6 is rooted but thats the last sammy phone ill ever own due to them locking them down so hard.
Here are some benchmarks that i have done at diff times when someone asked me. Looks like i got a decently binned 810 and is at the higher end of the spectrum.
bignazpwns said:
I have an S6 edge and i love the phone but the battery life left me to leaving battery saver on all the time and at the end of the day i would be at about 30%. So i thought it was time to pick up something that will last longer. And i had the phone since launch so time for something new.
First things first. Its huge. Its really big. But so is the price you pay for a phone that can walk away from a 900 foot drop and has a huge batt. Secondly if you get this phone do as i did. Before you even touch the display put the glass screen protector on it. If not you will get scratches.
So day to day use i love it. I end the day with about 70% battery life. The charger is amazing. 25watts will get you topped off really fast. Display is not bad. You really need to look to see the gap that all the layers make it have. But really not bad. People say i sound much better on the phone and people sound better. The radios in this phone kill the S6 edgs. Where i would get around 65Mbs down i now get around 100Mbs. Calls are nice and clear. Camera takes a little getting use to and you will deff want another camera app as the stock is blan. I can get pretty good pics now but it was a change going from a ois cam to one without it but phase detecting auto focus. Android runs smooth and i love the moto touches. First phone since the droid razer and im glad they pulled back. The moto touch is a great polish to android.
The bad. Bluetooth to my car some times will take 30-45 sec to connect. My S6 is much faster. But the Turbo 2's connection was solid and gave me no issues.
I really love this phone. Put a $20 128gig micro sd card in it and replaced the stock gray ballistic nylon back with a black nylon back and it was not that hard. As soon as the guy who i order my parts from gets the blue buttons and what not ill put those on it so i can have the one i want "Wanted it that day did not want to wait for the moto maker version" But ill be keeping it. I miss my S6's finger print reader but with a patter lock and set up to only lock when i set it down i can live without it. And its good to say screw you sammy and your super locked down devices. My S6 is rooted but thats the last sammy phone ill ever own due to them locking them down so hard.
Here are some benchmarks that i have done at diff times when someone asked me. Looks like i got a decently binned 810 and is at the higher end of the spectrum.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got one 2 days ago. Do not regret it one bit whatsoever; great device in every way. It's fast, battery life is crazy good, no overheating/throttling, display is very clear with extremely accurate colors for an OLED (gets up to about 400 nits max [pretty average], color temperature is about 6800K [kelvins] so really accurate.
Camera takes very good photos, and I can use it with one hand with small hands. No lag whatsoever, even after intensive gaming.
The bad: I wish there was a fingerprint sensor on here; not a major issue for me. Benchmarks:
bignazpwns said:
...
The bad. Bluetooth to my car some times will take 30-45 sec to connect. My S6 is much faster. But the Turbo 2's connection was solid and gave me no issues.
....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting... What model radio/car do you have? My DT2 connects to my Fiat and BMWs pretty much immediately.
Tangent_ said:
Interesting... What model radio/car do you have? My DT2 connects to my Fiat and BMWs pretty much immediately.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2015 Camaro ZL1. My S6 connected much faster. But it's all good. Prob just a setting on my phone I can change.
TurboBot247 said:
no overheating/throttling,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Except for when you're charging it. The only time the Turbo 2 ever heats up is when you turbo charge it, and I've experienced some throttling playing games at the same time. Kinda sucks since my PlayStation emulator absolutely murders the battery, so the only way you can play it for an extended period of time is while it's charging I had to use my old Samsung charger that charges slower to avoid throttling.
Turbo/fast charging is handy but not good for battery life in long term. When you play games, part of the power/current goes to the device itself so it's less destructive for battery but heat is.
Takes almost a minute to connect to my Porsche panamera as well
thomasvm said:
Takes almost a minute to connect to my Porsche panamera as well
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know if its the Bluetooth scan interval on the turbo 2's stock setting but my s6 was maybe 10 sec at most. It's not a big issue just annoying.
Very rarely my DT2 will not connect in time to my Ford's Sync system. But, it's probably 1 out of every 20-ish tries (unless the Sync module needs a fuse pull), and all I have to do is just push the Voice button and tell it Bluetooth Audio.
My Galaxy S6, on the other hand, it was maybe 3/10 times that it would successfully connect. It had terrible battery life, too, would be down to about 20% after playing local music with the screen off for ~7 hours.
My DT2 is a beast and blows away the S6. Note4, too, but it's a much closer race with the Note4.
I find it hard to believe you found a 128GB micro SD for only $20. Sounds like you're ebragging and if it really was that cheap, I'm sure it won't last long. Cheapest I could find was for $34.99 and that was on sale.
graymonkey44 said:
I find it hard to believe you found a 128GB micro SD for only $20. Sounds like you're ebragging and if it really was that cheap, I'm sure it won't last long. Cheapest I could find was for $34.99 and that was on sale.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Called Craigslist. Do you always cry? Let me guess you and you alone know the price of ever thing at all times? Internet know it all's. I love xda.
bignazpwns said:
Called Craigslist. Do you always cry? Let me guess you and you alone know the price of ever thing at all times? Internet know it all's. I love xda.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well someone got mad over the smallest thing. Didn't take much to get your jimmies rustled, lol. 'Tis the season of giving. Have a happy holidays.:thumbup:
You can find the cheap ones but you get what you pay for lol
There are rumors, that is possible to find sd card with capacity as much you wish. Even unlimited is possible. When sd card reach physical limit, will start writing data from the beginning. So in theory has unlimited capacity for writing, only problem is reading
Interesting, coming from my Droid Maxx, my bluetooth is totally improved in both of my cars.
The only complaint I have with the phone is now I cannot speak at all in my condo where before (with the Maxx) I was able to talk with only an occasional blackout (even in my basement).
burnxtc said:
Interesting, coming from my Droid Maxx, my bluetooth is totally improved in both of my cars.
The only complaint I have with the phone is now I cannot speak at all in my condo where before (with the Maxx) I was able to talk with only an occasional blackout (even in my basement).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am noticing call quality lacking on some of my calls as well. This is a very good phone but I'm gonna return it (and get something else) if the static and broken calls continue.

Am I missing something?

So I chose the pixel xl as my Note 7 replacement and although it's not a bad phone, honestly it's not nearly as good as the s7 edge or even the note 5 ( I haven't owned only Samsung phones those are just my last two).
I thought Google assistant (the main reason I chose this phone) was supposed to be a big deal but is there really any major difference than using "OK Google" on any other android phone? Also, no wireless charging or microsd slot? Seriously, what makes this phone worth the sticker price?
I know this sounds like just a rant but after reading all of the positive reviews about this phone, I feel really let down after actually using it and I honestly feel like I'm missing something major here. Anyone else?
JarkMackson said:
So I chose the pixel xl as my Note 7 replacement and although it's not a bad phone, honestly it's not nearly as good as the s7 edge or even the note 5 ( I haven't owned only Samsung phones those are just my last two).
I thought Google assistant (the main reason I chose this phone) was supposed to be a big deal but is there really any major difference than using "OK Google" on any other android phone? Also, no wireless charging or microsd slot? Seriously, what makes this phone worth the sticker price?
I know this sounds like just a rant but after reading all of the positive reviews about this phone, I feel really let down after actually using it and I honestly feel like I'm missing something major here. Anyone else?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think your perspective is right on. If your coming from a 3 year old phone, this phone is mind blowing. If your coming from a premium Samsung or iPhone, its meh at best. I upgrade every year and to me its just a small iteration. My Nexus 6 is still my favorite phone. The Pixel is a $500 phone.
My thoughts exactly. No micro SD slot (just to get user to store everything on googles cloud) no wireless chrging(though I give them credit for the 15 minute plug in giving 7 hours of use. The phone is efficient. I've gotten almost 5 hours of screen time with heavy use. The call quality seems to be better than Samsung. HD calls on verizon sound really good on my end and others have stated this is the clearest I've sounded to them in a while(maybe the design using glass at the top of the back for better antenna reception really does matter). I like googles launcher. But this phone starves for faetures like "Hidden folder" on the note 7, good lock thru galaxy apps, notification light blinks so slow i can unlock the phone before the light flashes. No always on screen. From the front the phone feels like i'm holding a galaxy S4. The chin is huge for no reason. 5.5 in screen is no longer "XL". Should make a 6 inch screen for the XL. CAmera is great. No numbered notifications(a little number in a bubble showing how many new texts or calls) no batter percentage option. Finger print sensor on the back is easier to use and it's fast. I guess all the fuss is about google assistant. To me it's not qite a flagship but lets remember. Google(like all other phone companies) need to you to give this 1 up when the next one drops. So guarantee the next one has wireless charging and or a SD slot. Just my opinion.
Golf c said:
I think your perspective is right on. If your coming from a 3 year old phone, this phone is mind blowing. If your coming from a premium Samsung or iPhone, its meh at best. I upgrade every year and to me its just a small iteration. My Nexus 6 is still my favorite phone. The Pixel is a $500 phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you! I really don't think it's a bad phone but the price and the hype is just crazy! It seriously feels cheap to me. I know it's all metal but because of the different textures on the back it feels like plastic unless it's cold. It's not even water resistant and the top and bottom bezels are way too big to look like a phone that costs this much.
If Samsung or apple came out with this phone they'd be in serious trouble but Google does it and it's some kind of revolution? The assistant isn't going to be even close to useful until it's available in the Play store for everyone. It's just missing so much that phones released 6 months ago costing $100-$200 less already have.
I was really excited for this phone after the note 7 thing and I'm just really disappointed. I'm keeping my note 7, fire hazard or not.
Google's phones will never, ever, ever include an SD card slot, ever again. This will always be a choice you have to make with Google, because they religiously believe in the cloud. I just tell people to get a Moto if they want a Nexus-like with SD card support. However, the unlimited photos and videos at full quality for free offered with the Pixel is amazing.
As for wireless charging, now that I have quick chargers everywhere I stopped using wireless charging with my Nexus 6 months ago. It's just sooooo sssllllooowwwwww. And the Pixel charges quite quickly, even on non-QC chargers. For instance, it seems to be sinking quite a bit of current from my powered hub, which just supplies 5V but can source about 3A per port. It can basically max out any charger that's not that stupid OnePlus proprietary one. Not a big deal.
I even like the bezels, because they give you a place to put your hands when holding it in landscape.
I find the suggestion that they should have released another 6" behemoth interesting, because I remember when the N6 was launched there was a lot of grousing that there were no small flagships left. The common refrain was 2 models, one 5.5" and one 5". As someone who loved the Nexus 6 in basically every respect, it's just a tiny bit too big. I am a 6' tall person with normal hands for that height, and I can't reach nearly the whole screen with one hand. It's not a one handed device, at all. The Pixel, on the other hand, seems to be a perfect size, in addition to being better in every respect compared to the at-the-time brilliant Nexus 6.
Also, you can totally get battery percentage with System UI Tuner. Just hold down the settings icon in the notification shade.
well, if you like the look and style of an IPhone, the Pixel XL is a good choice for you; yeah, no stereo speakers is a drag, but I like the Assistant, and it is the fastest phone I have ever used.
the hype is excessive, but thats what we get with everything now a days..
dtreth said:
Google's phones will never, ever, ever include an SD card slot, ever again. This will always be a choice you have to make with Google, because they religiously believe in the cloud. I just tell people to get a Moto if they want a Nexus-like with SD card support. However, the unlimited photos and videos at full quality for free offered with the Pixel is amazing.
As for wireless charging, now that I have quick chargers everywhere I stopped using wireless charging with my Nexus 6 months ago. It's just sooooo sssllllooowwwwww. And the Pixel charges quite quickly, even on non-QC chargers. For instance, it seems to be sinking quite a bit of current from my powered hub, which just supplies 5V but can source about 3A per port. It can basically max out any charger that's not that stupid OnePlus proprietary one. Not a big deal.
I even like the bezels, because they give you a place to put your hands when holding it in landscape.
I find the suggestion that they should have released another 6" behemoth interesting, because I remember when the N6 was launched there was a lot of grousing that there were no small flagships left. The common refrain was 2 models, one 5.5" and one 5". As someone who loved the Nexus 6 in basically every respect, it's just a tiny bit too big. I am a 6' tall person with normal hands for that height, and I can't reach nearly the whole screen with one hand. It's not a one handed device, at all. The Pixel, on the other hand, seems to be a perfect size, in addition to being better in every respect compared to the at-the-time brilliant Nexus 6.
Also, you can totally get battery percentage with System UI Tuner. Just hold down the settings icon in the notification shade.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've held down settings in the notification shade but nothing happens. I'm trying to get battery percentage but it does nothing.
Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
wase4711 said:
well, if you like the look and style of an IPhone, the Pixel XL is a good choice for you; yeah, no stereo speakers is a drag, but I like the Assistant, and it is the fastest phone I have ever used.
the hype is excessive, but thats what we get with everything now a days..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you mind if I ask what you like so much about assistant? I really feel like I'm missing something but I can't find anything that makes it better than Google now.
eighty1 said:
I've held down settings in the notification shade but nothing happens. I'm trying to get battery percentage but it does nothing.
Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does your settings gear now have a dim wrench next to it? If so open settings and scroll down to the bottom. You should see "System UI Tuner". Or, you know, you can google it yourself since I gave you all of the relevant information.
dtreth said:
Google's phones will never, ever, ever include an SD card slot, ever again. This will always be a choice you have to make with Google, because they religiously believe in the cloud. I just tell people to get a Moto if they want a Nexus-like with SD card support. However, the unlimited photos and videos at full quality for free offered with the Pixel is amazing.
As for wireless charging, now that I have quick chargers everywhere I stopped using wireless charging with my Nexus 6 months ago. It's just sooooo sssllllooowwwwww. And the Pixel charges quite quickly, even on non-QC chargers. For instance, it seems to be sinking quite a bit of current from my powered hub, which just supplies 5V but can source about 3A per port. It can basically max out any charger that's not that stupid OnePlus proprietary one. Not a big deal.
I even like the bezels, because they give you a place to put your hands when holding it in landscape.
I find the suggestion that they should have released another 6" behemoth interesting, because I remember when the N6 was launched there was a lot of grousing that there were no small flagships left. The common refrain was 2 models, one 5.5" and one 5". As someone who loved the Nexus 6 in basically every respect, it's just a tiny bit too big. I am a 6' tall person with normal hands for that height, and I can't reach nearly the whole screen with one hand. It's not a one handed device, at all. The Pixel, on the other hand, seems to be a perfect size, in addition to being better in every respect compared to the at-the-time brilliant Nexus 6.
Also, you can totally get battery percentage with System UI Tuner. Just hold down the settings icon in the notification shade.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now see here. This is a perfect example. It's all a matter of taste and perspective. The previous google phone users seem to love the Pixel/XL . I come from a long line of Sammy Note phones. Honestly I thought the Note edge was a great phone but with a case on it ..it was a bit to wide for me. actually to me the S6 edge plus was the perfect phone size wise and aesthetically. the 5.7 inch screen and the glass back were perfect. I also have the moto Z force just for the mods. When I think about it, with no bezels and a shortened chin the 5.7 inch screen of the S6 edge+ was basically perfect for me. As far as "wireless" charging I did have to have "fast wireless charging". It's not as fast as a cord with rapid charge but sometimes you just want to sit the phone down and get a quick boost. Not that I'm back to plugging in I do miss fast wireless. Again the assistant is cool, the camera is really decent. anyway.. to each his own. On edit.. thanks for the SUI heads up.. I like it. However,, that mini number in the battery is virtually unreadable.
JarkMackson said:
Thank you! I really don't think it's a bad phone but the price and the hype is just crazy! It seriously feels cheap to me. I know it's all metal but because of the different textures on the back it feels like plastic unless it's cold. It's not even water resistant and the top and bottom bezels are way too big to look like a phone that costs this much.
If Samsung or apple came out with this phone they'd be in serious trouble but Google does it and it's some kind of revolution? The assistant isn't going to be even close to useful until it's available in the Play store for everyone. It's just missing so much that phones released 6 months ago costing $100-$200 less already have.
I was really excited for this phone after the note 7 thing and I'm just really disappointed. I'm keeping my note 7, fire hazard or not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The one thing I noticed straigh away was the crazy fast response everything on the pixel has compared to the note 7, there would be so many times that the Note 7 would visibly stutter even just a second here and there. Things like opening up and typing on the keybaord instantly would create this minute lag in the interface. I am very picky when it comes to that so I noticed straight away the Pixel is just fast, it doesn't stutter or lag like the note 7 did. Also small things like the speaker is FAR better than the Note 7, it's louder and fully than the 6p even. I hate edge screens too, I couldn't stand the note 7 in that regard, felt uncomfortable to hold compared to the pixel. I'm just so happy that I got a phone that just works ALL THE TIME. That's why I paid the extra $100 over the note 7 for the pixel. And I'm also betting on Google assistant (AI) becoming FAR more integrated and more powerful. All other phones will be missing out I think. Hardware can only go so far, software on the other hand....
Man who needs an SD card now?? I can finally video tape everything in 4k and not worry about memory or ever loosing the footage because it'll always be on the cloud! I legit video tape everything I can now!
Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
OnlinePredator said:
The one thing I noticed straigh away was the crazy fast response everything on the pixel has compared to the note 7, there would be so many times that the Note 7 would visibly stutter even just a second here and there. Things like opening up and typing on the keybaord instantly would create this minute lag in the interface. I am very picky when it comes to that so I noticed straight away the Pixel is just fast, it doesn't stutter or lag like the note 7 did. Also small things like the speaker is FAR better than the Note 7, it's louder and fully than the 6p even. I hate edge screens too, I couldn't stand the note 7 in that regard, felt uncomfortable to hold compared to the pixel. I'm just so happy that I got a phone that just works ALL THE TIME. That's why I paid the extra $100 over the note 7 for the pixel. And I'm also betting on Google assistant (AI) becoming FAR more integrated and more powerful. All other phones will be missing out I think. Hardware can only go so far, software on the other hand....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree on the speed, the note did stutter on me from time to time any this phone doesn't at all really (although I have had a few force closes, possibly the apps fault). The assistant has promise but let's be honest, it's no better than Google now at the moment and by the time it is better, it'll be available on every android phone.
The phone itself to me is just last year's Cadillac with this year's Mercedes price tag.
evobyte said:
Man who needs an SD card now?? I can finally video tape everything in 4k and not worry about memory or ever loosing the footage because it'll always be on the cloud! I legit video tape everything I can now!
Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A lot of people do. Really why drain your battery to access files on line rather than an sd card using less battery power and files on your sd card are a lot safer than the hackable cloud. And there is the extra data you use to access files on line. Sd cards use absolutely no data to access your files and do not eat up battery power so.
1. Sd card files safer than cloud.
2. Sd card uses no data to access your files, so does not eat up your data plan = saves you $$$$
3. Sd card files use less battery power than accessing files on the cloud.
I get that, I'm blessed with unlimited with Verizon but I always only upload to cloud while charging. If anyone is interested in true unlimited data with Verizon, I have an extra line available. I'll only charge 80 a month
Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
Get over it. SD cards are going away.
That's the great thing about Android! Choice. Different strokes for different folks. There will be a phone out there that suits you. Find it and embrace it! ?
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
JarkMackson said:
I agree on the speed, the note did stutter on me from time to time any this phone doesn't at all really (although I have had a few force closes, possibly the apps fault). The assistant has promise but let's be honest, it's no better than Google now at the moment and by the time it is better, it'll be available on every android phone.
The phone itself to me is just last year's Cadillac with this year's Mercedes price tag.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well hard to say, as it has cpu that is newer than last years phone, also has better cameras than phones from last year, and software you can't compare to those phones either. And when compares to phones this year, it's kinda the same. I agree it is overpriced, but they are doing it because they can. If you want the best android experience available, there is only one phone. If you don't want to pay that much then there are great alternatives.
Waterproof - Owned S7 and Note, never seemed to EVER need it unless I was showing someone
Wireless charging - have a stand and still use the cable 90% of the time since it's faster
SD Card - I could see this one as a big point, but most people I know never fill up their phones and the ones who do could easily clear up half of it and improve performance by deleting unused apps and cleaning up the gallery, plus with 120 gigs + unlimited cloud I'm goooood
Gimmicks have made people wanting stuff they use maybe once every 4 months. "I can't have it therefore I need it"
IMO Software performance / day to day use > everything else .
Note 7 is a beast phone but I could honestly say at least once a day I get caught in huge lag spikes when trying open snapchat for a quick photo or even the camera app.
Sacrificing gimmicks for day to day use is worth it 100%
meccadon123 said:
Now see here. This is a perfect example. It's all a matter of taste and perspective. The previous google phone users seem to love the Pixel/XL . I come from a long line of Sammy Note phones. Honestly I thought the Note edge was a great phone but with a case on it ..it was a bit to wide for me. actually to me the S6 edge plus was the perfect phone size wise and aesthetically. the 5.7 inch screen and the glass back were perfect. I also have the moto Z force just for the mods. When I think about it, with no bezels and a shortened chin the 5.7 inch screen of the S6 edge+ was basically perfect for me. As far as "wireless" charging I did have to have "fast wireless charging". It's not as fast as a cord with rapid charge but sometimes you just want to sit the phone down and get a quick boost. Not that I'm back to plugging in I do miss fast wireless. Again the assistant is cool, the camera is really decent. anyway.. to each his own. On edit.. thanks for the SUI heads up.. I like it. However,, that mini number in the battery is virtually unreadable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I gave you what you want, sorry. Make the whole display bigger, maybe that will work. Or just open the shade if you need a specific percentage.

Question What do you all think about the Pixel Watch?

Does it look good? I think it does!
Want to see some hand's on detailed reports for for a 1st generation smartwatch....
And how it compares to 5th generation Samsung Galaxy Watch 5!
It looks nice, even though I'm not too sure about these bezels and super rounded screen (scratches anyone?).
Got it for free through the 7 Pro pre-order though so we'll see.
I'm curious if it's going to work with Spotify. It shows that it will work with YouTube Music. When I purchased my Fitbit Ionic, they said it would work with Spotify but it doesn't. Being able to use Spotify without my phone is a must for me to purchase this watch. Does anyone know for sure if Spotify will work? I'd like to preorder.
The price is not helping it.
Some spec comparisons:
Pixel Watch Vs Galaxy Watch 5/5 Pro: Is Google Too Late?
Google has finally launched the Pixel watch, but how does it fare with the Galaxy Watch 5? Here's Pixel Watch Vs Galaxy Watch 5.
fossbytes.com
QueenVanderveen said:
I'm curious if it's going to work with Spotify. It shows that it will work with YouTube Music. When I purchased my Fitbit Ionic, they said it would work with Spotify but it doesn't. Being able to use Spotify without my phone is a must for me to purchase this watch. Does anyone know for sure if Spotify will work? I'd like to preorder.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Spotify is mentioned here: https://support.google.com/googlepixelwatch/answer/12662429
I'm getting one (as is my wife) but only as they are coming free with our Pixel 7 pro's. I've had many smart watches along the way but the only one I've settled with really was the withings. I'll give this a go though. I do worry it looks small (diameter). Not convinced I will like the daily charging again. I wonder how many will actually buy at full price rather than own them from similar deals.
We don't have any good deals in the US. No free watch with 7 pro purchase. I do feel like the diameter is too small
My opinion may not be the most representative because this is the first smart watch I own, but after having it for ~24 hours, I think it's pretty good! Probably a bit overpriced, the battery is a little bit on the low side, but I had no problem with fluidity or anything like that, I originally thought the screen would be too small, but it's fine honestly, the watch's UI is pretty well optimised to work with this screen, overall a good watch in my opinion, I just don't really know about the durability, seems fragile..
Views so far on the pixel watch, coming from a galaxy watch 4 classic 46mm. only had it just over 24 hours
Like it so far, fluid design, comfortable on the wrist, personally i would of preferred it to be slightly bigger but it doesn't bother me too much its small.
Spotify does work on it
cant get ecg working in the uk, investigating further
battery life has been just as much as the galaxy watch 4
assistant works well
step counts seems a bit too high
vibrations are much better than the galaxy watch
love the scroll wheel on the side compared to the bezel scroll on the galaxy
Watch bands come on and off very easily (reviews seemed to have issues with it but i didn't at all)
would i pay the asking price, not a chance its way over priced, £379 for the LTE, it should be 279 and i then i would consider it.
Anyone want me to try something go ahead and ask
QueenVanderveen said:
I'm curious if it's going to work with Spotify. It shows that it will work with YouTube Music. When I purchased my Fitbit Ionic, they said it would work with Spotify but it doesn't. Being able to use Spotify without my phone is a must for me to purchase this watch. Does anyone know for sure if Spotify will work? I'd like to preorder.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It works fine with Spotify, but it won't play any music directly from the watch. I find the latter part a little odd considering it has a speaker for taking calls.
Corvida said:
It works fine with Spotify, but it won't play any music directly from the watch. I find the latter part a little odd considering it has a speaker for taking calls.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ugh, then I won't purchase the watch! I had to download Deezer with my Ionic which was fine, however then I had to pay another subscription to another music program. Thanks for answering this question!
I like it so far! Only tinkered with it to set it up but it looks nice, everything is fluid. The stock band seems to be comfortable too.
I think it looks a little small on my wrist compared to the OG Huawei Watch and I don't have big wrists!
It came for free with the Pixel 7 Pro, I don't think I would buy it otherwise. It's too expensive. It should have been 250 euros for the Wi-Fi model and 299 for LTE.
Will post more impressions when my P7P is set up and running.
Phil750123 said:
Views so far on the pixel watch, coming from a galaxy watch 4 classic 46mm. only had it just over 24 hours
Like it so far, fluid design, comfortable on the wrist, personally i would of preferred it to be slightly bigger but it doesn't bother me too much its small.
Spotify does work on it
cant get ecg working in the uk, investigating further
battery life has been just as much as the galaxy watch 4
assistant works well
step counts seems a bit too high
vibrations are much better than the galaxy watch
love the scroll wheel on the side compared to the bezel scroll on the galaxy
Watch bands come on and off very easily (reviews seemed to have issues with it but i didn't at all)
would i pay the asking price, not a chance its way over priced, £379 for the LTE, it should be 279 and i then i would consider it.
Anyone want me to try something go ahead and ask
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ECG app kept telling me to update the app - but the app said it was up to date. on the phone uninstall the Fitbit app and the Fitbit ECG app and then it will give you the option to update them.
Oh .... and unlike my withings they dont mean put fingers on top of the screen they definitely mean the crown on this watch. missed that a few times just by being presumptuous!
So far, I'm really liking it. Wish band availability was a bit better. Would love to have a fabric band but I can wait. Setting up the various parts seems a little convoluted. Trying to figure out which apps you need to get to make everything function and what you can actually set and what is just done automagically. Getting my main credit card onto the watch was a bit of an adventure that I finally solved.
The last puzzle piece was trying to figure out the camera remote app working between the watch and my phone. (Pixel 6 Pro) I kept getting connection errors. Finally this morning, I was able to get it to connect. Seems that when I'm on a wifi network for my phone and watch, they don't know how to detach from the network in order to talk to each other. Which makes me wonder what fiasco I'm in for when both disconnect from each other and attempt to reattach to the wifi network.
Overall, I'm not sure I'd really want it much bigger. FitBit integration has been nice to have again. (My work place ties our health insurance discount to a "health" app that's just one giant gamification. FitBit is well known for inflating step counts. Making it easier to hit point levels.) The weather app not being permanently broken like it was on my Fossil is great. And MyRadar showing radar on my watch..... amazing!
I got mine through T-Mobile. They do half off when you add a line for the watch. Unfortunately, I have two apps that keep me from completely ditching my phone at this point. (Signal and Google Voice)
I don't see any more recent reviews or opinions and I'm looking for feedback from users or those who have decided it is not for them. I posted on another forum but will also ask here.
So, what are the on-going feelings about this watch? Happy, okay, disappointed?
I've got a dying Samsung Gear S3 (battery lasts about two hours). I've been quite happy with the Gear S3 for a number of years.
I see Amazon now has a return window through Jan for the Holiday shopping season. I suspect that while still new it may go on sale sometime in the next few months. I am concerned about its "bezel-less" face and hitting it into things.
So looking for opinions now that you've had it for a month or so.
Oh, I do have the Pixel 6 Pro phone on Google Fi.
Thanks in advance.
Ok Got Mine (LTE Version)
I can't make any comparisons to other watches since this is my first...
But I'll tell you my experience so far.
1 - Face is small but manageable. Nearly impossible to type on however which I suspect os common with most watches. Expect to use Voice for the most part.
2 - I expected to find a lot more App support than I did. a whole load of Fitness monitoring crap but not much else. Expect to use the many tools found here on XDA to sideload stuff the watch should have but doesn't. Most work well, some will not.
3 - While I went for the LTE I have yet to see any benefit to it as most things merely send you to the phone for the most part.
4 - Battery life is quite good.
5 - My main uses are to control Spotify, Google Assistant and read notifications while the phone is charging.
6 - DOES NOT SUPPORT NEST DOORBELL!!!! WHY? Have to look at the phone to see who is at the door.
7 - Comes with a Qi Charger pad but no AC plug to plug it into. Thankfully I have an Anchor 3 port quick charger. The Qi Charger is magnetic but any jostling or vibration of the table will make it stop then ding when it reseats.
8 - The Watch App (on Phone) is great toa point but is limited in options. A good Watch Face Editor is needed here.
9 - While you can set Tiles, Open Apps should also show up as tiles. (this maybe my lack of how to use this device perhaps there is away to see opened apps another way)
10 -All in allI love it,but as I said there may be much better options out there for the price and better app support.
Since I had the Unlimited Plus Data plan from Google Fi for my Phone it didn't cost a penny to add the Watch to the Service.
Hope that helps someone....
Asphyx said:
Ok Got Mine (LTE Version)
I can't make any comparisons to other watches since this is my first...
But I'll tell you my experience so far.
1 - Face is small but manageable. Nearly impossible to type on however which I suspect os common with most watches. Expect to use Voice for the most part.
2 - I expected to find a lot more App support than I did. a whole load of Fitness monitoring crap but not much else. Expect to use the many tools found here on XDA to sideload stuff the watch should have but doesn't. Most work well, some will not.
3 - While I went for the LTE I have yet to see any benefit to it as most things merely send you to the phone for the most part.
4 - Battery life is quite good.
5 - My main uses are to control Spotify, Google Assistant and read notifications while the phone is charging.
6 - DOES NOT SUPPORT NEST DOORBELL!!!! WHY? Have to look at the phone to see who is at the door.
7 - Comes with a Qi Charger pad but no AC plug to plug it into. Thankfully I have an Anchor 3 port quick charger. The Qi Charger is magnetic but any jostling or vibration of the table will make it stop then ding when it reseats.
8 - The Watch App (on Phone) is great toa point but is limited in options. A good Watch Face Editor is needed here.
9 - While you can set Tiles, Open Apps should also show up as tiles. (this maybe my lack of how to use this device perhaps there is away to see opened apps another way)
10 -All in allI love it,but as I said there may be much better options out there for the price and better app support.
Since I had the Unlimited Plus Data plan from Google Fi for my Phone it didn't cost a penny to add the Watch to the Service.
Hope that helps someone....
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@Asphyx
Thanks for a pretty thorough review of attributes and limitations. I think I can also add it to my Fi account although, not the unlimited. I've not had LTE support before but the Samsung also sends me to the phone for more info or detail. And typing on the watch face is a real challenge there, too.
Any apps that you'd recommend? From here or Google store? I understand that its charger is proprietary and that other Qi charging stations do not work which is too bad.
Again, thanks.
Been using the watch for a few days now and it's nice. I still wish it were a little bigger. Battery life is OK, I actually used mine for 2 and a half days (not including nights) with light use.
I'm glad I got it for free with my P7P. Would I buy it at full price? No because I'm not big on smartwatches (or watches in general for that matter).

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