How many of us use the special Gear S features - keyboard and cellular?

[bryanchow]

I have a Gear S and I've never used the keyboard for anything. And I don't have a SIM card either.

Anyone actually use the keyboard, and anyone using it as a standalone cellular device?

 

[DonShock]

The standalone ability is the main reason I purchased the Gear S. I saw little use for the earlier smartwatches where you need to stay tied to a cell phone anyway. It's so nice to be able to leave the cell phone at home yet still have the ability to do the basics. It's perfect to stay casual and still get calls and messages. I'm not a big texter so the keyboard sees less use, but has been surprisingly accurate when needed. Especially considering I have fat fingers. Since having the Gear S, I have seen a few "phone adjacent" advantages that would still apply to all the previous non-SIM smartwatches. Mostly not needing to carry the phone around the house and find/answer it before it goes to voicemail. I've also noticed I get back to sleep easier after a call wakes me since I don't have to fumble for the phone, just a quick swipe across the wrist. A big advantage when you work shifts and are often sleeping during the day.

 

[bryanchow]

Does your S share the same mobile number as your phone? I guess that could be useful.

 

[DonShock]

Yes and no. It does have it's own phone number for the SIM card, but you don't need to treat it as having a second line. (On ATT, it's an extra $10 charge like a tablet) Once you turn on Auto Call Forwarding, it's best to just pretend the Gear S phone number doesn't exist. Technically, when you move out of BT range the remote connection and call forwarding are established they use that number to make the connection between the two devices. And you can set up your messages from the Gear S to show your mobile number instead of the Gear S number. But the people trying to contact you only need your existing mobile number, the remote connection and call forwarding reroutes the stuff coming into your phone over to the Gear S.

However, if your phone is off or for some other reason the system cannot establish the remote connection and call forwarding, then the Gear S goes into stand alone mode and acts like a second phone and the calls would have to be sent directly to the Gear S number. But in my experience that's a rarity. It usually occurs when I'm in the car as I move out of BT range. It seems like poorer signal inside the metal cage of a car body or the moving between cell towers makes it harder to establish the remote connection. But once I arrive at my destination and am out of the car a couple minutes, the connection gets made. There is an automatic one minute delay as you move out of BT range before it attempts to start the remote connection to minimize shifting back and forth if you are right on the edge of the BT zone.

 

[InfamousUnknown]

The keyboard is actually not that bad. You type wrong characters and it still figures out the word you are typing in the majority of cases.

I use the standalone features whenever I feel like leaving my phone behind... going to the gym, or running into the store when my phone is on the charger, or going out on the bike.

Standalone is a bit misleading though. The phone is still connected, just via cellular instead of via Bluetooth.

 

[tech_fan]

Standalone I use more often than the keyboard. I find the swype functionality the best when it comes to the keyboard.

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[ChemMan]

Every day, make phone calls answer my cell phone through the watch. Send text just about every day.

 

[ShaggyKids]

I have a Gear S and I've never used the keyboard for anything. And I don't have a SIM card either.

Anyone actually use the keyboard, and anyone using it as a standalone cellular device?

I think they actually come with a SIM card but its your choice whether to activate it or not by signing up for the service. The reason I say that is when I got mine and then also exchanged mine for another one they took the watches right out of the box and did not put a sim card in so it seems there's already one in there unless these watches are activated with their own phone number in some other way.

 

[foxbat121]

Verizon and Sprint versions are CDMA and hence don't need SIM card at all. That also means you can't use it with any other carriers. AT&T and T-Mobile versions can be unlocked and use with any GSM carrier in north America. Due to the dual band limitations, these watches are useless out side of north America.

 

[esseff]

I have a Gear S and I've never used the keyboard for anything. And I don't have a SIM card either.

Anyone actually use the keyboard, and anyone using it as a standalone cellular device?

WHAT! That is the only reason I bought the GS.
IMO any watch used as simply a companion device is a total waste of money.
My GS acts as my work phone (used as a proper phone Mon-Fri) and my Note 4 is my private phone (24/7).
No more pockets full of phones!

 

[mountainbikermark]

WHAT! That is the only reason I bought the GS.
IMO any watch used as simply a companion device is a total waste of money.
My GS acts as my work phone (used as a proper phone Mon-Fri) and my Note 4 is my private phone (24/7).
No more pockets full of phones!

I respectfully agree and disagree with that statement.
I got a Fit solely for its companionship to my Note4 for S Health and found its notifications and music player controls to be bonus points, even adding a few apps to limit using my phone even more for texts, notes, etc . Where I agree is to buy an S for that same purpose would have been expensive overkill. Any of the Gear line-up can be used for quite a bit more than just counting steps, getting email notices and such, depending on the users imagination. Where the S shines above the others is its ability to do much of the same without a phone tethered to it. I use the GPS and browser more than the keyboard and phone parts fwiw.

 

[anon(5719825)]

I respectfully agree and disagree with that statement.
I got a Fit solely for its companionship to my Note4 for S Health and found its notifications and music player controls to be bonus points, even adding a few apps to limit using my phone even more for texts, notes, etc . Where I agree is to buy an S for that same purpose would have been expensive overkill. Any of the Gear line-up can be used for quite a bit more than just counting steps, getting email notices and such, depending on the users imagination. Where the S shines above the others is its ability to do much of the same without a phone tethered to it. I use the GPS and browser more than the keyboard and phone parts fwiw.

This plus I like that I can leave my phone at home and still get calls and texts on the watch. I think a watch is useless if you need the phone to use half the features effectively.

 

[mountainbikermark]

I remembered AFTER I started the download of lollipop on my Note4 that I had errands to run, don't want to take it away from Wi-Fi at the house. Awww crud. Then I remembered the S. Flipped on my trusty Moto Whisper and away I went. Then I remembered I'm using Handcent text app and not stock. Awww crud. What if my wife texts me? Well I did get a text from her, used the watch to reply, via Handcent and the keyboard and it worked fine.

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[ChemMan]

I think they actually come with a SIM card but its your choice whether to activate it or not by signing up for the service. The reason I say that is when I got mine and then also exchanged mine for another one they took the watches right out of the box and did not put a sim card in so it seems there's already one in there unless these watches are activated with their own phone number in some other way.

You are right it comes with one. I had popped the sim cover off the first day and only saw contacts inside so I took it to the local ATT store. The guy had never seen a Gear S in real life so he was very happy to help/fondle my watch. He tried to open the sim cover and I handed him the little plastic tool, he says "Oh yea that will help". Pops the cover off and shows me the sim card stuck to the cover. It was in there hiding all along. lol