Gear without Samsung phone?

[T68]

Hi!
I'm really interested in the S3 but wonder what I'm missing out if I run it together with a none Samsung phone (in my case a Nexus 6p)?

And: what if any are the issues with going with risen and not Android wear?

 

[mvsmith]

I'm using a Pixel XL with my gear s3 frontier LTE edition. I've ran it on my s7 edge too.

The most notable different is the galaxy app store and watch faces. Samsung phones have galaxy appstore preloaded and connecting a watch to it the app store detects it and let's you search search watch faces by digital, analog, health, free and etc.

The pixel xl gets Samsung services installed and a light limited version of galaxy apps in the gear app. It lets you search by free, paid, top, but no categories for watch faces. You also can't find a developer (like infinity watch faces) and view all watch faces by them. You can still search though. You can view categories on s7 edge but not pixel.

The same watch faces that are on full galaxy apps are on the lite version of it on non Samsung phones just finding them is more difficult.

I used my s7 edge to bookmark all the ones I liked and then downloaded them on my pixel.

With Samsung pay you get a light version of it installed on non Samsung phone through gear app. It doesn't have gift cards and other features like samsung pay on Samsung phones. Or a promotion to use Samsung pay. It's just normal tap to pay with watch. Haven't used it yet on s3 just installed it.

Other than that it's pretty much the same. I'm impressed with how much Samsung is allowing non Samsung phones to access. Auto reply messages, custom replies, calls and app notifications works great regardless of Samsung phone or non samsung phone too.

 

[k0d3g3ar]

I am also curious about this. Does anyone have any experience with running Health based apps (e.g. MyFitnessPal, Google Health, etc.) with a S3 LTE model that is not connected/used with a Samsung phone?

I have a HTC 10 and rely primarily on Google Voice alerts (SMS) and I'm often not tethered to my phone, so not only would this replace my FitBit but I'm hoping that I can route my alerts to it, etc.

Thanks
K

 

[Johnnyboy5]

I just received my S3 yesterday and I'm using it with a Nexus 6P. I have been playing and setting up for a lot of today, but so far I'm pretty impressed. I seem to be getting all my alerts (I use Aquamail for email, Textra for SMS, and once in a while, Whatsapp). I replied to an SMS text today and no problem and received a whagtsapp notification. I've also been using S Health to track walking, HR, etc. and I'm pleasantly surprised how well it works. So far, its done everything I hoped it would do, although its been less than 24 hours. I'd give it a shot if I were you. Oh ya, and the hardware itself is absolutely top notch!

 

[k0d3g3ar]

Thank you Johnnyboy5. This is priceless information. What carrier is your LTE with btw?

K

 

[afblangley]

I'm a Google Voice user and all my calls and messages are routed through it. The watch phone number is listed as one of my call forwarding numbers and I use Hangouts for messages. Since buying the S3, I've stopped carrying a phone. The watch is remotely connected to an LG phone on my home WiFi, it never leaves the house, doesn't even have a SIM card. But this is required in order for notifications from non Tizen apps to be passed unto the watch.

 

[Johnnyboy5]

Thank you Johnnyboy5. This is priceless information. What carrier is your LTE with btw?

K

My watch is not the LTE version.

 

[freddyttt]

using the mate 9 with the LTE ver. and everything seems to work with the occasional hiccup here and there. after following the G3 forums over the past month the s7 and s7 edge seem to have the same type of hiccups..

my conclusion is-... remember this is Samsung ... i had a huawei watch matted with my mate and it was perfect. but no LTE so it had to go back

 

[kaienish]

I'm using LG V20 paired with the Gear S3. Quick question, I want to use Samsung Pay on the watch, but will I still be able to use Android Pay when I use the phone? Occasionally when I do not have my watch with me, I wish to still be able to make mobile payments. Anyone tried this before?

 

[Ntchwaidumela]

I'm using LG V20 paired with the Gear S3. Quick question, I want to use Samsung Pay on the watch, but will I still be able to use Android Pay when I use the phone? Occasionally when I do not have my watch with me, I wish to still be able to make mobile payments. Anyone tried this before?

Short answer: yes.

 

[Sharpie52]

Do you still get reward points when you use Samsung Pay if you don't have Samsung phone?

 

[Sharpie52]

|||

 

[racedog]

At first it was no, but now i "think" that you do but i am not certain of that, you.might want to check with Samsung.

 

[Nigel Healy]

I'm a Google Voice user and all my calls and messages are routed through it. The watch phone number is listed as one of my call forwarding numbers and I use Hangouts for messages. Since buying the S3, I've stopped carrying a phone. The watch is remotely connected to an LG phone on my home WiFi, it never leaves the house, doesn't even have a SIM card. But this is required in order for notifications from non Tizen apps to be passed unto the watch.

So I've heard that Samsung Pay won't work on rooted phones, so I was thinking like you said of having a non-Samsung non-rooted phone at home on Wifi and have a non-Samsung phone rooted and the S3, then when I want to use Samsung Pay the S3 will be routing via the non-rooted phone, and I still have the rooted phone.

Will that work?

 

[afblangley]

Will that work?

Yes. Beyond initial app installation, the watch does not need to be connected to a phone to use S Pay. It only needs to be paired via BT occasionally (every 5-10 transactions) to replenish tokens, but otherwise will work in standalone mode. Remote connection, as you described, is needed for passing through notifications (i.e. Hangouts, email). Since all communication apps are setup on a dedicated phone and passed through to the watch, your primary phone is never paired with it.

 

[kach474]

Is there supposed to be a stock messaging app on the watch? So I can select a thread and reply? Now I have to go to a specific contact to message that person. Running on a Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe.

 

[afblangley]

Is there supposed to be a stock messaging app on the watch? So I can select a thread and reply? Now I have to go to a specific contact to message that person. Running on a Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe.

Yes, there is a Tizen messaging app. It's a yellow icon with a white dialog box (this is a different icon than when initiating a message from contacts). It's threaded by sender, once a thread is selected, tapping on the three dots gives options to reply, call, send location, block number, and delete.

This function doesn't vary according to what phone is paired (I've used an LG and Samsung). I have a Frontier LTE, I assume it's the same with BT only models.

 

[kach474]

These are the only apps on the watch. I do not see the messaging app?

 

[Ca_lvn]

Stock messaging app

 

[kach474]

Ya that's definitely not on mine? I bought this off of eBay as new unopened. Could this be a counterfeit?