Gear S3 for second line?

wtl

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Apr 18, 2016
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I'm just curious if anyone knows if the Gear S3 can be used for a second line but still be paired to a phone for notifications?

I have a business number but hate to carry two phones, so my business number is currently running through CloudPhone.com using their app on my phone. It's VOIP and isn't always the best, though overall it works fairly well.

I'd rather have a reliable cellular connection for business calls though, so I've been thinking about trying the Gear S3 as a second line. I just don't know if it will work with a different number while paired to another phone for notifications and such?

I could go completely standalone with the S3 if need be, but I'm also wanting to use Samsung Pay from the watch. Does the S3's Samsung pay work in standalone mode?
 

afblangley

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Aug 14, 2013
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The short answer is yes, with a few caveats.

Calls to the watch line will always ring the watch, regardless of how (or whether) it's connected to a phone. But if it's connected via BT, the outgoing CID will be the phone's number, not the watch's. This can be avoided by using remote connection to receive notifications instead of BT.

The watch does not handle long calls very well. Firstly, it can overheat and go into airplane mode (disconnecting the call) until it cools down. Secondly, talking on a call drains the battery rapidly, maybe ~0.5% per minute.

The watch doesn't make calls over WiFi, so using it as a second phone means the LTE radio is set to always on. Searching for a cellular signal is very battery intensive. It is not practical if you don't spend most of your day in an area/building with a strong signal.

I've experienced all of this because my S3 is my primary phone. But it's not good enough to rely on solely. I keep a tablet close at hand for screen intensive duties and handling calls and messaging (with the help of Google Voice) if needed.

Your use case scenario will be pushing the limits of what current smartwatches are capable of. So there will be occasions when it won't be able to perform acceptably. If you're not ok with that, spare yourself the grief and stick with what you've got. But if you can keep your expectations modest, you may come to appreciate that wearing a phone is much more convenient than carrying one.
 

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