Questions about how data is used when connected etc.

[TxBrandi]

Hi! Anyone out there have plenty of experience with using the Gear S with the different connection modes? I have just purchased a used Gear S (because I am with Sprint and they are not carrying them and no one -not even Samsung could find one for me). It should be here today, so I'm trying to figure out all of the specifics. No one that I talked to at Sprint seemed to know much at all and I got conflicting answers, so I'm confused! I did make sure I purchased a barely used (someone switched to Apple) Sprint version.

I currently have a Gear 2 and I LOVE it, BUT, I was annoyed when trying to go for a run or something that I had to carry my Galaxy Note with me (which is no small phone) for it to work. I don't always have a pocket. Also, sometimes when I leave my phone upstairs, or even just go to the back room to the dryer, it disconnects because it's too far (or if I leave my phone just to run into the cleaners). Sooo, I was seriously Jonesing for the Gear S so I could just leave it connected at all times and not have to worry about how far away my phone was.

Well, with some research, if I'm understanding things right, I'm not so sure that the Gear S is going to help me out that much (except maybe in the case of a short run). It seems that the problem might be the tiny amount of data and limited minutes that I will get with the Sprint Gear data plan. It would be amazing to just leave it connected via the network all of the time so I didn't have to worry about going in and out. With my Gear 2, I just answer calls on it and don't worry about how many minutes I'm using or anything -I never worry about how many e-mails are coming in (I have several e-mail addresses and it's always going off between that and texts). But then there's the problem of it disconnecting so much when I move around.

So, Here are my questions....1) Is there any kind of work around so that it can be just connected all the time without using the gear data plan?

I know that there are 3 ways to use it (actually 4 if you count being able to foreword your smartphone calls to the gear). 2). I was told that if you connect via Bluetooth, you can use your mobile data plan (mine is unlimited) or your wi-fi just like with the gear 2 and it won't use the gear data. Is that correct?

3) What about texts and phone calls if you are connected via Bluetooth? is it still like the Gear 2? or will it use my allotment of texts and phone minutes on the gear plan (if they are texting my phone)?

4) Connecting through the network... Does this still allow e-mails, texts AND incoming phone calls from your mobile phone (and you can see and respond to them from the gear S?). If it will transfer your phone texts calls emails etc. -I'm assuming that this would use your text, voice and data allotments even though they are actually being sent to your mobile phone number??? *Edited to say that I did just find that there is an automatic feature -if I understand right, I can leave it on Bluetooth, but if I go out of range, the remote connect will pick up -so that solves my problem of roaming around the house and losing connectivity (after 60 seconds, I think). (but again, will I get calls? texts?

5) If the above is correct, has anyone tried leaving it connected all the time and seeing how much data it uses? I'd like to just have it connected all day, but I worry about how many e-mails come through. I probably get about 30-40 a day between 3 different e-mail addresses. I know you can set it to choose which things you want to see on the gear, but I do like to know when an important e-mail comes in.

6) Is it correct that forwarding only forewords calls, not texts?

I think that is all I can think of for now. I'd appreciate any help!

 

[Rukbat]

So, Here are my questions....1) Is there any kind of work around so that it can be just connected all the time without using the gear data plan?

Not in the real world. That would be sorcery or something - data some-mysteriously-how transferring between the two devices with no signal between them. Like electronic telepathy or something. If they're close, Bluetooth or wifi are the connection, but if you go 1/4 mile, there's no connection but the cell tower - and that's plan data.

2). I was told that if you connect via Bluetooth, you can use your mobile data plan (mine is unlimited) or your wi-fi just like with the gear 2 and it won't use the gear data. Is that correct?

Bluetooth and wifi don't use data from your plan, but Bluetooth is limited to about 3 feet, and wifi - even if you want to push the legal limits to the breaking point - won't go much farther than half a city block, unless you use a satellite TV dish on your roof, aimed at where you're taking the watch. (The record for "off the shelf" [and it had to be a big shelf] wifi components is about 380 km [unless someone broke that since the last time I looked], but you don't want a car to carry the equipment you need to connect your watch to your phone. and be limited to mountain tops.)

3) What about texts and phone calls if you are connected via Bluetooth?

Again - Bluetooth doesn't use anything that Sprint can detect. It's strictly VERY local. (If the watch is out in the clear, and line of sight to the phone, you might get 100 feet, but I doubt it. I've gotten usable but spotty Class 3 Bluetooth connections as far as 35 feet by carefully positioning the devices at both ends. But a watch on your left wrist and a phone in your right pants pocket may not have enough power to get a signal through your body. The only way Sprint would know is if you were in their store.)

4) Connecting through the network.

Phone network (Sprint) or your wifi network? Totally different scenarios.

 

[mountainbikermark]

I've had to try REAL hard to go above 100MB a month of data. Opera Mini browser compresses data to almost nothing, emails use very little data, any app updates are done on the phone so there's really nothing that will eat gobs of network data when using the S. As far as plan minutes the forwarded calls/texts from your phone use your phones number, not the watch's. Calls or texts you initiate from the watch, unless set to use phones number when remotely connected, will be the only ones using plan minutes/texts.

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[TxBrandi]

Rukbat- I appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions! I do already understand the limitations of Bluetooth and wifi -I know that is why it disconnects when I am at home but too far. I probably didn't word my questions very well since there are different things that I wanted to know about different connection types.

I know that it can't be magically connected when I'm not near my phone, I am just trying to figure out exactly what happens when you are connected remotely (to the providers network from your phone). I know you can leave your phone at home and choose the "connect remotely" option. I am just not sure if when connected remotely if 1) can you only receive phone calls that are made to your phone -or would you get texts as well (again, those made to your phone)? and e-mails? and 2) If you do receive those, is it only using your data, text and voice from your phone plan? Or does it also use it on the gear S plan. I've been told both, (that you can only receive calls and that you can receive calls and texts -and I've been told that it only uses the phone plan, and I've been told that it uses both plans, so you can see my confusion.

I did also ask about the behavior of it when connected to Bluetooth only. I did understand that generally, you can receive all notifications (phone, text and e-mail) on most devices that are sent to your phone and of course Sprint doesn't see it since it's Bluetooth only -I was just double checking that since this one now has a phone number and a data plan that they couldn't somehow track everything and count it against your data and minutes on the gear since you would be using it to talk etc (wouldn't surprise me for Sprint to find a way to take something free and charge for it! lol!). Good to know they don't!

 

[TxBrandi]

mountainbikermark -Thanks so much -that was very helpful on the data -Good to know I can relax a bit now!

I'm a little confused on how it works when remotely connected. Do you have to turn on call forwarding too? or does it do that automatically since you are connected through the network. Basically, I guess I want to know if being connected remotely acts just like Bluetooth, other than you don't have to be near your phone -if you still receive calls, texts and e-mails. If it is that you have to turn on call forwarding, does that only foreword calls? or texts too?

And when do e-mails use the data from the gear instead of the phone? I know if you compose one from the gear, but what about when you are connected and receive them on your phone and read them on your gear?

I'm wondering if I even need to call sprint and pay for a plan or if I can just use the remote connect (and Bluetooth when I am home and want to use all the apps. as I think I read that you only have limited access to apps when connected remotely).

 

[mountainbikermark]

When connected to your phone remotely calls will come from your phone, using your phones number. It rings to your phone first, then forwards to your watch. The only drawback is often before it gets to your watch the caller has hung up . If they leave a voicemail you'll be notified of it but if they just hang up you won't get a missed call notification. At least that's how it works with my AT&T version of phone and watch.
If you can wait a bit on your emails, don't plan on using your browser or any mapping or music streaming type apps you won't need a data plan for data but you will need it for the phone number to forward calls to.
I don't use the stock messaging app on my phone so I can't honestly answer how texts are handled when forwarding.

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[TxBrandi]

Thanks-it's starting to make more sense now! Once you have a phone number activated on your gear, if you connect remotely will the calls from your phone automatically forward to the gear because of the network connection? or do you also have to turn on call forewarding. I am just not sure if maybe the call forwarding is just for when you use the gear in gear only mode, but still want to receive calls from your phone.

 

[mountainbikermark]

With AT&T you have to turn call forwarding on inside the Gear app itself. I can't speak for others as Verizon seems to do theirs automatically from what I read in other posts on this forum.
Here's some screen shots for how to with AT&T

You only have to agree once then it stays set to accepting until you do an uninstall of the Gear app

Hope that helps

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[TxBrandi]

ah -so from that last part that reads "Turn on call forwarding automatically while your gear is disconnected from your mobile device. This will forward incoming calls from your mobile device to your gear until the devices are re-connected."

Because it says that the calls will be forwarded automatically while the gear is disconnected, that must mean that you don't have to have call forwarding on when the devices are connected remotely (unless you want this setting for if the connection is broken somehow). Even when I am connected remotely, I see the option on the moments screen to turn on call forwarding, so I was always confused if call forwarding needed to be on when I was connected remotely, or if I would get the calls when connected remotely without turning on call forwarding.

 

[mountainbikermark]

Like I said, AT&T you enable it once and it does the rest until you either uncheck it or uninstall the Gear Manager from your phone.
I'd suggest , on the watch, go to settings, connections, data and set it to auto. What that does is enable both the phone and watch to be able to connect to data to ensure they can "see" each other, for lack of a better term, when the phone and watch disconnect from each other. If one or both don't have ability to poll you won't get forwarded calls via doing it within the app, you'll have to forward from the phone the old fashioned way which will forward all calls, even if the watch is connected to the phone via Bluetooth.
Once you get it hooked up and get a phone call or 2 it'll all make more sense I believe.
Setting the watch to data auto will also use much less better than having it set to always on.

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[TxBrandi]

well, boo -I got it all set up and activated and I guess Sprint doesn't have the option to turn on auto-call forwarding. I found the menu just like yours, but there is only the option to turn call forwarding on or off. At least it will automatically connect remotely when I go out of Bluetooth range, but unfortunately, if I don't remember to turn on call forwarding (say I am just in the back room and it has disconnected from Bluetooth but connects remotely), I won't get any calls. I did find that there is an instant notification of a missed call though -so that helps -most people you can at least call back. If I'm going for a run, of course, I'll remember to turn on call forwarding, but if I just run into the cleaners or something -probably won't remember or even want to bother. I guess I could leave it forwarded all of the time, since I'll be wearing it all the time. If I have it always forwarded, will it use the gear's plan minutes when I am connected remotely?

 

[mountainbikermark]

well, boo -I got it all set up and activated and I guess Sprint doesn't have the option to turn on auto-call forwarding. I found the menu just like yours, but there is only the option to turn call forwarding on or off. At least it will automatically connect remotely when I go out of Bluetooth range, but unfortunately, if I don't remember to turn on call forwarding (say I am just in the back room and it has disconnected from Bluetooth but connects remotely), I won't get any calls. I did find that there is an instant notification of a missed call though -so that helps -most people you can at least call back. If I'm going for a run, of course, I'll remember to turn on call forwarding, but if I just run into the cleaners or something -probably won't remember or even want to bother. I guess I could leave it forwarded all of the time, since I'll be wearing it all the time. If I have it always forwarded, will it use the gear's plan minutes when I am connected remotely?

No that one automatically does it, just worded differently. Count on at least a minute for it to kick on, less time when Bluetooth reconnects and it turns off. Data needs to be at least on auto on the watch and your phone needs to be connected to some form of data network, be it Wi-Fi or Sprint because it communicates with the Samsung servers, via your Samsung account, before it connects remotely. If your data connection is really weak it'll take longer or not connect at all. I don't suggest use Wi-Fi on the watch for remote connect because it's a battery hog when active, much more so than the data network and you'll only ping a few bytes when communicating that I'm not even sure go against your allotment.

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[foxbat121]

From a conversation here a while back, CDMA carriers (Verizon and Sprint) don't support auto-forwarding like GSM carriers do (AT&T and T-Mobile). WIth GSM carriers, you get real auto-forwarding, e.g. forewarding is auto on only if you connected remotely. With CDMA carriers, you get conditional forewarding, not auto. e.g. if you turn forwarding on, it will ring your phone first. If you didn't pickup the call on the phone after certain amount of time (determined by carrier), it gets forwarded to your Gear S number. So, there will be a delay before your Gear S rings in remote connected mode..

 

[TexasBrandi]

I did a test yesterday -turned off my home wifi and turned off Bluetooth on my phone so it'd be as if i wasn't in range. Call forwarding was not on. As soon as i turned off Bluetooth, i got the message saying that within 60 seconds, it would auto connect remotely. I checked to make sure i was remotely connected, then had my mom call me. My watch did not ring, but i got an immediate notification of a missed call (on watch). I then turned on call forwarding and had her call again (waited till it said it was on). This time, my watch rang. Either it didn't work right the 1st time or you do have to manually turn on call forewarding. Auto remote connect definitely works though. You'd think that auto foreward would be a given though!

 

[foxbat121]

That's why they didn't name it auto-forwarding on your phone. It is a carrier thing. Not something Samsung has control over.

 

[mountainbikermark]

I did a test yesterday -turned off my home wifi and turned off Bluetooth on my phone so it'd be as if i wasn't in range. Call forwarding was not on. As soon as i turned off Bluetooth, i got the message saying that within 60 seconds, it would auto connect remotely. I checked to make sure i was remotely connected, then had my mom call me. My watch did not ring, but i got an immediate notification of a missed call (on watch). I then turned on call forwarding and had her call again (waited till it said it was on). This time, my watch rang. Either it didn't work right the 1st time or you do have to manually turn on call forewarding. Auto remote connect definitely works though. You'd think that auto foreward would be a given though!

That's why they didn't name it auto-forwarding on your phone. It is a carrier thing. Not something Samsung has control over.

Thanks to both of you for clarifying what I originally thought was how it works on cdma but posts in another thread seemed to say different.

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