Best New Wear OS Watch

[recDNA]

I like fully Wear OS UI. I read some articles online that picked as the best a watch that didn't even have all the native Wear OS abilities (said only a few playstore apps would work)

Also I prefer a Bluetooth only connection. I never go out without my phone so no need to pay for watch data plan.

I like a big bright easy to read screen. I don't need the battery to last more than 18 hours really.

I don't care about fitness apps but want to get all my notifications and be able to answer texts or emails from watch using Google Assistant

Any suggestions?

 

[Scienceguy Labs]

I just bought the Diesel On Full Guard 2.5. It's a large watch with a great screen. Battery life is so so. I usually end the day with around 30% left.
I'm pretty satisfied with it.

https://www.techradar.com/reviews/diesel-on-full-guard-25

I like fully Wear OS UI. I read some articles online that picked as the best a watch that didn't even have all the native Wear OS abilities (said only a few playstore apps would work)

Also I prefer a Bluetooth only connection. I never go out without my phone so no need to pay for watch data plan.

I like a big bright easy to read screen. I don't need the battery to last more than 18 hours really.

I don't care about fitness apps but want to get all my notifications and be able to answer texts or emails from watch using Google Assistant

Any suggestions?

 

[recDNA]

Thanks I will read about it. Oh that's a little too big for my wrist and too heavy
I know I said big but I didn't know they came bigger than 46 mm. I prefer lightweight to heavy. Thanks all the same. It would be fun to wear for a few hours but not all day. Sometimes I work 9 AM to 10PM so it wouldn't work as my primary watch.

 

[recDNA]

Really? Crickets? Is Wear OS dying?

 

[SkypilotOfHope]

I own the Summit 2. I really like it for its aesthetics and functionality. It has 1GB of Ram so there's no lag. 8GB storage. It also has the 3100 processor and so does the Fossil Sport.

 

[Scienceguy Labs]

Really? Crickets? Is Wear OS dying?

Try these:

Ticwatch
https://www.mobvoi.com/us/pages/ticwatchse

Fossil Watches
https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...en%2Fsearch.q%2520venture.html&token=G8vcB1i0

Huawei Watches
https://consumer.huawei.com/us/wearables/watch2/

LG Style
https://www.lg.com/us/smart-watches/lg-W270-Titanium-style

Or, just browse through what Google offers on their website.
https://wearos.google.com/#hands-free-help

 

[recDNA]

Is the Tic Watch fully Wear OS. I ask because it said limited PlayStore Apps in a review but didn't say what that meant?

Thanks I read that list before I posted. I was hoping someone had personal experience with one and found it really good. Then I could ask questions. For example I never heard of the Summit 2 watch so that is one for me to look up.

One thing I definitely want is full Wear OS playstore capability. If there is an app on the playstore for wear os I want it to be fully compatible with my new watch.

 

[Scienceguy Labs]

Is the Tic Watch fully Wear OS. I ask because it said limited PlayStore Apps in a review but didn't say what that meant?

Thanks I read that list before I posted. I was hoping someone had personal experience with one and found it really good. Then I could ask questions. For example I never heard of the Summit 2 watch so that is one for me to look up.

One thing I definitely want is full Wear OS playstore capability. If there is an app on the playstore for wear os I want it to be fully compatible with my new watch.

Mobvoi makes a variety of "smart" watches. The newer models run Android Wear OS. Some even have the capability of running both Wear OS and a less battery hungry "Essential" mode which is pretty much just a digital watch face. They claim outrageous battery life, but only when utilizing the essential mode. Once, Wear OS is on, the battery claims will be reduced significantly. I've never owned one of their Ticwatch brands, so I can't give you firsthand experience on them.
If you were browsing the watches on the Google site, they all will run Wear OS, including the watches capable of running a reduced mode like the Ticwatch.
I've read good things about the newer Ticwatch models. I've had personal experience with a few of the LG models, the Diesel watch that I mentioned earlier, and a couple of the Huawei watches. I've also owned a couple of the Polar smartwatches and fitbits if you have any interest in activity tracker smartwatches. All of them have been very good watches that will have no problems meeting the needs you mentioned above.
If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask.

 

[recDNA]

Thanks! Well I see the Summit is a little too high for me to climb!

Of the others I would like a big colorful face but not a huge box around it. Like a phone it should be thin with small bezels not huge like an old Casio. Needs to run full Wear OS and run lots of apps. Battery life isn't a big deal to me. Lets say 24 hours. Lag sucks so a new processor with enough memory for apps
I don't care at all about fitness stats.

 

[Scienceguy Labs]

1. big colorful face but not a huge box around it

Most of the current smartwatches all follow the same pattern. They all have 1.4" displays, or close to that. The screens are small enough where pixel density and such is not really a problem. Max brightness, however, depends on what the manufacturer decides. Most, if not all, use some type of OLED display. In my experience, the LG Watch Sport and my current Diesel watch have extremely nice, vibrant displays. I'm sure that all of the current group of smartwatches are pretty equal as far as display goes.


2. thin with small bezels not huge like an old Casio

The LG Watch Style and some of the Ticwatches appear to have fairly small casings/bezels. You'll just have to look at the pictures on the Google website to compare the casing sizes.

3. full Wear OS and run lots of apps

All of the watches I've pointed you to run full Wear OS. It's just that some, like some of the Ticwatches, are also capable of running a less feature-rich, easier on the battery mode. It's entirely up to you whether or not you'd ever want to switch from the Wear Os to one of those lesser modes.
Apps running on the watch depend on the app developer. Most of Google's apps are accessible on the watch. There are quite a few other apps that run on Wear OS watches, but not every app in the Google Play Store will have a watch version. Basically, your watch will be a mirror of your drop-down notification shade on your phone, with a few handy apps and extras that you can install.

4. battery life

Battery life on Wear OS has always been an issue. All of the watches I've owned have, for the most part, lasted all day, but definietly need to be charged overnight. Things like heart rate sensors, gps, etc will drain the battery quickly if they are used. If you're only planning to use the watch for notifications, battery life will be ok for you, but you'll still have to charge daily/nightly.
My Polar watch is the exception. It gets two day battery life. It's the only watch that I've owned that could get that much out of the battery.

5. lag sucks so a new processor

All of the watches manufactured before August of 2018, or close to that, run the 2100 Snapdragon processor or an equivalent. Those processors, especially the 2100, were battery hogs, from what I've read. They could get somewhat bogged down or stutter, but not terribly so. The new 3100 processor is supposed to be a little kinder and gentler on the battery.

Here's an article about the new processor: https://www.pcworld.com/article/3304371/mobile/snapdragon-wear-3100-wear-os.html

I'm sure there are more, but the ones I know off the top of my head that are using the new 3100 processor are Louis Vuitton Tambour Horizion, Montblanc Summit 2, and the newer Fossil watches.