Can someone with android wear 2.0 answer this?

[starcat42]

I tried to purchase a "standalone" watch a while ago before AW 2.0 was announced. i returned the watch because it still required the phone which i thought was stupid for 2016.

I want to know if this watch is completely indiependant from the phone?

I understand you have to pair the phone in order to get apps on to the watch, i guess im fine with that part.

but i am more concerned about making / receiving phone calls completely on the sim card plan that is on the watch, and also more importantly SKYPE

if i get a 100% data plan only, i can call people on skype.

I need to know if 1, skype can TAKE calls, and you can select a contact and call people with skype, and 2, dial a phone number with skype.

and 3, can you click a contact and type a message to them? you could not do these things before for some reason. thanks.

 

[foxbat121]

AW 2.0 has nothing to do with Skype. Even if AW 2.0 adds more independent features, it will take a while if ever for Microsoft to update Skype to take advantage of that. AW2.0 betas are only limited OS beta. I have not seen any report of new apps that take advantages of new OS.

Your best bet is Google updates its Hangout to support calling from watch (it can do data calling from phone today). But Google isn't talking about anything about apps yet.

 

[starcat42]

Son of damnit.. any idea what the cheapest wearables plan is for unlimited data? i heard rumor of a 5 or 10$ a month plan but i cant find it anywhere.

 

[foxbat121]

Get an Apple watch 1 today while it is still on clearance. Maybe a few years down the road your dream of truly independent watch will realize. I don't believe AW 2.0 will be your answer. or even AW 3.0.

 

[starcat42]

So many questions.

Why Apple watch 1? it doesnt have a sim card and i cant make calls,

I need skype because i pay for skype, and i use it as my phone. so an unlimited data plan = unlimited phone calls, as well as GPS and internet search etc.

 

[mdw1995]

So many questions.

Why Apple watch 1? it doesnt have a sim card and i cant make calls,

I need skype because i pay for skype, and i use it as my phone. so an unlimited data plan = unlimited phone calls, as well as GPS and internet search etc.

I think you'll just have to wait and see what 2.0 brings. They advertised Spotify streaming and mentioned apps will be more standalone and use data when not paired to the phone but we just don't know if Skype, or any other app, will add/update features to be used as standalone on 2.0.

 

[foxbat121]

So many questions.

Why Apple watch 1? it doesnt have a sim card and i cant make calls,

Because Apple Watch 2 is not much a difference. And if you have an iPhone (IIRC), Apple Watch is still the best companion for iPhone. AW watches are useless for iPhone regardless how Google claims otherwise.

I need skype because i pay for skype, and i use it as my phone. so an unlimited data plan = unlimited phone calls, as well as GPS and internet search etc.

You bet on the wrong horse. Microsoft moves so slowly on improving Skype that it barely works in many occasions. Yeah, I tried a few times on my Android phone and most ppl on the other end just can't hear me clearly 90% of the time. If you are located in US, Google Voice/Hangout is so much better and it is free to call any phone numbers in US and Canada. International calls are dirt cheap as well.

I paid Skype once and regretted it ever since. I still have the credits on my account and every 3-month I have to make a call in order to keep the credit alive.

 

[starcat42]

i have a galaxy s7 edge, not iphone, and i pay 3 bucks a month for unlimited USA / canada calling

 

[starcat42]

I might try google hang outs, but right now i just need to find unlimited wearable data for cheap

 

[foxbat121]

What for? Hangout does not have calling feature on watch yet.

 

[Jaycemiskel]

I might try google hang outs, but right now i just need to find unlimited wearable data for cheap

Pretty much everyone is moving away from unlimited data so that's also going to be difficult for you to find. What you want is likely never going to be an option or it would be way in the future. Skype to work in standalone as well as having unlimited data on a wearable.

 

[foxbat121]

Interesting observation of mine:
Both Apple and Google rumored to enhance standalone capabilities for their respective Watch OS upcoming updates and yet new Apple Watch 2.0 does not come with any cellular capability, nor are any new AW 2.0 watches announced recently.

 

[starcat42]

jesus christ.. then what is the point of these watches? is it really just super expensive call forwarding? also is Urbane 2 the only cell watch? i cant seem to find many more other than the samsung s2

 

[foxbat121]

Samsung Gear S1, S2 are the ones come with cell radio. Don't quite follow S3 yet. Not sure of its capability.

 

[StimulatorCam]

Don't quite follow S3 yet. Not sure of its capability.

Yes, the S3 Frontier version has LTE, while the S3 Classic does not.

 

[NYC Camper]

yes. I purchased the same watch from at&t but i had to get an add on plan to purchase it but then after two weeks and i cancelled the plan. The phone calls do not sync anymore but if you are near the phone, the messages, calendar alerts, emails, and everything still work the same as before.