From the Gear Neo to the Moto 360

[Floridadomer]

So I am considering selling my Samsung Gear Neo and going to the 360.
I have been trying to find out how the notifications work. With my Neo, when I have an email notification I can tap on it and read the message. Is it the same with Android wear or is only simply a card that notifies me but I then have to go to my phone to read the message?
Anyone else go from the Samsung watch to Android Wear? Any thoughts?
Thanks for your help.

 

[SpookDroid]

Yup, whenever you get an e-mail or SMS, you get notified and you can either dismiss the notification or just read the e-mail on your wrist. For long e-mails, though, I'd prefer my phone.

 

[Floridadomer]

Thank you! I just bought a new one off of Ebay. It was 30 more than I would have paid for it at BB but now I don't have to keep looking all the time.
Anybody want to buy a gently used Gear Neo.....lol, just kidding.

 

[Flibberdejibit#WN]

Just to clarify my experience in response to your question...

Text messages can be read normally onscreen when they come in. Oddly though, there is no "reply" function that I can see directly from the text. Rather, you need to say "OK Google...send text to John...--message--." You can't just reply directly from the onscreen message. Not a problem in most cases, but I have buddies that group text, and there is no way to reply to them all at once with the current functionality. So that sorta sucks. Maybe the functionality IS there and I haven't seen it yet, but I don't think so.

As for emails, I actually prefer Samsung's implementation over Android Wear. I can browse my inbox on a Gear...can't do that on a 360. You can only see what you would normally see in the notification shade. If you get multiple mails at once, you can only see who they're from because the notifications are "batched"...there is no way to view individual messages unless you take out your phone. Not the 360's fault...just a limitation of Wear.

Personally I think Samsung's user experience is FAR better honed than Wear at this point...I'm just not a fan of Tizen and think Wear has greater growth potential. 360 is also a lot prettier.

 

[solotristan88]

You can reply from ur watch... U just have to download a different app. I use Wear Messenger... Works great on getting to texts and replying from your watch.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[SpookDroid]

This should help.
https://support.google.com/mail/answer/6057269?hl=en

 

[Flibberdejibit#WN]

Nice...thanks for the tips guys!

 

[dungoyle]

Android Wear 2.0 is just around the corner as well with a rumored release date of mid October. I am hoping for better support for this kind of functionality so that we don't have to rely on third party solutions for tasks that should be intuitively part of the OS.

 

[eloderung]

The functionality is there if you use Hangouts for SMS. I know that's a bit of a pain for some people, but I consider it worthwhile to have full Google Voice integration as well as Wifi calling on Verizon.

 

[benhaube]

You can reply from ur watch... U just have to download a different app. I use Wear Messenger... Works great on getting to texts and replying from your watch.

Posted via Android Central App

Hangouts works perfectly fine for replying directly from a new SMS.

 

[benhaube]

Android Wear 2.0 is just around the corner as well with a rumored release date of mid October. I am hoping for better support for this kind of functionality so that we don't have to rely on third party solutions for tasks that should be intuitively part of the OS.

These tasks are part of the OS. The app you're using to do it just needs to support it with the api. The burden is on the app developers to do this. Not Google.

 

[dungoyle]

These tasks are part of the OS. The app you're using to do it just needs to support it with the api. The burden is on the app developers to do this. Not Google.

That's like saying Messaging shouldn't be included as part of the Android Smart Phone App -- the burden for that is on the developers. I'm not saying third party developers can't do their own thing (they are very good at enhancing existing functionality), I'm, just saying when I get a text message I should be able to easily respond to it directly from the message without the need of a third party application to do so. not start a completely separate text message by navigating through the watch menu.

 

[SpookDroid]

And that's what he means. The functionality IS THERE. Android Wear allows it. An API is provided. If the developer doesn't code it into their apps, then how is the watch to do it? Hangouts is a part of Google's ecosystem and as such has been integrated into it, but Messaging apps differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. THOSE need to hook into the API for this to work.

 

[dungoyle]

And that's what he means. The functionality IS THERE. Android Wear allows it. An API is provided. If the developer doesn't code it into their apps, then how is the watch to do it? Hangouts is a part of Google's ecosystem and as such has been integrated into it, but Messaging apps differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. THOSE need to hook into the API for this to work.

So, vanilla android on a phone does not include a messenger application? Only an API that Verizon, Sprint, etc have to write their own programs to interface into? If that's the case, color me stupid, because I ignorantly assumed this basic functionality was baked into the OS, in the same that way "calculator" is baked into Windows (HP doesn't have to write a front end to interface into the calculator API, it's just there). Based on that logic, I assumed it was just a matter of Wear's implementation of the messaging interface, not the Moto 360 itself. In fact I thought that was the main attraction of having Android Wear -- to provide a consistent user experience. But, nope? Doesn't work that way? Crap.

 

[SpookDroid]

Since 'Vanilla' Android is moving to Hangouts for SMS, THAT'S your messaging app for the OS. And that's why Hangouts has that 'baked in'.
Android does have a basic SMS app baked in (or it had? since it's moving towards Hangouts), but carriers and manufacturers are free to tinkle and break and re-bake the app to their liking and feature set. Brighter colors in Samsung's, sober implementation on LG, standard-looking for Motorola...

I guess where I'm going with this is that Google is pushing Hangouts. Not only that, but all of their apps. http://www.androidcentral.com/there...new-android-phones-google-wrote-contracts-way

When you have a device with Android Wear and you want a 'seamless' experience, you're better off with Google's apps. Everyone else needs to hook into the API.

 

[dungoyle]

Thanks for enlightening me!

 

[tech_fan]

I have the Neo. Its an ok watch. The Moto 360 looks sharp. I am going to order the Moto 360 today from BB. I think I am going to get the Gray one as opposed to the black. I really like the Chrome band.

One thing that I am not sure about is getting used to not being able to answer the phone on the watch. I really liked that especially when I could not take the phone out of my pocket. However, I am looking at other options besides Samsung for my next phone so, that point might be mute.

 

[tech_fan]

Also, one additional thing. I was going to wait for the Samsung Galaxy Gear S but if they are going to add on an extra data charge onto my account as another device then I am out. Besides, I think the watch looks better than the Neo. I bought the first Samsung Galaxy Gear watch with the camera on the side and it was kind of cool. My wife liked to play with the camera when we went places.