Hotspot?

[Channan]

With 2.0, is it possible to use your watch as a hotspot? Obviously this wouldn't be practical for continuous/prolonged use as it would drain your battery very quickly, but would be super handy to be able to do occasionally.

 

[Channan]

Nobody?

 

[Axxxxel]

Hi,
That doesn't work with stock AW2.0. At least with Preview 4 what I am running.
But I am pretty sure that this won't change with final 2.0!

 

[Channan]

Hi,
That doesn't work with stock AW2.0. At least with Preview 4 what I am running.
But I am pretty sure that this won't change with final 2.0!

There's no app that can allow this?

 

[Jaycemiskel]

There's no app that can allow this?

Not that I've seen. I wouldn't be surprised if the watches simply don't have the hardware to do that.

 

[StimulatorCam]

I wouldn't be surprised if the watches simply don't have the hardware to do that.

Possibly, but they put everything else into it why skip on that? I mean even my tiny GoPro uses wifi hotspot to stream to my phone, it couldn't be that hard/expensive to add.

 

[Channan]

Not that I've seen. I wouldn't be surprised if the watches simply don't have the hardware to do that.

If the watch has Wi-Fi and a cellular radio, the hardware is all there and it should be able to do this with the necessary software.

 

[Jaycemiskel]

Just remembering back in the day before Hotspots became popular. They had wifi and a cellular radio but they couldn't make a true Hotspot. They could only do some weird adhoc thing. But if you guys say so, maybe someone will put out an app that does it.

 

[foxbat121]

To be capable for hot spot feature, it must be baked into the Android OS. Apps are limited to what app can do. That's why early days there are apps to fake hotspot by running wifi adhoc networking. Later, there are new apps that can do true hotspot but requires you to have root.

I don't think anyone bother to create any such thing for AW. It won't be very useful in practical terms. And AW1.xx is quite limited on networking access (mostly rely on the phone to do the heavy lifting).

 

[Channan]

Just remembering back in the day before Hotspots became popular. They had wifi and a cellular radio but they couldn't make a true Hotspot. They could only do some weird adhoc thing. But if you guys say so, maybe someone will put out an app that does it.

Yeah but that was a software limitation. Back in the early days of the iPhone, the only way to tether was to jailbreak and use an adhoc connection. Then Apple made hotspot a feature and the same phones that could only do adhoc could now do hotspot.

I wouldn't even mind if all I could do was adhoc on an Android Wear watch. It would still be handy on the occasion it was my only option or if I wanted to save my phone's battery.

 

[afblangley]

A year ago, before I bought my first smartwatch, I made a list of the features my ideal watch would have. Hotspot was on the list. Now, I'm aware of the limitations and compromises that watches have. So long as we carry a phone, it will be a better hotspot. This feature on a watch would only come into play when we stop carrying our phones. And current technology isn't good enough for that yet. So while hotspot still on my list, it's rightfully at the bottom.

 

[StimulatorCam]

This feature on a watch would only come into play when we stop carrying our phones. And current technology isn't good enough for that yet.

I dunno, I only carry my phone with me maybe half the time now because of how usable my watch is. If I could hotspot my phone off my watch I would cancel my phone's data plan completely.

 

[afblangley]

I'm with you. When I started wearing a watch, I stopped carrying a phone. I know the limitations because I'm pushing the boundaries.

 

[Channan]

If I could make calls and texts on my watch as well as use it as a hotspot, I'd probably get rid of my phone and only occasionally carry a tablet around with me.

 

[afblangley]

If I could make calls and texts on my watch as well as use it as a hotspot, I'd probably get rid of my phone and only occasionally carry a tablet around with me.

Watches can definitely handle calls and messaging. Samsung tablets that are not sold by US carriers have native Android hotspot capability. What are you carrying around that requires tethering so frequently?

 

[foxbat121]

Watches can definitely handle calls and messaging. Samsung tablets that are not sold by US carriers have native Android hotspot capability. What are you carrying around that requires tethering so frequently?

That will require two lines activated on the carrier account. What OP wanted is just pay for a single line (watch) and use a wifi tablet tethered to the watch.

 

[Channan]

Watches can definitely handle calls and messaging. Samsung tablets that are not sold by US carriers have native Android hotspot capability. What are you carrying around that requires tethering so frequently?

At school, for example, there's one class where I don't get Wi-Fi, so I have to tether to get internet on my computer. If I could use my watch for that one class, that would be awesome.