Smart watches what to get?

[onyx550]

I have a samsung s7 with a pebble watch we know they went out of business so now I want to get a new smart watch what should I get?

 

[chanchan05]

A Gear S2 would be the first thing that comes to mind. It's cheaper now that the Gear S3 is out, and it's sure to be compatible.

 

[onyx550]

How good is the gear s2

 

[hallux]

For Android Wear (compatible with ANY Android phone should you decide to move away from a Samsung phone next year) the Huawei Watch is still one of the best and is sure to get the AW 2.0 update as it is being used as a testing platform for the new version. I have one, there are some things AW can do that Tizen can't, the big one being display notifications from your work account in Android for Work.

 

[chanchan05]

How good is the gear s2

Android Authority called it the best SmartWatch ever last year when it was released. Obviously it's not anymore with the Gear S3 out. But that's more expensive. Here's a review:

http://www.androidauthority.com/gear-s2-follow-up-review-670630/

For Android Wear (compatible with ANY Android phone should you decide to move away from a Samsung phone next year) the Huawei Watch is still one of the best and is sure to get the AW 2.0 update as it is being used as a testing platform for the new version. I have one, there are some things AW can do that Tizen can't, the big one being display notifications from your work account in Android for Work.

The Gear S2 is compatible with other Android phones, even iPhones. But yeah the Huawei Watch is good too.

Here's a short review comparing Tizen (Gear S2) and Android wear:

http://www.wareable.com/smartwatches/tizen-os-vs-android-wear
http://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-gear-tizen-android-wear-574905/

 

[dshrum84]

I thoroughly enjoy my Gear S3 (Frontier LTE through T-Mo), and my sister loves her 2nd Gen Moto 360 (BT only). Both work with almost any android phone, the exception so far being that the S3 isn't cooperative with the Pixel phone. The only major differences that we've found are:

1) Android Wear has more apps available than Tizen, but to be honest most of the things I would like to do with my S3 I can do. All that's missing are particular apps of interest to me like Pandora and Soundhound as well as the ability to fully experience similar apps like Spotify. You can sort of control the app but you're still dependent on the phone for full function. The music controls on the watch work with any phone app very well though as long as you're connected by BT.

2) I really like the navigation by bezel on Tizen. It's very convenient and well thought out. No issues at all.

3) The S3 has a speaker as well as a mike and makes very clear calls on its own. The Moto 360 doesn't have a speaker. The Gear S2 also has a speaker, but is 3G compared to the S3's LTE if you're leaning towards an independent connection for the watch.
The voice recognition is good on both. I've also been able to move almost all my navigation needs to the watch, though I recommend Gear Navigator S over the "native" Here Wego app.

The only drawback I've found of major note is that (assuming you go with a 3G or LTE watch) you're going to either have your phone's battery life cut in half or you're going to have your watch's battery last less than half it's normal BT-connected life if it's accessing the cell network independently. I just carry some external chargers in my jacket as I'd rather my watch goes for 3-4 days so I can get full use of the S Health features.

The Gear S2 recently received software updates that caught it up to the Gear S3 as far as the hardware is capable. The differences are small on that end now.

 

[B. Diddy]

I also recommend the Huawei Watch. I'm very satisfied with mine -- it looks and feels great, and the size is right. Too many Android Wear watches are on the enormous side, and the Huawei Watch toned it down just a bit. Screen is crisp, and performance is good. Only drawback for me is that the vibration is not that strong.

 

[davidlee13840]

I would highly recommend a Moto 360 2 smart watch. This watch is very stylish and highly customizable, from the color of the watch to the color of the straps. It has good battery life, and It looks like a real watch!

 

[recDNA]

I got a cheap Zenwatch 2 at BB. It's ok. Can't seem to find a watch face I like. Screen must be low res.

Oh and the battery life really sucks. I lose about 10% an hour. I tried shutting off screen always on but then screen wouldn't light up sometimes When I lifted my wrist. Had to go back to always on. It cost $129 so I guess you get what you pay for.

It also drives me crazy that if I mute the phone it mutes the watch.

 

[B. Diddy]

I got a cheap Zenwatch 2 at BB. It's ok. Can't seem to find a watch face I like. Screen must be low res.

Oh and the battery life really sucks. I lose about 10% an hour. I tried shutting off screen always on but then screen wouldn't light up sometimes When I lifted my wrist. Had to go back to always on. It cost $129 so I guess you get what you pay for.

It also drives me crazy that if I mute the phone it mutes the watch.

Yikes, 10% an hour? Something's up with that watch. Both my old 1st gen Zenwatch and my current Huawei Watch are typically down to around 60% after one day, so I could probably go for two days without charging (although I just charge it every night out of routine). Occasionally, I'll see an abnormal battery drain that I can't quite pinpoint, but a reboot usually fixes it.

I can't remember if I ever suggested it to you, but try WatchMaster (which is different from WatchMaker). WatchMaster has some good square watchfaces in the free version, and the full version is well worth it to me. There's something like 270 watchfaces to choose from (I keep around 40 in rotation).