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Picked up one of these little gems yesterday. I wanted something to sync my fitness stuff with my s health but not a full blown smart watch .
A little back story. Just like every other new tech out there I balked when the wearable first was released because of their huge size, yet too small for older eyes screen , and their very short battery life as being gimmicky and a way to separate more folks from their cash with false promises of nirvana. I thought because of their price tag and limited capability the gear was ahead of the market. Perhaps it still is but not as much as just a year ago since real watches are actually coming back into accepted fashion, the price tag of some models is actually not so bad and they can do much more than copy a text and make a speakerphone call when connected to your phone via Bluetooth.
Anyway, I had resigned to the fact that I would be "stuck" with some Jetsons sized mini tv strapped to my wrist if I ever capitulated to the new tech. I'm horrible on watches so the bigger it is the sooner I destroy it by accident, thus I wasn't following the stuff coming out until I got my Note4 and saw AT&T had return return refurb Galaxy Gear 1s for $75. I thought long and hard about it for weeks, decided to go get one yesterday but alas, they are no more there. Since I'd already signed into the waiting queue I decided to wait it out and see what's available and ask about their Fitbit selection compatibility with a Note4. I told the lady I wanted a watch that'll sync with my phone that isn't huge (hey since I'm dreaming might as well dream all the way) , has more than 1 day battery life and comes in basic or flat black. I just knew this would stump her into saying there was nothing in the store that fit that since I'd searched every part of the store (so I thought) looking for that refurb watch. Alas she says "I think we might have what your seek" and starts heading toward the G3 area, somewhere I'd skipped. What caught my eye before we got there was this sleek black jewel of a device that I'd assumed went with the LG G3 since it was sitting right in front of it. She picks it up, taps the button on is side and this gorgeous landscape screen lights up, but it was landscape. I'm thinking it was gorgeous but a rum dumb way to implement reading the output and said so and asked could it be changed to portrait that I'm old and haven't adapted to landscape anything as I was scrolling screens hoping beyond hope they weren't that ignant in their design to have left that ability out. She said "no I don't think you can change it" and said something else that I didn't hear because I'd stopped paying attention when the choir started singing in my head when I found the screen orientation setting and wallpaper change setting (amoled screens must have dark wallpaper after all). At that point I asked "how much" she said "when did you buy your phone" I said a couple of weeks ago she says "$99 after your discount for recently buying the phone" to which I asked if they had black in stock.
I had to install the Gear Manager app on the phone, charge the Fit and it paired up quickly and painlessly, a must for my impatient tech challenged self.
What it does it does pretty nicely and , unlike reviews I'd read, doesn't try to do things half way. I'm thinking those pro reviewers had ulterior motives or were worse at new gadgets than even I am because all their complaints seem to not be happening to me, their biggest being the heart rate monitor not working when moving.
The pedometer is accurate, heart rate monitor is accurate, sync with the phone is spot on and quick and the app selection on the Play Store was surprisingly not tiny and the apps are actually ones I'll use and not just gimmicks.
The built in non fitness apps are access to more downloaded apps , find your phone, music player control (including non Samsung or Google. Power Amp works flawlessly), a timer and a stop watch. The ones I've downloaded so far are a custom clock maker, phone notification bar settings toggles, calculator, calendar,note taker, navigation app that syncs with Google Nav, flashlight and phone dialer. They all work nicely and are things I can now skip pulling the phone out for.
When not actually being used it's a very comfortable piece of plastic technology that Samsung seems to have done a nice job in the ergonomics by curving the back to fit the wrist. It's so low profile in its design only my 7 year old noticed I was wearing it and she notices everything so....
If, like me, you're inside and outside often during the day and don't want to adjust your screen every time they included a neat little feature in wake the watch, double tap with 2 fingers and the brightness control pops up and the toggles are huge, making it easy to turn up the brightness in direct sunlight. In direct sunlight the highest setting is actually very usable if the device isn't smothered in finger grease. It also has a feature where max bright automatically changes back to medium after 5 minutes asleep, again making it so I don't have to change it back when I go inside or waste precious battery juice.
You can, and I just think this is so cool, use a selection of built in wallpapers or make your own from your gallery. I like dark themes but don't want something plain or outer space looking that are so prevalent today so I took a photo of my daughter that was darker and it's my wallpaper.
The Bluetooth range is far beyond that of a regular talk earpiece in that I can leave my phone in the den on one end of the house and it never loses connection throughout the house, even going upstairs. When it does go out of range once it reconnects any notifications that came on the phone quickly sync , within a couple of seconds quick. You're not limited to just stock apps to get notified on either. I've got Color Note, Handcent, Inbox, Copy, Box and Dropbox set to notify me and they work like they're supposed to. You can set it so the screen wakes with a notification or not but the vibration at each one is strong enough to definitely feel without feeling like you got hit with a tazer.
If you want a full blown fitness piece, this isn't for you. What it does it does well but it is limited.
If you want a full blown smart watch this isn't for you because it will not replace your phone in a lot of areas, but again what it does it does well.
If, like me, you want something to remind you to get up off your big butt and move and have something to help you see you're actually making progress but don't want to use your phone while making progress this might just be the ticket . It was for me.
Support Our Troops !!!
<><
Beast Mode 4
A little back story. Just like every other new tech out there I balked when the wearable first was released because of their huge size, yet too small for older eyes screen , and their very short battery life as being gimmicky and a way to separate more folks from their cash with false promises of nirvana. I thought because of their price tag and limited capability the gear was ahead of the market. Perhaps it still is but not as much as just a year ago since real watches are actually coming back into accepted fashion, the price tag of some models is actually not so bad and they can do much more than copy a text and make a speakerphone call when connected to your phone via Bluetooth.
Anyway, I had resigned to the fact that I would be "stuck" with some Jetsons sized mini tv strapped to my wrist if I ever capitulated to the new tech. I'm horrible on watches so the bigger it is the sooner I destroy it by accident, thus I wasn't following the stuff coming out until I got my Note4 and saw AT&T had return return refurb Galaxy Gear 1s for $75. I thought long and hard about it for weeks, decided to go get one yesterday but alas, they are no more there. Since I'd already signed into the waiting queue I decided to wait it out and see what's available and ask about their Fitbit selection compatibility with a Note4. I told the lady I wanted a watch that'll sync with my phone that isn't huge (hey since I'm dreaming might as well dream all the way) , has more than 1 day battery life and comes in basic or flat black. I just knew this would stump her into saying there was nothing in the store that fit that since I'd searched every part of the store (so I thought) looking for that refurb watch. Alas she says "I think we might have what your seek" and starts heading toward the G3 area, somewhere I'd skipped. What caught my eye before we got there was this sleek black jewel of a device that I'd assumed went with the LG G3 since it was sitting right in front of it. She picks it up, taps the button on is side and this gorgeous landscape screen lights up, but it was landscape. I'm thinking it was gorgeous but a rum dumb way to implement reading the output and said so and asked could it be changed to portrait that I'm old and haven't adapted to landscape anything as I was scrolling screens hoping beyond hope they weren't that ignant in their design to have left that ability out. She said "no I don't think you can change it" and said something else that I didn't hear because I'd stopped paying attention when the choir started singing in my head when I found the screen orientation setting and wallpaper change setting (amoled screens must have dark wallpaper after all). At that point I asked "how much" she said "when did you buy your phone" I said a couple of weeks ago she says "$99 after your discount for recently buying the phone" to which I asked if they had black in stock.
I had to install the Gear Manager app on the phone, charge the Fit and it paired up quickly and painlessly, a must for my impatient tech challenged self.
What it does it does pretty nicely and , unlike reviews I'd read, doesn't try to do things half way. I'm thinking those pro reviewers had ulterior motives or were worse at new gadgets than even I am because all their complaints seem to not be happening to me, their biggest being the heart rate monitor not working when moving.
The pedometer is accurate, heart rate monitor is accurate, sync with the phone is spot on and quick and the app selection on the Play Store was surprisingly not tiny and the apps are actually ones I'll use and not just gimmicks.
The built in non fitness apps are access to more downloaded apps , find your phone, music player control (including non Samsung or Google. Power Amp works flawlessly), a timer and a stop watch. The ones I've downloaded so far are a custom clock maker, phone notification bar settings toggles, calculator, calendar,note taker, navigation app that syncs with Google Nav, flashlight and phone dialer. They all work nicely and are things I can now skip pulling the phone out for.
When not actually being used it's a very comfortable piece of plastic technology that Samsung seems to have done a nice job in the ergonomics by curving the back to fit the wrist. It's so low profile in its design only my 7 year old noticed I was wearing it and she notices everything so....
If, like me, you're inside and outside often during the day and don't want to adjust your screen every time they included a neat little feature in wake the watch, double tap with 2 fingers and the brightness control pops up and the toggles are huge, making it easy to turn up the brightness in direct sunlight. In direct sunlight the highest setting is actually very usable if the device isn't smothered in finger grease. It also has a feature where max bright automatically changes back to medium after 5 minutes asleep, again making it so I don't have to change it back when I go inside or waste precious battery juice.
You can, and I just think this is so cool, use a selection of built in wallpapers or make your own from your gallery. I like dark themes but don't want something plain or outer space looking that are so prevalent today so I took a photo of my daughter that was darker and it's my wallpaper.
The Bluetooth range is far beyond that of a regular talk earpiece in that I can leave my phone in the den on one end of the house and it never loses connection throughout the house, even going upstairs. When it does go out of range once it reconnects any notifications that came on the phone quickly sync , within a couple of seconds quick. You're not limited to just stock apps to get notified on either. I've got Color Note, Handcent, Inbox, Copy, Box and Dropbox set to notify me and they work like they're supposed to. You can set it so the screen wakes with a notification or not but the vibration at each one is strong enough to definitely feel without feeling like you got hit with a tazer.
If you want a full blown fitness piece, this isn't for you. What it does it does well but it is limited.
If you want a full blown smart watch this isn't for you because it will not replace your phone in a lot of areas, but again what it does it does well.
If, like me, you want something to remind you to get up off your big butt and move and have something to help you see you're actually making progress but don't want to use your phone while making progress this might just be the ticket . It was for me.
Support Our Troops !!!
<><
Beast Mode 4
