Smart watch

[Mehr4x4]

I'm interested in a smart watch but I'm confused about a few things. I don't know anything about them. I was looking on eBay and saw some with SIM slots. I don't want a desperate plan for a watch. I want one to wear and not carry my phone directly on me but have it within bluetooth range to be notified about calls and texts. Maybe be able to take the call would be nice but not necessary. I'm sure I could find other uses for one but those are the "needs"
Anyone with experience with these? I have a turbo now and love it and I'm not wanting to spend a lot for the watch.
Thank you,
Eric

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[Sajo]

If you want to make / take calls on your watch then you will have to have a seperate plan for that device. At least as of now. If you want a smart watch without a seperate plan then stick to one without a SIM slot. If you want to "get your feet wet" and try them out to see if you like it there are a lot of good choices and options; some for little money and others very expensive. Are you looking for a brand new device or used? And do you want one with it without calling features? There are quite a few watch owners here that would be happy to help offer experience and advice.

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[Mehr4x4]

I can make and take calls on my Bluetooth speaker. Is this not possible on a Bluetooth watch like my speaker? If I get one on eBay with a SIM slot but not activate it with a SIM can I just use the Bluetooth functions?
Thanks, Eric

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[Sajo]

There are two basic types of smart watches. Those that can make calls and those that can't. The blue tooth that the watches use is not the same Bluetooth technology as a speaker or headset, so no you can't answer calls on one that does not a cell plan. I believe that watches use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to stay connected to the phone, which is different than Bluetooth headsets and speakers. A smart watch without a calling plan is basically an extra notification system to see and react to notifications on your phone. But...you can also send a new text from it, send a new e mail, perform a Google Now search, control the music player, etc as long as you are within Bluetooth range of your phone. If you have a newer watch with WiFi then the watch & phone can stay connected over a longer distance if connected to a WiFi network.

Edit: If you bought one with a SIM slot and did not activate a calling plan it should still work to answer calls like a Bluetooth headset, as long as the phone & watch are within Bluetooth range & paired.

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[Sajo]

Edit:. One other thing to keep in mind when searching E Bay, there are a ton of knock-off watches out there that claim they will work with Android phones, but they don't run Android Wear OS. I have no idea if they are worth the money or not. I would highly recommend buying a watch that has an official version of Android Wear installed.

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[mountainbikermark]

I can make and take calls on my Bluetooth speaker. Is this not possible on a Bluetooth watch like my speaker? If I get one on eBay with a SIM slot but not activate it with a SIM can I just use the Bluetooth functions?
Thanks, Eric

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Yes you can use it without needing to activate the calling/data line.

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[Sajo]

Yes you can use it without needing to activate the calling/data line.

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You can use a LTE enabled watch to answer calls even with no calling plan? I was not aware of that.

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[mountainbikermark]

You can use a LTE enabled watch to answer calls even with no calling plan? I was not aware of that.

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Yes it works just like a Bluetooth only, tethered to the phone using the watch's speaker. You can't make or answer calls when not tethered to the phone but you can use it without a data plan. When my S is tethered to my phone I answer it instead of the phone using a Jabra Motion earpiece that is connected to my watch or speakerwatch if the Motion is charging.

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[Sajo]

Yes it works just like a Bluetooth only, tethered to the phone using the watch's speaker. You can't make or answer calls when not tethered to the phone but you can use it without a data plan. When my S is tethered to my phone I answer it instead of the phone using a Jabra Motion earpiece that is connected to my watch or speakerwatch if the Motion is charging.

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Awesome, I was not aware of that.

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[mountainbikermark]

Awesome, I was not aware of that.

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My Gear S is like any normal smartwatch until leaving Bluetooth range. That's why on the other forum I post about it I suggest others NOT get the data plan if they intend on having their phone with them most of the time. It's really a waste of money unless you don't keep your phone handy often.

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[Sajo]

...Even if you bought one with a SIM slot and did not activate a calling plan it would not work for calls...

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I apologize for my misinformation yesterday @Mehr4x4 . I learned something new. Thanks for setting me straight @mountainbikermark .

 

[Mehr4x4]

Great information! Thank you!
I'll do some thinking and more research
Eric

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[mountainbikermark]

Great information! Thank you!
I'll do some thinking and more research
Eric

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Be sure and post anymore questions and concerns here because though not a huge forum filling topic we have quite a few smartwatch owners here using different platforms and models.

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[Smith 001]

I got one .It's cheap but functional.within Bluetooth range,it could receive message or calls.You can use it answer phone call without handing your phone.