Which Smart Watch

[Yesevil]

Hi all,

just canvassing opinion.

The time has come to upgrade my Sony Smartwatch 3. I'm looking for a watch that has good fitness integration, heart rate, steps, tracking runs etc - I also need one that will work with my golf apps for showing distance to holes etc. It also needs to look stylish

At the moment in leaning towards the Samsung Gear S3 Frontier..........

Does anyone have one that can give opinions on whether they are worth the price, or offer any alternatives?

Many thanks in advance

 

[Deleted User]

I'm about to replace my ageing Garmin FR610.
I was thinking of something with a wrist based heart rate sensor, so I can ditch the chest strap.
I'm not sure that the smartwatches are as good as a dedicated sports device like a Garmin, but I'm willing to be convinced.
I do like the idea of being able to write my own apps for the watch, but I'm not sure about the accuracy of the device's sensors, in terms of tracking heart rate, or GPS accuracy.

 

[Yesevil]

*Update*

Just realised that the Gear S3 isnt on WearOS. Is Tizen better or worse than WearOS?

Am I better maybe going for a WearOS device, such as some of the slightly older LG Models, or maybe the new TicWatch?

 

[Yesevil]

I'm about to replace my ageing Garmin FR610.
I was thinking of something with a wrist based heart rate sensor, so I can ditch the chest strap.
I'm not sure that the smartwatches are as good as a dedicated sports device like a Garmin, but I'm willing to be convinced.
I do like the idea of being able to write my own apps for the watch, but I'm not sure about the accuracy of the device's sensors, in terms of tracking heart rate, or GPS accuracy.

As I'm not massively into fitness the accuracy only needs to be rough for my needs. I'm more a gadget man that would like to track my few weekly runs, my golf game and receive message notifications etc.....

The TicWatch is looking like an appealing option.................

 

[El Presidente]

I'm using a Gear S3 and wish I'd got a Wear OS device to be honest. The Samsung app store is crap and there are very few apps which I actually use on my phone that have S3 counterparts. They kinda presume you'd want to use it with mostly Samsung apps and it's tailored to work best with them.

That being said, the fitness tracking is ok, but can sometimes be patchy. Ican't tell you how well it integrates with Samsung health as I'm rooted and that stops Samsung Health from working.

 

[Yesevil]

Thank you for the honesty El Presidente! After a little further research (extremely quiet at work today ), I have been looking further into the following:
TicWatch
Huawei Watch Sport 2
LG Watch Sport

The TicWatch Sport looks appealing but I'm not keen on not being able to change the strap if it breaks.
I like the look more of the Huawei (the changeable straps are also a plus), I'm just wondering if the Huawei is now a bit dated, or will it stand up to the TicWatch?

 

[El Presidente]

I think I read the Huawei was scheduled to get the most recent wear/Android P update so it might be ok in that regard.

Techradar seem to think relatively highly of both Ticwatch and they're relatively cheap so I don't think you'd go far wrong with one of those tbh

 

[codesplice]

Is Tizen better or worse than WearOS?

I think to some degree it comes down to personal preference. I love the wide variety of apps and faces available on Wear OS, but I've heard from many users who found Tizen to be more reliable in terms of notifications and data syncing.

Ican't tell you how well it integrates with Samsung health as I'm rooted and that stops Samsung Health from working.

lol, seriously? That's ridiculous. Wouldn't want you to cheat on your workouts.

Thank you for the honesty El Presidente! After a little further research (extremely quiet at work today ), I have been looking further into the following:
TicWatch
Huawei Watch Sport 2
LG Watch Sport

The TicWatch Sport looks appealing but I'm not keen on not being able to change the strap if it breaks.
I like the look more of the Huawei (the changeable straps are also a plus), I'm just wondering if the Huawei is now a bit dated, or will it stand up to the TicWatch?

I keep hoping that we'll see some new worthwhile Wear OS watches announced #soon, but so far I haven't seen anything but iterative improvements across the board. Most watches are essentially the same. They all run the exact same Wear OS software, with slight variations in pre-loaded faces and apps. The real differences are hardware like sensors, speakers, onboard GPS, NFC for Google Pay, and scrolling crowns for navigating menus. They also are all crippled by the same dated processor, which means none of them will get particularly great battery life - especially if you opt for an LTE-equipped variant.

I picked up a secondhand LG Watch Sport two months ago, after using a ZTE Quartz and OG Huawei Watch before that. The LGWS provides arguably the best Wear OS experience I've tried yet, and I love the scrolling crown, added hardware buttons for quickly launching apps, and Google Pay. I'm significantly underwhelmed by the battery life and keep a spare wireless charging dock at my desk in case it starts to dip too low. (On that note, the wireless charging is also the best charging method of any of the watches I've tried.)

If I were in the market to buy a new watch now I'd have to give a serious look to the TicWatch S which is $100-150 cheaper than the other two on your list and should offer a pretty similar experience - minus NFC and a scrolling crown button. You'll have to decide if those are features you're willing to spend more on.

I think I read the Huawei was scheduled to get the most recent wear/Android P update so it might be ok in that regard.

Most recent devices will likely get the P update - but it's currently being (publicly) tested on the non-cellular Huawei Watch 2 models. The Oreo update was tested on the LG Watch Sport so I guess they're just passing that reference status around.

 

[Yesevil]

If I were in the market to buy a new watch now I'd have to give a serious look to the TicWatch S which is $100-150 cheaper than the other two on your list and should offer a pretty similar experience - minus NFC and a scrolling crown button. You'll have to decide if those are features you're willing to spend more on.

I am very taken by the TicWatch after reading further reviews today. I'm now torn between the E which has interchangeable straps and is cheaper than the S but with the same spec, or the S which looks slightly better...........

 

[codesplice]

Again, I think it comes down to personal preference. I prefer the sportier design of the S, but many may prefer the more minimal design of the E. They are functionally identical. The only real difference is that the S has its GPS antenna built into the strap, resulting in better/faster GPS-based location but also preventing you from swapping out the band.

 

[Yesevil]

Again, I think it comes down to personal preference. I prefer the sportier design of the S, but many may prefer the more minimal design of the E. They are functionally identical. The only real difference is that the S has its GPS antenna built into the strap, resulting in better/faster GPS-based location but also preventing you from swapping out the band.

I've also read (albeit in one article) that the strap can be prone to breaking easily, if it cant be replaced it could be a costly break. I prefer the look of the S, but am slightly concerned about the durability of the strap as its a device I intend to keep and use daily for at least 18-24 months before replacing

 

[tracker]

I'm personally thinking about LG watch sport because of the rich selection of specs and features and that it allows to use them to the fullest right from the start. Battery life, screen.. the reviews are very positive