Android Wear 2.0 and LG Watch Style/Sport

[tbayrgs]

Android Wear 2.0 doesn't work with my LG Watch Urbane. All I can see is version 1.5?????

Don't think it's been widely rolled out yet. I'm waiting for it on my Huawei Watch as well.

 

[Badrottie]

Don't think it's been widely rolled out yet. I'm waiting for it on my Huawei Watch as well.

Oh I see. Thank you very much.

 

[Tinmania]

Oh I see. Thank you very much.

Latest word I saw was begin to roll out in spring (originally it was February, or at least easily interpreted as February).

Note that if you have or get the Wear 2 app on your phone it doesn't mean you have Wear 2 on the watch.


Mike

 

[kkh786]

So still waiting for a release of the LG Watch Sport here in the UK and Tag Heuer announce this intriguing concept:

Tag Heuer Connected 45

Hopefully other (cheaper) smart watch OEMs will follow suit on the modular aspect!

 

[Tinmania]

So still waiting for a release of the LG Watch Sport here in the UK

Make sure it is a UK or similar version. I have read reports from those who ordered the US version only to find it wasn't compatible with the cellular bands. Guess it is not a true world watch.

and Tag Heuer announce this intriguing concept:

Tag Heuer Connected 45

Hopefully other (cheaper) smart watch OEMs will follow suit on the modular aspect!

Yea that is a bit pricey. I'm not about to drop a few grand on a smartwatch that I might use for a year or two.



Mike

 

[BlueGoldAce]

How is the battery life when tracking a run with this device?

I ran a half marathon with my Nike Apple Watch Saturday (no music, just tracking), and I had about 70% when I finished.

I don't need a smartwatch to last 2+ days, I need it to last one. That includes days where I am at the office, and days where I go for an 1-2 hours run.

Right now I am leaning towards the Gear S3 frontier. The recent release of mapmyrun, endomodo, et makes me pretty confident it will do what I need. I don't use a lot of apps on my apple watch; primarily using it for exercise, notifications, music control, etc.

I wish I could store spotify or google music playlist on the S3, but at least it can stream via wifi (I won't be getting LTE) if I want.

I love my Apple watch, but I am switching to Google Fi, and thus moving to the Pixel.

 

[Tinmania]

I don't notice too much of a battery hit when running, but I am only using the built in Google Fit app.Biggest battery drain seems to be always on screen.

I liked the Gear S3 Frontier but could not stomach the Tizen OS. If Samsung had made an Android Wear version I might have gotten it. I used Siri on my Apple Watch and now Google Assistant on my LG Sport and both work well for me. Samsung's S Voice was not even a distant third. I could send a message via carrier pigeon before it was finished (mis)understanding what I said.



Mike

 

[Badrottie]

For LG Watch Urbane owner - still waiting for Android Wear 2? Please let me know cuz I am tired of waiting forever!

Anyway, this watch has built in wifi - what does it do? I don't find it useful at any hotspot place like Starbucks and whenever it is connected to hotspot, nothing seem to work or not getting notifications at all.

Thank you

 

[kkh786]

I am still waiting for an UK release.. I wonder what the hold up is.
I suspect they may disable LTE support as none of the UK carriers will support the number sharing on two SIMS like in the US.
If they do disable the LTE (not a deal breaker as battery life will improve).. I hope it is reflected in the RRP in the UK.
Com'on Google!

 

[Tinmania]

For LG Watch Urbane owner - still waiting for Android Wear 2? Please let me know cuz I am tired of waiting forever!

Anyway, this watch has built in wifi - what does it do? I don't find it useful at any hotspot place like Starbucks and whenever it is connected to hotspot, nothing seem to work or not getting notifications at all.

Thank you

It will use wifi as a data connection, but it is important to understand just how it uses that data, which I'll get to in a moment. The watch will use data via Bluetooth first (from the paired phone). If Bluetooth is not available it will use WiFi. Finally, if both Bluetooth and Wifi are not available it will use LTE. This is easiest on the battery. If the watch has a valid voice/data SIM it will use LTE for voice/SMS no matter what the wifi/bluetooth status is.

Wifi is learned by the wifi networks that are saved on the paired phone, but 2.4GHz wifi only. This is similar to how Apple Watch works. You can add a wifi network on the watch, but it will need to use the phone for password entry. The watch does not work with wifi networks that use a captive portal/landing page, at least not without some sort of browser or other third party app.

At this point, aside from some apps (albeit several core apps), the watch primarily uses its data connection to communicate with its paired phone. So if your phone is in your living room and you stray far enough away, say to the basement, that it loses bluetooth, it will use Wifi to communicate with the phone for notifications, SMS (via phone), notifications with reply (email, whatsapp, etc.) and even other apps such as Maps. It will not use wifi for making and receiving calls from your phone's number. If you left the phone home and went to the store, it would do the same via LTE (or wifi if you were in a remembered location).

Strangely, even Google Maps is tethered to the phone, at least for navigation. About all you can do on the watch itself is view your location and scroll around. If your phone is not with you and you say, for example (via Assistant), "take me home," the watch will actually communicate with your phone (Android), launch Maps on phone, calculate route on phone, and your watch will get the route as well as turn by turn directions. If someone were there with your phone, they could see and hear it announce directions and whatever else it says. But the GPS of the watch is used for location so the phone would appear to be in a different location, and moving. If the watch doesn't hear back from the phone in a timely manner, even if the phone is on and connected to data, it will error out with "couldn't start navigation." So it is kind of bizarre, and I assume as 2.0 matures we will see apps become more independent.

And there are of course phone-independent apps. With a wifi/LTE data connection on the watch Play Music, Google Keep, Agenda, and Hangouts will work on the watch even if the paired phone is off. There are third party 2.0 apps that are as well. If you have some sort of "number sync" to marry your phone's number with your watch's, calls and text will work without the paired phone too.

I don't like how my carrier's NumberSync (AT&T) works so I have it off. I have call forwarding turned on so calls that are not answered on my phone will ring to my watch, even if phone is off. If I have to make a call it will show as coming from my watch number. I can send and receive texts with my phone's number as long as it is on and connected to data. But if it is off I won't receive texts. I can of course send and receive texts using my watch's number. I can live with this as my phone is almost always on and connected to data should I leave it behind (intentionally or unintentionally).

All that said, I really wish it worked more like Apple Watch when it comes to calls and messaging, at least with AT&T and other carriers that support wifi calling. I could use my Apple Watch to call and iMessage (including SMS) without my iPhone as long as I had a Wifi connection. I used to do this if I went out without my iPhone.... I'd use my wife's phone in hot spot mode for wifi. I could still text and call without issue. So I don't really get the need to have a danged phone number for my watch, when data should be all that is required (even if LTE data). And Android Wear, even 2.0, is far from the point where you can use only it, and have no phone at all.



Mike

 

[kkh786]

It will use wifi as a data connection, but it is important to understand just how it uses that data, which I'll get to in a moment. The watch will use data via Bluetooth first (from the paired phone). If Bluetooth is not available it will use WiFi. Finally, if both Bluetooth and Wifi are not available it will use LTE. This is easiest on the battery. If the watch has a valid voice/data SIM it will use LTE for voice/SMS no matter what the wifi/bluetooth status is.

Wifi is learned by the wifi networks that are saved on the paired phone, but 2.4GHz wifi only. This is similar to how Apple Watch works. You can add a wifi network on the watch, but it will need to use the phone for password entry. The watch does not work with wifi networks that use a captive portal/landing page, at least not without some sort of browser or other third party app.

At this point, aside from some apps (albeit several core apps), the watch primarily uses its data connection to communicate with its paired phone. So if your phone is in your living room and you stray far enough away, say to the basement, that it loses bluetooth, it will use Wifi to communicate with the phone for notifications, SMS (via phone), notifications with reply (email, whatsapp, etc.) and even other apps such as Maps. It will not use wifi for making and receiving calls from your phone's number. If you left the phone home and went to the store, it would do the same via LTE (or wifi if you were in a remembered location).

Strangely, even Google Maps is tethered to the phone, at least for navigation. About all you can do on the watch itself is view your location and scroll around. If your phone is not with you and you say, for example (via Assistant), "take me home," the watch will actually communicate with your phone (Android), launch Maps on phone, calculate route on phone, and your watch will get the route as well as turn by turn directions. If someone were there with your phone, they could see and hear it announce directions and whatever else it says. But the GPS of the watch is used for location so the phone would appear to be in a different location, and moving. If the watch doesn't hear back from the phone in a timely manner, even if the phone is on and connected to data, it will error out with "couldn't start navigation." So it is kind of bizarre, and I assume as 2.0 matures we will see apps become more independent.

And there are of course phone-independent apps. With a wifi/LTE data connection on the watch Play Music, Google Keep, Agenda, and Hangouts will work on the watch even if the paired phone is off. There are third party 2.0 apps that are as well. If you have some sort of "number sync" to marry your phone's number with your watch's, calls and text will work without the paired phone too.

I don't like how my carrier's NumberSync (AT&T) works so I have it off. I have call forwarding turned on so calls that are not answered on my phone will ring to my watch, even if phone is off. If I have to make a call it will show as coming from my watch number. I can send and receive texts with my phone's number as long as it is on and connected to data. But if it is off I won't receive texts. I can of course send and receive texts using my watch's number. I can live with this as my phone is almost always on and connected to data should I leave it behind (intentionally or unintentionally).

All that said, I really wish it worked more like Apple Watch when it comes to calls and messaging, at least with AT&T and other carriers that support wifi calling. I could use my Apple Watch to call and iMessage (including SMS) without my iPhone as long as I had a Wifi connection. I used to do this if I went out without my iPhone.... I'd use my wife's phone in hot spot mode for wifi. I could still text and call without issue. So I don't really get the need to have a danged phone number for my watch, when data should be all that is required (even if LTE data). And Android Wear, even 2.0, is far from the point where you can use only it, and have no phone at all.

Mike

Hey Mike,

Thank you for sharing your experience in detail.

Can you confirm which watch you were referring to (as you are replying to a LG Watch Urbane user).

If you are talking about a LG Watch Sport then I am disappointed with some of the things you have detailed.. which dampens my excitement a little for the LG Watch Sport.

Regards,

KKH

 

[Tinmania]

Hey Mike,

Thank you for sharing your experience in detail.

Can you confirm which watch you were referring to (as you are replying to a LG Watch Urbane user).

If you are talking about a LG Watch Sport then I am disappointed with some of the things you have detailed.. which dampens my excitement a little for the LG Watch Sport.

Regards,

KKH

Yes, I was talking about the LG Sport. But the Urbane 2 with LTE, and AW 2.0, should work about the same.

For me, I actually prefer that it works tethered to phone at least for text and some other notifications. I can still text without having to use the watch's number. I don't like NumberSync since that always needed LTE to be on for voice and text, even if my phone was right there. Using LTE all the time, as well as running NumberSync all the time, was a battery hit. I don't really need to leave LTE on all the time, as my phone is with me 95% of the time.

I do assume more apps will become at least somewhat independent of the phone, such as Maps. Surely the watch can handle basic navigation on its own. It's more powerful than the iPhone 4S for comparison, which did--and does--fine with navigation. Google Maps on AW 2.0 should also be able to use offline maps, which don't take up too much room, so it can be utilized with watches with or without LTE.

So unless you really expected to use the LG Sport on its own, as in always or with phone off, don't be too disappointed. I am still impressed by it, and am thankful it has LTE should I forget my phone.

 

[Badrottie]

It will use wifi as a data connection, but it is important to understand just how it uses that data, which I'll get to in a moment. The watch will use data via Bluetooth first (from the paired phone). If Bluetooth is not available it will use WiFi. Finally, if both Bluetooth and Wifi are not available it will use LTE. This is easiest on the battery. If the watch has a valid voice/data SIM it will use LTE for voice/SMS no matter what the wifi/bluetooth status is.

Wifi is learned by the wifi networks that are saved on the paired phone, but 2.4GHz wifi only. This is similar to how Apple Watch works. You can add a wifi network on the watch, but it will need to use the phone for password entry. The watch does not work with wifi networks that use a captive portal/landing page, at least not without some sort of browser or other third party app.

At this point, aside from some apps (albeit several core apps), the watch primarily uses its data connection to communicate with its paired phone. So if your phone is in your living room and you stray far enough away, say to the basement, that it loses bluetooth, it will use Wifi to communicate with the phone for notifications, SMS (via phone), notifications with reply (email, whatsapp, etc.) and even other apps such as Maps. It will not use wifi for making and receiving calls from your phone's number. If you left the phone home and went to the store, it would do the same via LTE (or wifi if you were in a remembered location).

Strangely, even Google Maps is tethered to the phone, at least for navigation. About all you can do on the watch itself is view your location and scroll around. If your phone is not with you and you say, for example (via Assistant), "take me home," the watch will actually communicate with your phone (Android), launch Maps on phone, calculate route on phone, and your watch will get the route as well as turn by turn directions. If someone were there with your phone, they could see and hear it announce directions and whatever else it says. But the GPS of the watch is used for location so the phone would appear to be in a different location, and moving. If the watch doesn't hear back from the phone in a timely manner, even if the phone is on and connected to data, it will error out with "couldn't start navigation." So it is kind of bizarre, and I assume as 2.0 matures we will see apps become more independent.

And there are of course phone-independent apps. With a wifi/LTE data connection on the watch Play Music, Google Keep, Agenda, and Hangouts will work on the watch even if the paired phone is off. There are third party 2.0 apps that are as well. If you have some sort of "number sync" to marry your phone's number with your watch's, calls and text will work without the paired phone too.

I don't like how my carrier's NumberSync (AT&T) works so I have it off. I have call forwarding turned on so calls that are not answered on my phone will ring to my watch, even if phone is off. If I have to make a call it will show as coming from my watch number. I can send and receive texts with my phone's number as long as it is on and connected to data. But if it is off I won't receive texts. I can of course send and receive texts using my watch's number. I can live with this as my phone is almost always on and connected to data should I leave it behind (intentionally or unintentionally).

All that said, I really wish it worked more like Apple Watch when it comes to calls and messaging, at least with AT&T and other carriers that support wifi calling. I could use my Apple Watch to call and iMessage (including SMS) without my iPhone as long as I had a Wifi connection. I used to do this if I went out without my iPhone.... I'd use my wife's phone in hot spot mode for wifi. I could still text and call without issue. So I don't really get the need to have a danged phone number for my watch, when data should be all that is required (even if LTE data). And Android Wear, even 2.0, is far from the point where you can use only it, and have no phone at all.



Mike

Thank you very much I don't have Android phone but my LG Urbane is paired with my LG G Pad F 8.0 tablet. Kinda disappointed anyway. I love my orginal AW

 

[co.ag.2005]

Android Wear 2.0 doesn't work with my LG Watch Urbane. All I can see is version 1.5?????

Don't think it's been widely rolled out yet. I'm waiting for it on my Huawei Watch as well.

Latest word I saw was begin to roll out in spring (originally it was February, or at least easily interpreted as February).

Note that if you have or get the Wear 2 app on your phone it doesn't mean you have Wear 2 on the watch.


Mike

welp, this might explain the delay on the 2.0 launch.

Your Android Wear Watch Hasn’t Received 2.0 Because Google Found a Bug

 

[Badrottie]

LAPD stopped me and I asked what the **** I do wrong. Police told me that LG has informed Urbane Watch will receive Android Wear 2.0 update THIS WEEK.
How did police know I have LG Urbane Watch that I'm NOT wearing?????
Anyway just thought I let you LG Urbane Watch lovers know.....

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

LAPD stopped me and I asked what the **** I do wrong. Police told me that LG has informed Urbane Watch will receive Android Wear 2.0 update THIS WEEK.
How did police know I have LG Urbane Watch that I'm NOT wearing?????
Anyway just thought I let you LG Urbane Watch lovers know.....

This is what happens when Cali hands out dispensary cards.

 

[kkh786]

This is getting ridiculous!
Still no hint of a release date in the UK!?
It's shaping up to be a huge anticlimax when I finally do get my hand (wrist) on one!

 

[kkh786]

Google Store Canada has the LG Watch Style on sale since last Friday.. we finally have some movement outside of the USA!

 

[tbayrgs]

SAMSUNG’S TIZEN IS MORE POPULAR THAN GOOGLE’S ANDROID WEAR

Starting to feel more and more like Android Wear is the next Google project to die on the vine. There is really no compelling hardware and the OS itself doesn't offer a superior user experience vs. the competition. And when the biggest provider of Android phones doesn't support your wearable wearable OS, I can't see this scenario changing anytime soon.

 

[kkh786]

I caved in to my impatience!
I spoke to Google and LG many times and they don't seem to have a clue about the release date. They kept saying the networks are delaying it!
The other options were ugly or yet to be released.
Thus, only viable option was the Gear S3.. especially at a bargain of £190 (brand new and sealed)!
I've had it since Thursday night and I have been more than impressed with the hardware.
Software has been much more compatible with my pure Android Pixel than I had imagined.
Pleasantly surprised overall!

 

[HiDEF]

SAMSUNG’S TIZEN IS MORE POPULAR THAN GOOGLE’S ANDROID WEAR

Starting to feel more and more like Android Wear is the next Google project to die on the vine. There is really no compelling hardware and the OS itself doesn't offer a superior user experience vs. the competition. And when the biggest provider of Android phones doesn't support your wearable wearable OS, I can't see this scenario changing anytime soon.

Article started off fine until this line: "The smartwatch era arguably began with the launch of the Apple Watch in 2015..."

Not sure if I agree with that.

 

[tbayrgs]

Article started off fine until this line: "The smartwatch era arguably began with the launch of the Apple Watch in 2015..."

Not sure if I agree with that.

Technically of course it didn't but you can't really argue that the smart watch market didn't really become relevant until the Apple Watch was released--further reinforced by the fact that the first 2 notable platforms, Pebble and Android Wear, are dead or dying.

 

[Badrottie]

Installed android Wear 2.0 on my LG Watch Urbane but copying Google account is taking forever......I'm very impatience!!

 

[co.ag.2005]

I caved in to my impatience!
I spoke to Google and LG many times and they don't seem to have a clue about the release date. They kept saying the networks are delaying it!
The other options were ugly or yet to be released.
Thus, only viable option was the Gear S3.. especially at a bargain of £190 (brand new and sealed)!
I've had it since Thursday night and I have been more than impressed with the hardware.
Software has been much more compatible with my pure Android Pixel than I had imagined.
Pleasantly surprised overall!

I'm absolutely loving my Gear S3! I never really liked android wear and even with the 2.0 update, I haven't seen any hardware that has caught my eye.

 

[Tinmania]

If the Gear S3 had Bixby three months ago, or had a solid date when it would get it, I would have gone with the S3 too. But I used Siri a lot with my Apple Watch, and I now use Assistant a lot with my LG Sport. But that danged S Voice on the S3 just didn't cut it for me. I would imagine the S4 will launch with Bixby and I'll be taking a close look at it (assuming Apple doesn't blow me away with the iPhone 8, and then maybe back to Apple Watch to go with it ). The S3 improved on the already-good S2 so I would imagine the S4 will only continue that trend, barring any "explosive" issues.


Mike